Oppo plans a phone with removable camera module

Oppo is working on some really interesting smartphone designs. Just recently, the company showcased its first-ever rollable smartphone. Now, the company has filed a patent for a smartphone with a removable camera module.

Spotted on World Intellectual Property Office (by 91Mobiles), the patent application features images and description on how the smartphone may work. The images focus on the back panel of the phone with a regular-appearing camera module. The catch, however, is that it can be removed and mounted on the base/top of the phone through USB Type-C port.

Another image reveals the camera module comes with the USB Type-C connector and can bend at two angles – 90-degrees and 180-degrees. The bendable design is likely to allow the camera to take photos in multiple angles, akin to the motorised camera module on the Asus 6Z.

Interestingly, the patent reveals the camera module can also come with a Lithium battery and can be charged whenever required. As expected, it could also add support for wireless connectivity such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.

That said, the patents do not necessarily convert into a commercial product. As far as the removable camera goes, it is definitely an interesting concept, but it will be interesting to see how the technology is implemented. The modular design has been around for quite some time but has not taken off despite sporadic efforts by the likes of LG and Motorola.

So far, Oppo has showcased the X 2021 concept smartphone with a rollable screen. The phone comes with a variable rollable OLED display, which uses the company’s own Roll Motor powertrain to expand from a 6.7-inch canvas to a 7.4-inch phablet. You can learn more about Oppo’s rollable phone here.