Beijing, May 11 (IANS): Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has patented a smartphone design with an under-screen flip camera that can serve the dual purpose of the primary camera and a selfie camera.

The flip technology to be used in the phone's camera setup will enable the camera to rotate 180 degrees and serve as both a selfie cam and a rear-facing camera.

Xiaomi continues to pursue active research and development within the smartphone segment of the tech industry, Gizmo China reported on Tuesday.

The company recently displayed a concept phone featuring a curved display and an under-display camera.

Xiaomi is not the only company working on innovative curved displays and under-screen camera technology.

However, the company is making giant strides in the development of a rotating under-display camera module, as indicated by a new patent granted it by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

According to WIPO documents spotted by LetsGoDigital, the patent application was filed in February 2020, for a "Terminal device," which features an under-display camera.

There are indications that Xiaomi may unveil the first of such devices within the year, the report said.

The flip camera module is placed at the back of the device the triple camera setup has a rotatable top lens.

The patent documentation also revealed that the front-facing camera is activated internally with the rotating rear camera.

The display is adjusted to fit in with the activated camera module and provide an equally powerful shot.

The patent documentation reveals several other minute details, and we await the unveiling of the first Xiaomi smartphone that would feature the under-display rotatable camera setup.