Chinese device maker Oppo unveiled a smartphone which takes an unusual approach to the notch issue, accompanied by a €999 price tag.

The smartphone, Find X, dispenses with the notch by concealing the camera and other sensors under a slider. This means the front of the device is all screen, with a screen-to-body ratio of 93.8 per cent for the 6.42-inch display.

While this is an unusual option, observers noted challenges related to manufacture and longevity, Oppo said the sliding structure of Find X was tested for durability more than 300,000 times and incudes drop protection.

With the device marking a major foray into the European market for Oppo, the €999 price tag is unlikely to appeal to mass-market buyers. But, coupled with the standout design, it does provide a useful hero device for the company, enabling it to stand out from rivals.

Oppo said the device is the first Android smartphone to use 3D Structured Light Technology. Using 15,000 facial dot recognition and intelligent access, the O-Face Recognition technology is said to be 20-times safer than fingerprint recognition when it comes to unlocking the smartphone.

It includes artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced cameras, with a 25MP “AI-enhanced 3D Camera” on the front, which “intelligently analyses features such as face, nose and eyes to naturally personalise your selfie”, and 16MP+20MP dual rear cameras, with AI Scene Recognition to identify 800 settings.

Find X is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It includes fast charging technology.

As with many other current high-end smartphones, it omits a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It runs a redesigned version of ColorOS 5.1 (a customised version of Android 8.1 Oreo), modified for the device’s “panoramic arc screen”.

The device is available in two gradient colours: Bordeaux red or glacier blue. It will reportedly go on sale in August.