First time poster here. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Apple has not made a phone with a garden-variety camera (or hell, no camera at all) — and thus without that awful camera bump, which for me serves no purpose other than to drag things like car keys and credit cards from my pocket along with the phone. There is certainly a market for a phone that is just as fast as the iPhone pro but in a form that doesn’t include an ugly obtrusive camera bulging out from the back — specifically business users who want a fast phone that operates like every other iPhone pro, but one they can lay on a table without it wobbling around and one they can carrying their pocket without being so obtrusive. Why is Apple so unwilling to create such a phone for the people who don’t care about taking photos to post to social media?
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Other Apple should make a camera-bump free phone for those who don’t care about the camera
- Thread starter mgoblue3030
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Probably because there isn’t a market for it. I need a camera on my work phone. I’ve gone for the air and I hardly notice the camera bump.
I don’t think people want to give away camera quality, especially on a pro model phone.
Apple should make at least some phone without the bump. There would absolutely be a market for it IMO. The biggest issue with apples phones, and the thing I hear people complain about the most, is that ugly obtrusive camera bump
eyoungren
macrumors Nehalem
Alright.
I, the longtime resident MacRumors whiner about the fugly camera boil on the back of the iPhone since the 6 series will engage with you first time poster! 😀
To be blunt, Apple considers the camera bump as part of their design aesthetic. People know it's an iPhone by the camera bump. Do, I have a source to cite that? No, but several models into it, with the camera boil becoming larger and larger each and every year, you have to start thinking that Apple actually means to do this!
Now, they haven't shown up yet in this thread, but when they do you will be prepared. There are at least two types of user here (may be more) that are good with the bump. The first type is going to point out that you are simply going to 'slap a case on the phone' and by virtue of this, it will defacto render your desire irrelevant. Because, the case 'hides' the bump.
The second type will point out that based on current camera technology, it is impossible to NOT have a camera bump. So, you - will simply have to accept this, deal with it and move on.
Now that you know, you can prepare any rebuttals you may have before those types of users show up here. 😉
And for anyone else out there currently facepalming and muttering 'there HE goes again'. Yes. I still hate the fugly camera bump and I don't use cases either.
😛 😛
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Grinder, sandpaper and some JB weld. Bump gone.
And the market would be extremely small, especially for a pro model.
And the market would be extremely small, especially for a pro model.
JPack
macrumors P6
I guess it would be for people who consider the mini and Air a success.
Apple should take out the speakers while they’re removing the camera, right? 😆
Apple should take out the speakers while they’re removing the camera, right? 😆
1rottenapple
macrumors 603
eyoungren
macrumors Nehalem
Personally, I prefer a hammer and chisel. You can put your back into it and you get a bit more satisfaction. 😉
1rottenapple
macrumors 603
I like the idea of just putting my iPhone Air through an angle grinder to achieve the same idea.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
It’s not an iPhone but the Pixel 9A has a decent camera with no camera bump, if I recall. Pretty sure Apple could make a bumpless phone if they wanted to.
eyoungren
macrumors Nehalem
They could. But there would be one of two solutions that two different types of users here would complain about.
Solution 1 would be to make the case slightly thicker - to make the camera flush. Cue those who do not like thicker phones because they are 'bulkier' and 'heavier'. OTOH, those who want a bigger and longer lasting battery might be happy about this. It's been mentioned before.
Solution 2 would be to reduce the capabilities of the camera so it can be smaller and then fit flush. But, as @hg.wells already said: "I don’t think people want to give away camera quality…"
In addition to all of the reasons already listed, another reason they won’t do it is because, as proven by the iPhone Air, and likely will happen more and more, the “camera” bump is used for/will likely be used for significantly more than just the camera.
In the iPhone Air, that bump holds the entire logic board of the phone, as well as providing the thickness needed for Face ID and the front speaker.
In the future, who knows what else Apple will move up there?
Also I am just speaking for me and only me here, but I would be much more interested in a camera bump free iPad than a camera bump free iPhone.
In the iPhone Air, that bump holds the entire logic board of the phone, as well as providing the thickness needed for Face ID and the front speaker.
In the future, who knows what else Apple will move up there?
Also I am just speaking for me and only me here, but I would be much more interested in a camera bump free iPad than a camera bump free iPhone.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
I would take an iPhone 5S/Mini combo sized iPhone. Just give it the 48mp sensor and 2X cropped zoom and Touch ID if Face ID will take up too much room. The 16e and likely 17e are “almost” flush. If they could eliminate the shiny bezel/ring around the camera, we’d have a flush iPhone. But then it calls into question what @eyoungren mention, which is will it make it thicker or not.
Having said all that, I have gotten used to using ultra wide for magnification and macro photos more often than I thought I would, and I really like the 4X/8X zoom. So even if the 17e were flush for example, I still would likely not buy it. I think I just talked myself out of a small/flush camera iPhone. Ha!
Having said all that, I have gotten used to using ultra wide for magnification and macro photos more often than I thought I would, and I really like the 4X/8X zoom. So even if the 17e were flush for example, I still would likely not buy it. I think I just talked myself out of a small/flush camera iPhone. Ha!
I agree, but I suspect that Apple's marketing department considers cameras to be part of what makes a cellular telephone a "high end" or "luxury" product, and therefore would not want Apple to make a "low-end" device with a nonexistant or low-quality camera.
A more marketing-friendly approach might be to make the entire device thicker (maybe with a bigger or swappable battery) in order to make it flat, but Apple probably won't do that, either, since "thin" is also associated with high-end or luxury products in Apple-land.
A more marketing-friendly approach might be to make the entire device thicker (maybe with a bigger or swappable battery) in order to make it flat, but Apple probably won't do that, either, since "thin" is also associated with high-end or luxury products in Apple-land.
MacInTO
macrumors 65816
I'm on the no camera bump side. I have the iPhone 13 mini and I wish that had no bump and the phone was slightly thicker to accommodate a larger internal battery. I'm not sure the lenses/sensors are that good so I don't know why there is a bump. I prefer the images from my Samsung Galaxy S9 from 2018 over the 13 mini.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
Never know... they're launching a "low-end" MacBook with an iPhone chip and a handful of other rumored limitations this week and supposedly Macs are premium/high-end/luxury (at least luxury priced, especially if you pay for extra memory and storage). But I hear you, I think decent cameras on phones are considered essential for 99% of consumers. Look at all the flack the iPhone Air gets just because they cut a couple lenses... uh, and a core, a speaker, some battery life, USB 3 transfer speeds... did I miss anything? 😉
Lynxpoint
macrumors 6502
I agree that it is by design.
And there is one more reason that they won't make a humpless phone until they can do it acroess the line, based on my own iphone decision as of late. I looked at the 16e hoping for a flatter phone, and found the camera bump, while smaller, still as annoying as that found on the pro, so with the better screen on the pro, I went that route - another form of Apple upselling, I guess.
But on the other hand, while cleaning up this morning, I came across the only old iphone I have kept, just because I love the design so much. That is the 4. Just picking it up reminded me of how far the en********ation of phone design has gone over the years.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
In a way, the tiny cute 16e bump is more noticeable by virtue of it being more prominent relative to the rest of the flat back, it's easy to spot. Whereas the huge plateau on the 17 Pro is so big that it bludgeons your senses. It's now so huge that it defies the definition of "bump." I think I'm talking myself back into a 17e if they ever made it with a flush camera. haha
eyoungren
macrumors Nehalem
In other words…if you want a modern iPhone with a modern version of iOS, then suck it up and accept the camera bump?
Or are you saying something else?
Cameras are always needed and you never know when you'll need one with a good quality in the phone.
On the iPhone Air it is more obvious because the rest of the phone is so thin.
ToddH
macrumors 68040
Just recalling the iPhones that don’t have a camera bump, especially if the camera will never be used as the OP wants