Google's Next Budget Phone Virtually Eliminates the Camera Bump

[Lioness~]

Apple need to contract Ive to help them ahead. Give it a few years more years and Apple are even further behind the competiion.

Watching on my mini, and it's sooo perfect compairing to Apple's phones today.

 

[Mr_Ed]

What problems does the camera bump cause? I'm just wondering if it disrupts someone's use of smartphones with it? Are people using their phones in a way that require the phone to lie perfectly flat on their back on a surface?

For a company claiming to be obsessed with design, a slab that looks tilted when you put it down seems out of place. Aside from that, it interferes with wireless charging when a magnet is not involved (car, hotel chargers I’ve seen, other inexpensive ones). Makes effective placement for charging more difficult..

 

[WB2Colorado]

Camera bumps were always stupid and I’m glad they’re finally starting to go away. I’d much rather have a slightly worse camera if it means no camera bump

 

[Premium1]

NO!!!!!!

This is MacBook Pro thinness again a la Jony Ive’s obsession of making things impossibly thin as possible. It’s going to result in tradeoffs that makes the phone worse and worse overtime.

The current thickness is perfect for Apple and for any smartphones. Any thinner than that, you got Jony Ives obsession of thinness which is not good at all.

So like apple is doing with their 17 air or whatever marketing term they will use for it? Or, stick with me here, they could make it slightly thicker, with a larger battery and then the bump goes away (unless you are apple who makes their bump the thickness of 2 iphones just by itself.

 

[0049190]

I was hoping Apple would eliminate the camera bump in the forthcoming SE model.

 

[neuropsychguy]

For a company claiming to be obsessed with design, a slab that looks tilted when you put it down seems out of place. Aside from that, it interferes with wireless charging when a magnet is not involved (car, hotel chargers I’ve seen, other inexpensive ones). Makes effective placement for charging more difficult..

Thanks. I've just been wondering if the camera bump is more of an aesthetic issue for people, or if it's causing functional issues that are interfering with people's jobs or use in some way.

 

[9081094]

Larger sensors require the lens moving further away. Camera bumps are the price we pay for better mobile photography.

I hope we will see a comparison test once this one and the new iPhone SE comes out to see if you need that bump.

 

[0049190]

Larger sensors require the lens moving further away. Camera bumps are the price we pay for better mobile photography.

Not everyone wants better photography. I never use the camera on my iPhone.

Keep the bump on the pro models but give us an option of a flush back with no bump on the non-pro models. Apple’s one size fits all approach is frustrating.

 

[9081094]

Apple need to contract Ive to help them ahead. Give it a few years more years and Apple are even further behind the competiion.

Watching on my mini, and it's sooo perfect compairing to Apple's phones today.

People say Google is a software company while Apple is a hardware company. Although there is coming much more hardware out of Google (and good looking) as there comes out of apples. Not to mention the software.

I think we need a plumber as I think there is something stuck in Apple’s famous pipeline.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I like it 👏

Well done Google

 

[orbital~debris]

It strikes me that all/much of the annoyance with the camera bump 'design quirk' could be/have been avoided if device designers had utilised a similar design as some calculators… i.e. where there is a flat back, but overall thickness tapers from top to bottom giving an angled front face.

This would allow the camera bump to be housed in a thicker part of the device, eliminate an uneven/irregular bump that wobbles when placed down on flat surfaces, and would present the front face & display of the device in a way more conducive to use whenever using on a table.

I'm guessing relatively uniform thickness was prioritised as a design choice‍

 

[turbineseaplane]

Not everyone wants better photography. I never use the camera on my iPhone.

Agreed -- although I use my camera all the time, it's just plenty good enough as is even on my 13 Mini

 

[turbineseaplane]

It's a "budget phone" that will also have a 5,100mAh battery... the largest battery ever put into a Pixel phone!!

 

[Octothorpe]

It's estimated that 75% of people put their phones in a case. I doubt that the driver is the existence of the bump, but rather to protect the phone (which people will do, bump or not)

If the camera "bump" is the thickness of the case, then you achieve a flat design for 75% of owners. Which I prefer.

A perfectly flat phone is now going to create a new era of Divots for 75% of owners.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It's estimated that 75% of people put their phones in a case. I doubt that the driver is the existence of the bump, but rather to protect the phone (which people will do, bump or not)

If the camera "bump" is the thickness of the case, then you achieve a flat design for 75% of owners. Which I prefer.

A perfectly flat phone is now going to create a new era of Divots for 75% of owners.

Conversely, it would also allow the camera to be even more protected by being recessed down in the "divot"

 

[Sophytaylor6@]

I am sure that it will have some advanced features too and as far as the design is concerned, it looks good as well!

 

[Lioness~]

People say Google is a software company while Apple is a hardware company. Although there is coming much more hardware out of Google (and good looking) as there comes out of apples. Not to mention the software.

I think we need a plumber as I think there is something stuck in Apple’s famous pipeline.

Yes, a leadership that doesn’t have any innovation and only care about shareholders, is blocking a lot for Apple, and making people leave the company.
A lot of people can put up with it awhile because we like the GUI and how our Apple stuff sync with each other etc.
But I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that watching the competitors, and their innovation, and wished Apple could do something fun, exciting and modern. But Apple feels just as boring as the CEO is .

 

[bigjnyc]

Camera bump doesn't really bother me like it does so many people.... I am never really tapping on my phone while its laying on a desk.... I usually have my phone face down and get any notifications on my watch... And then if I need to interact with the phone I will pick it up. So the camera bump has never really bothered me. But I can see how it would be annoying for some people.

 

[klasma]

I think people forget just how nice to hold and pocket the iPhone 5S/7 was. They were so much lighter and thinner than the current phones, which made them more convenient to have in a pocket and hold for extended periods.

I agree, but at 9 mm thickness the Google phone won't be particularly light-weight.

 

[klasma]

Thanks. I've just been wondering if the camera bump is more of an aesthetic issue for people, or if it's causing functional issues that are interfering with people's jobs or use in some way.

It's both.

 

[klasma]

It strikes me that all/much of the annoyance with the camera bump 'design quirk' could be/have been avoided if device designers had utilised a similar design as some calculators… i.e. where there is a flat back, but overall thickness tapers from top to bottom giving an angled front face.

This would allow the camera bump to be housed in a thicker part of the device, eliminate an uneven/irregular bump that wobbles when placed down on flat surfaces, and would present the front face & display of the device in a way more conducive to use whenever using on a table.

That would make the weight distribution quite top-heavy, I don’t think it would be very comfortable to hold.

 

[cmChimera]

I still can't believe Apple thought the camera tumor was better than keeping the phone slightly thicker (and filling the space with battery)

It is a better idea. Most people would rather a thinner phone with a camera bump than a huge, heavy slab with none.

I’ve said before I would gladly accept flatlining or even regressing a bit on camera specs if it meant the stupid bump goes away. Surely a multi-trillion$ corporation should be able to accomplish this.

You're in a small minority. Most people, including myself, don't want worse cameras on their expensive, premium smartphone.

No one likes the camera bump.

Most people don't care.

Kinda sucks for those of us, like me, who really don't care about the cameras. I consider it the least interesting part of a phone.

You're in the minority.

I’d much rather have a slightly worse camera if it means no camera bump

You're in an extremely small minority

Or, stick with me here, they could make it slightly thicker, with a larger battery and then the bump goes away

An iPhone 16 Pro Max made thicker to eliminate the camera bump would be a heavy, massive phone. This is a terrible idea.

Not everyone wants better photography. I never use the camera on my iPhone.

Most people do want better photography, it's one of the largest drivers of phone upgrades.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It is a better idea. Most people would rather a thinner phone with a camera bump than a huge, heavy slab with none.

You're in a small minority. Most people, including myself, don't want worse cameras on their expensive, premium smartphone.

Most people don't care.

You're in the minority.

You're in an extremely small minority

An iPhone 16 Pro Max made thicker to eliminate the camera bump would be a heavy, massive phone. This is a terrible idea.

Most people do want better photography, it's one of the largest drivers of phone upgrades.

You're speaking way too authoritatively without any data sourcing

 

[nostradumbass]

Sensor size is more important than number of megapixels, as any pro photographer and cinematographer will tell you.

The Google spec talks about megapixels but not about sensor size. This is what all companies should be highlighting like camera makers do.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Most people do want better photography, it's one of the largest drivers of phone upgrades.

Notice how people are upgrading less and less, and keeping their phones longer. It was a driver, but now most people can't tell any difference year to year, or even between a few-years-old phone and a new one.

In the US, >8% upgrade yearly, and the average iPhone traded in is now is at 3.5 years old, at least with the carriers, which is where most people buy their phones. Battery health is the biggest driver of upgrades, by far..and it's not even close.