Other I want to see this on the iPhone 17

[espreso]

I just read about the specs of the upcoming Pixel 9a
And I think this is what smartphone manufacturers need to change in their next flagships
A device with no camera bump at all!
Why is it that when I put an iPhone on the table it's supposed to wobble? And who's talking about Google's Pixel?
Please Apple, give us this on iPhone 17

 

[eyoungren]

For those who know of my particular complaints about Apple and my vocalization of one of those specific complaints here since 2014, you all know what I'm thinking right now.

So, I'll be quiet and just let the discussion happen…

 

[maerz001]

You can not build a flagship camera lens that flat cos of optical reasons.
So either you put in a mediocre lens (btw, i still see a bump in your pic) or increase the weight by increasing the phones body.

 

[russell_314]

Why is it that when I put an iPhone on the table it's supposed to wobble?

I’m not sure what you’re doing here. Are you trying to use it on the table to type on? Most people hold their phone when using it so I think this is a really niche use case.


I don’t think you’ll ever see an iPhone without a camera bump unless it’s an iPhone SE made for budget conscious consumers.

Google can put a 💩 camera on the Pixel because the photo processing is done off device on Google servers. Apple will never do that because it’s against their privacy theme. Whether you believe it’s just for marketing or it’s a legitimate concern by Apple, it’s one of their primary selling points. They’re not going to say oh yeah now we’re going to do something completely different.

 

[eyoungren]

I’m not sure what you’re doing here. Are you trying to use it on the table to type on? Most people hold their phone when using it so I think this is a really niche use case.

I think it was a tongue-in-check comment about the common (not niche) experience of putting your phone down on a table or surface and not having it wobble. If however, you are the sort of person that puts their phone away in a pocket or purse, or some other place when you're finished using it then this might be a niche case to you.

But a lot of people at a restaurant, or some other places where they happen to be sitting at a table, will put their phones down on the table so they aren't being sat on or sticking out of a pocket. If you do this with almost any iPhone since 2014 it will wobble when you set it down. Of course, that's assuming you put it down on the back and don't use cases. Which, in this instance you're probably solidly on the mark for it being a niche case. Most people use cases and put their phones down on the front.

 

[russell_314]

I think it was a tongue-in-check comment about the common (not niche) experience of putting your phone down on a table or surface and not having it wobble. If however, you are the sort of person that puts their phone away in a pocket or purse, or some other place when you're finished using it then this might be a niche case to you.

I don’t think it’s a niche case to set your phone down on the table. I meant typing on your phone while it’s set on the table because clearly it would be annoying if it was moving when typing. With me it would feel awkward trying to type on my phone while it was on the table, but maybe that’s just because of my vision. It could be a thing with some people.

But a lot of people at a restaurant, or some other places where they happen to be sitting at a table, will put their phones down on the table so they aren't being sat on or sticking out of a pocket. If you do this with almost any iPhone since 2014 it will wobble when you set it down. Of course, that's assuming you put it down on the back and don't use cases. Which, in this instance you're probably solidly on the mark for it being a niche case. Most people use cases and put their phones down on the front.

I thought about this and thought is there really something to it? So I set my phone down with the case on. It’s just a cheap clear plastic case I bought at Walmart for about seven dollars. No wobble. OK let me take the case off. Taking the case off I set the phone down. It didn’t wobble. If I pushed on the left side of the phone it did tilt to that side, but when I let off, it went back up and stopped. I wouldn’t call it a wobble because it didn’t keep doing it.


I’m just confused as to what the issue is here. The only time I could get it to move or wobble as people are saying is when I pushed on the left side of the phone. If I just set it on the table, it just stayed there. This movement when pushing on the left side of the phone would be extremely annoying if I was trying to type. Maybe if a child was constantly pushing down on the phone to make noise it would be bothersome.

If this is a I don’t like it that my phone moves when I push on the left side while it’s on a flat surface problem, I don’t think Apple is going to sacrifice camera quality for that. If it was making the phone difficult to use, then Apple might take this into consideration. For example if somebody was trying to type while the phone was flat.

I qualify that I have the 14 Pro Max. The smaller Pro size phone may do something completely different and perhaps the newer iPhones have a larger camera bump so they may do something different.

 

[eyoungren]

I don’t think it’s a niche case to set your phone down on the table. I meant typing on your phone while it’s set on the table because clearly it would be annoying if it was moving when typing. With me it would feel awkward trying to type on my phone while it was on the table, but maybe that’s just because of my vision. It could be a thing with some people.




I thought about this and thought is there really something to it? So I set my phone down with the case on. It’s just a cheap clear plastic case I bought at Walmart for about seven dollars. No wobble. OK let me take the case off. Taking the case off I set the phone down. It didn’t wobble. If I pushed on the left side of the phone it did tilt to that side, but when I let off, it went back up and stopped. I wouldn’t call it a wobble because it didn’t keep doing it.


I’m just confused as to what the issue is here. The only time I could get it to move or wobble as people are saying is when I pushed on the left side of the phone. If I just set it on the table, it just stayed there. This movement when pushing on the left side of the phone would be extremely annoying if I was trying to type. Maybe if a child was constantly pushing down on the phone to make noise it would be bothersome.

If this is a I don’t like it that my phone moves when I push on the left side while it’s on a flat surface problem, I don’t think Apple is going to sacrifice camera quality for that. If it was making the phone difficult to use, then Apple might take this into consideration. For example if somebody was trying to type while the phone was flat.

I qualify that I have the 14 Pro Max. The smaller Pro size phone may do something completely different and perhaps the newer iPhones have a larger camera bump so they may do something different.

I have no argument with you concerning what Apple may or may not do. By this point it's obvious (to me) that aside from the camera being a selling point, the aesthetics of the camera bump is ALSO a selling point. I.e., the camera bump is a feature, not a bug. Convenient, considering I've been told many times that the current state of camera tech means there will be a bump.

Apart from all of this, I am continuing to stay silent on my opinion (here at least). You guys know what I think about the camera bump by this point.

 

[Ctrlos]

They should have moved the camera further up the rear or centralised it like the Nothing 2a. Looks weird having it in that position.

 

[shadowboi]

Yeah the iPhone 16 camera bump is very large. And I would better have worse spec camera than this bump sticking from the phone. It is not aesthetic. I miss my iPhone 4 and 5 which had camera systems inside the body. And I would have even sacrificed the useless UW lens for that

 

[Parowdy]

I’m not sure what you’re doing here. Are you trying to use it on the table to type on? Most people hold their phone when using it so I think this is a really niche use case.


I don’t think you’ll ever see an iPhone without a camera bump unless it’s an iPhone SE made for budget conscious consumers.

Google can put a 💩 camera on the Pixel because the photo processing is done off device on Google servers. Apple will never do that because it’s against their privacy theme. Whether you believe it’s just for marketing or it’s a legitimate concern by Apple, it’s one of their primary selling points. They’re not going to say oh yeah now we’re going to do something completely different.

Touching your phone while it’s on the table isn’t niche at all.
Also, since when is Google processing just-captured photos on their servers and sending them back like, instantly?
This is the very first time I’ve heard that part of Googles image processing pipeline is server based.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

I’m conflicted. The iPhone 5 was the design I liked the most. That was a nice phone, and I took some nice photos with it, and some of them even ended up hanging up in the college gallery in my photography project. However, I do like the capabilities of the iPhone cameras, even while disliking the bump. But I’m sure that if I could get some nice photos out of an iPhone 5, a flat lens on a new phone should still be a well usable camera, even if it wouldn’t be a class-leader

If, by the time I’m ready to upgrade, the iPhone ‘Air’ had evolved to have a flush camera lens, I’d have to have a long hard think about what I wanted.

 

[eyoungren]

I’m conflicted. The iPhone 5 was the design I liked the most. That was a nice phone, and I took some nice photos with it, and some of them even ended up hanging up in the college gallery in my photography project. However, I do like the capabilities of the iPhone cameras, even while disliking the bump. But I’m sure that if I could get some nice photos out of an iPhone 5, a flat lens on a new phone should still be a well usable camera, even if it wouldn’t be a class-leader

If, by the time I’m ready to upgrade, the iPhone ‘Air’ had evolved to have a flush camera lens, I’d have to have a long hard think about what I wanted.

I'm not conflicted. I did however, register my opinion about the camera bump by not purchasing a new iPhone until early 2015 (I was on the iPhone 5 at the time). I broke my protest for another reason, but that is another story.

My distaste for the camera bump does not stop me from buying iPhone since the primary reason I do so is to get iOS. I have a Pixel 3a XL which I used for nine months and while it's (still) a very nice phone (to me), it doesn't run iOS. Currently I am using the 11 Pro Max, but will be upgrading later this year.

 

[Realityck]

I don’t think you’ll ever see an iPhone without a camera bump unless it’s an iPhone SE made for budget conscious consumers.

That minimization to a single camera is very appealing compared to present bludgeoning arrangement that many would like changed from. The pursuit of folding more capable telephoto can only appeal to some percentage of consumers?

 

[russell_314]

I have no argument with you concerning what Apple may or may not do. By this point it's obvious (to me) that aside from the camera being a selling point, the aesthetics of the camera bump is ALSO a selling point. I.e., the camera bump is a feature, not a bug. Convenient, considering I've been told many times that the current state of camera tech means there will be a bump.

I’ve never heard that the camera bump was a feature or selling point, but I suppose the location or layout of it might be. I think the camera bump is a necessity due to current imaging capabilities. I’m sure Apple would love to make it completely flush and they still could have the cool layout.

Apart from all of this, I am continuing to stay silent on my opinion (here at least). You guys know what I think about the camera bump by this point.

I didn’t think the camera bump topic was this controversial. I feel like we’re discussing politics or something 😂

Touching your phone while it’s on the table isn’t niche at all.

Maybe? I’ve never seen anyone just touch their phone without picking it up while it was on a table, but I haven’t really asked a whole bunch of people if they do this. I am definitely not in the know of current trends so it might be a thing.

Also, since when is Google processing just-captured photos on their servers and sending them back like, instantly?

It’s not instant. That would be pretty awesome and I think that was the dream with 5G, but obviously that isn’t coming out like people thought it would. Some photo processing obviously is on device, but more advanced processing is done on servers.

This is the very first time I’ve heard that part of Googles image processing pipeline is server based.

There’s discussion of it in these forms, but maybe it’s been a while.

 

[russell_314]

That minimization to a single camera is very appealing compared to present bludgeoning arrangement that many would like changed from. The pursuit of folding more capable telephoto can only appeal to some percentage of consumers?

I think you’re right some people would prefer this. It’s hard to tell what consumers want because you can’t go by what people say here. People often say they want something, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to put down their bank card and pay for that. Apple gets a lot of flack with their iPhone and the fact that it doesn’t have the 100x zoom like Samsung phones have or at least I think they still have. They don’t have Google‘s photo processing capabilities like the Pixel. How much do average consumers care about this? That I’m not sure.

If there was a phone with a camera that clearly had inferior specs to Google and Samsung phones would people buy it just because it didn’t have the camera bump? There’s rumors about an “Air” iPhone so maybe that will have no camera bump?

 

[eyoungren]

I didn’t think the camera bump topic was this controversial. I feel like we’re discussing politics or something 😂

LOL, yes it is controversial. It's along the lines of the headphone jack, cases (using or not using) and TouchID. Whereas, the reason I never bought the iPhone 5s was because it did not come in black, I never bought the 6+ because of the camera bump.

I did get the 6+ though, people will point out. And the 6s+ on top of that. But both purchases were for other reasons. And my objection does not now extend as far as to deny myself iOS.

But yeah, you either hate it or you're okay with it (the camera bump). So far, I haven't found anyone that has actually said they love the camera bump. I'm sure those customers exist out there somewhere though.

 

[lanceuppercut47]

I'd love a thicker iPhone (to keep current camera components) with no camera bump, fill it with more battery, whatever.

 

[menist]

We need those special nuclear plant iPhone with no cameras and all screens 😅

 

[WarmWinterHat]

You can not build a flagship camera lens that flat cos of optical reasons.
So either you put in a mediocre lens (btw, i still see a bump in your pic) or increase the weight by increasing the phones body.

The 9a isn't a flagship phone, it's the lower cost mid-cycle update of the 9. Similarly, there is no reason they couldn't put a lower-spec camera in the standard iPhone series to make it flatter... the 16 (non-pro) isn't a flagship, either.

I always use a case so my phones don't wobble, but would still like a non-camera bump'ed iPhone. I don't personally care much about phone cameras.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'd like an "iPhone PoBoy"

Mini sized (at least as an optional variant) with whatever reasonable lens they can put in there in 2025+ and not have a bump on the back

/wishlist

 

[MegaBlue]

If I can have a flat camera module without sacrificing camera sensor quality (before “AI” magic) and without having to have a thicker phone, than by all means, for sure.

However, I have a very strong feeling you can’t have all 3, and I would rather have a thinner phone with a killer camera than a flat bump but a compromise on either end. I never have to or try to use my phone laying flat on a table so I’m not bothered. A thin device and a nice camera matter way more to me.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I would rather have a thinner phone with a killer camera than a flat bump but a compromise on either end.

The cameras have all gotten so good that there is now room for a model/line that has whatever is slightly below "a killer camera"

 

[Sami13496]

Only 1% of users truly maximize the full potential of smartphone cameras. This 1%—the vocal content creators on YouTube—has convinced everyday users, who mostly take casual photos of their pets, kids, and receipts, that they need Hollywood-level cameras in their phones. Add Apple’s marketing to the mix, and the illusion becomes even stronger.

The reality? Most regular users don’t need all that power. The iPhone 7’s camera was already more than sufficient for everyday photography. Apple has its Pro lineup for those who want cutting-edge camera tech, but why can’t the regular iPhone have a simpler, bump-free design with a “normal” camera?

Even if it has slightly lower specs, Apple could easily market it with the right spin—no problem. A fresh design angle, a new story to tell—they’re experts at that. How about a flat iPhone 17 variant, Apple?

 

[MegaBlue]

The cameras have all gotten so good that there is now room for a model/line that has whatever is slightly below "a killer camera"

That’s fine, and I’m not saying people should have things that they want.

What I’m just saying is I don’t want it if it has to compromise on sensor quality and/or device thinness, which everything I’ve seen does so far. So until that gets solved, I would like to keep the current phones we have too.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Only 1% of users truly maximize the full potential of smartphone cameras. This 1%—the vocal content creators on YouTube—has convinced everyday users, who mostly take casual photos of their pets, kids, and receipts, that they need Hollywood-level cameras in their phones. Add Apple’s marketing to the mix, and the illusion becomes even stronger.

The reality? Most regular users don’t need all that power. The iPhone 7’s camera was already more than sufficient for everyday photography. Apple has its Pro lineup for those who want cutting-edge camera tech, but why can’t the regular iPhone have a simpler, bump-free design with a “normal” camera?

Even if it has slightly lower specs, Apple could easily market it with the right spin—no problem. A fresh design angle, a new story to tell—they’re experts at that. How about a flat iPhone 17 variant, Apple?

The other angle here is that Apple have run out of other things to tweak, change and upgrade

If they stop pushing the camera quality side of things, they really would be releasing the same product over and over again with mostly meaningless (to the general public) internal spec/chip bumps

It'd become like the iPad Pro sort of has .... WAY beyond powerful enough and fully adequate, years ago now, yet they just keep spec bumping it and every thread has a bunch of folks asking "what's the point?"

Good question! lol

They really need to refocus on software, across the board --- the problem is they make all their money from hardware sales.

Services revenue is very much growing, though, which would also support the need to really dial in on software quality.

Instead what do we have?

They release first party Apps that don't even have native versions for iPad and Mac ... despite all being on Apple Silicon and having all the tooling well in place to do so.