Apple's new iPhone 13 Pro case illustrates massively enlarged camera 'bump'

AppleInsider

Apple's latest iPhone 13 Pro lineup features improved camera hardware capabilities across the board, enhancements that required a redesign of the handset's camera "bump."

Announced on Tuesday, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max receive a number of camera upgrades including larger apertures on wide and ultra-wide lenses for enhanced low-light performance. Wide and telephoto modules add an additional lens element, while the telephoto camera nets a 77mm equivalent focal length for increased optical zoom capabilities. The ultra-side shooter also adds an autofocus system.

To fit the new and improved technologies, Apple enlarged the rear camera "bump" on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, as evidenced by the company's cases.

As seen above, Apple's Silicone Case for iPhone 13 Pro features a substantially larger cutout for the handset's camera system that measures about 38mm by 37mm. Placing the case on an iPhone 12 Pro illustrates the massively increased footprint.

The iPhone 13 and 13 mini's camera "bump" are also expected to grow slightly as Apple had to make concessions for new sensor-shift stabilization on the wide angle shooter by arranging the two lenses diagonally instead of stacking them vertically. Apple's top-end iPhone 13 Pro Max camera system will also see an increase in size. All iPhone 13 series cameras will protrude farther from the chassis to accommodate new internal components.

Initial shipments of Apple's first-party iPhone 13 accessories are arriving in customer hands ahead of a start to preorders on Friday. Early orders will begin to arrive on Sept. 24.

Read on AppleInsider

fastasleep

Holy crap. I thought this was a regular iPhone in a Max case for a second. I noticed too that the ridge around the camera hole in the pic of the silicone cases looked super high. I am curious to see how cases will compensate for the depth of these camera systems, seems like fewer will allow the phone to lay flat. 

I finally bit the bullet and got a case for my 12 Pro before going on vacation for a few weeks, got the Baltic Blue Leather Case and ended up liking it a lot more than I expected! One of the nice side effects was that it sits fully flat with a bit of clearance to the camera lenses. I’m curious if they’ll make the new leather cases thicker to do the same with these or if everything is going to need a lip around the camera. 

Bring on the periscope cameras! 

rinosaur

It also protrudes out FAR more

cpsro

I'm guessing the pic is of the iPhone 13 Pro, not the Pro Max, because the hole size of the 13PM is about the same as the 11PM hole.

anantksundaram

The bump has gotten to be a bloody eyesore and an annoyance design-wise. Apple's predilection for thinness meets utter laziness in camera design.

At this rate, Apple might as well buy out a company like Nikon and stick one of its SLRs on the back or the iPhone. 

rinosaur

anantksundaram said:

The bump has gotten to be a bloody eyesore and an annoyance design-wise. Apple's predilection for thinness meets utter laziness in camera design.

At this rate, Apple might as well buy out a company like Nikon and stick one of its SLRs on the back or the iPhone. 

I understand the need to make the bump to accommodate a bigger sensor and more lenses but they should at least make it look good like the S21. 

waveparticle

Apple single sourced iPhone lens from a company. There is not much choice for Apple designer to integrate the lens with the iPhone. 

kuyangkoh

waveparticle said:

Apple single sourced iPhone lens from a company. There is not much choice for Apple designer to integrate the lens with the iPhone. 

Is that part of the $50 billion that Apple purchased from US suppliers??

rcfa

anantksundaram said:

The bump has gotten to be a bloody eyesore and an annoyance design-wise. Apple's predilection for thinness meets utter laziness in camera design.

At this rate, Apple might as well buy out a company like Nikon and stick one of its SLRs on the back or the iPhone. 

What nonsense. You can’t change physics.

You can either go back to tiny crappy cameras, or deal with it.

”tiny full range speakers” are just as impossibly as “tiny high quality cameras”.

Study some physics before you run your mouth.

rcfa

fastasleep said:

Bring on the periscope cameras! 

They won’t help in that regards: you still have front lenses, their mounts PLUS additional depth requirements for the prism behind the lens.

Periscope lenses solve the issue of long focal length lenses (i.e. REAL telephoto lenses) by folding the optical path (what Apple currently claims to be telephoto may be a normal lens or at best a portrait lens, but calling something a tele below 100mm focal length in a 35mm format equivalent, is a joke.

In any case: the bumps are here to stay, as shorter focal lengths can’t be folded and anti-shake mechanism, sensor, and optics simply require space.

The one meaningful way of getting rid of the bump would be to make the phone thicker, allowing for more storage, battery, RAM, better cooling, and using the phone with keyboard and screen in desktop mode….

waveparticle

rcfa said:

fastasleep said:

Bring on the periscope cameras! 

They won’t help in that regards: you still have front lenses, their mounts PLUS additional depth requirements for the prism behind the lens.

Periscope lenses solve the issue of long focal length lenses (i.e. REAL telephoto lenses) by folding the optical path (what Apple currently claims to be telephoto may be a normal lens or at best a portrait lens, but calling something a tele below 100mm focal length in a 35mm format equivalent, is a joke.

In any case: the bumps are here to stay, as shorter focal lengths can’t be folded and anti-shake mechanism, sensor, and optics simply require space.

The one meaningful way of getting rid of the bump would be to make the phone thicker, allowing for more storage, battery, RAM, better cooling, and using the phone with keyboard and screen in desktop mode….

One solution is to mount the lens using the full depth of the phone instead of mounting on the board. But this is very difficult engineering.