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Comment by grumbel | Hacker News Reader

I'll never understand why "thin" is still a standout feature of a phone when they add a fat ugly camera bump on it anyway. Why not make a thicker phone and the camera flush with the casing?

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Thin never works for me because I need a case anyway so I don't break it, so the added thickness takes away all the effort that went into making the phone thin. I'd really like a slightly thicker phone that doesn't need a case. I think overall this would allow for a better experience (for me at least) because it would be part of the design of the phone.

Surprisingly, I found the flush makes the phone much easier to pick up from a flat surface like a table.

Also I think stops the camera scratching as much.

Flush means the whole thing lies flat on the table, a lump means an edge of it is on the table but the bit on the lens isn't. Recessed would fix that but adds even more size.

> camera scratching

Camera glass in Samsung and Chinese phones simply crack from laying them repeatedly on a flat surface. With iPhones one at least has to be unlucky and hit the camera with some rock.

that's because Apple, instead of using glass uses sapphire for its camera lenses.

Weight. Phones are heavy nowadays as is, and you can’t just leave that extra volume with air. Making the batteries fill the space would make the phones too heavy to be comfortable to use for many people.

You can have air, you can.

They can design thicker phones to better withstand impact.

They can put back the damn 3.5 audio port

They can go back to screws so we can have removable batteries and easier repairs, like we used to.

My goddam phone is too slim for its own good. It is uncomfortable to hold it. I equiped a case just to make it thicker :/

This is a thicker phone. 12.1mm (probably not including the bump).

Camera bump is hardly a problem actually. Even fatness wasn't much of a problem for me when I tried the Z Fold 4. The problem was the lack of protective cases. These foldable phones are quite heavy and one drop means a lot of damage - only a well-fitting strong case can save them from breaking into a mess.

There were no suitable cases for the Z Fold 4 and other foldable phones (other than the one ugly Spigen case that adds one inch of extra width) that would allow me to enable good protection.

I use the official case for Z Fold 4 only because of the camera bump. The shape of the camera bump make it almost impossible to stay still on the table.

But I think Pixel Fold doesn't have the issue if I choose it. The shape can stay still on the table I think.

I used to think that it didn't matter if the phone was heavier as long as it performed to my standards.

Then I happened on a good deal for a higher tier phone, very light compared to what I was used to. Suddenly I'm never dropping my phone.

The reason for placing these cameras on the exterior is to allocate more space inside the phone for chips and electronic components which is more valuable than a flat phone with mediocre camera.

Thin, with camera bump, and with glassy slippery case. So many times I put a phone on a flattish surface, turn around, and hear the device falling on the ground...

Completely agree, though in this case it makes at least some sense since the thickness gets doubled when you fold it.

Thin matters mostly only for how it fits in your pocket. The camera bump doesn't really impact that.

The camera bump is actually the only thing that has ever made phones in pockets annoying to me because the camera bump gets snagged on other things in pockets

thin means smaller battery which is lightweight & as a dark pattern it will go through a full charge-discharge cycle. that means its lifecycle will be inherently shorter. so planned obsolescence & fits nicely with upgrade cycles.

You are holding it in your hand. Thicker phone means heavier harder to hold device.

And use the extra volume to include a thicker battery

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