Re:Apple to Launch 8-Inch Foldable iPhone in 2023
by Someone1234 on Monday May 03, 2021 @11:19AM
(#27026211)
I'm interested to see how they'd solve the camera module issue.
Current gen iPhones already don't sit flat on a table because the rear camera modules are too thick, this is typically solved via a [required] case. But with a folding phone the two halves must have symmetrical depth and building cases for a folding phone itself is complex.
So either the new phone would need to be thick enough for a flat back w/camera module (which would make the whole phone incredibly thick), they need a new thinner module (but with optical sacrifices?), or a case that can hide the imbalance (but again, thickness).
A lot of companies have tried to make folding phones with mixed successes but keeping a GOOD camera seems to be a hurdle. Cameras really benefit greatly from depth, physics doesn't care about your design goals.
PS - What happened to Lytro's[0] IP after they went under? I know staff went to work at Google, but the underlying technology/IP must be owned by someone.
Current gen iPhones already don't sit flat on a table because the rear camera modules are too thick, this is typically solved via a [required] case. But with a folding phone the two halves must have symmetrical depth and building cases for a folding phone itself is complex.
So either the new phone would need to be thick enough for a flat back w/camera module (which would make the whole phone incredibly thick), they need a new thinner module (but with optical sacrifices?), or a case that can hide the imbalance (but again, thickness).
A lot of companies have tried to make folding phones with mixed successes but keeping a GOOD camera seems to be a hurdle. Cameras really benefit greatly from depth, physics doesn't care about your design goals.
PS - What happened to Lytro's[0] IP after they went under? I know staff went to work at Google, but the underlying technology/IP must be owned by someone.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lytro