Smartphone cameras are pretty good and it’s time to focus on the rest of the phone

Since the invention of cameras, these devices have been the cornerstone of society. With the first truly accessible and portable camera, arriving in 1888 from Kodak, people took pictures to freeze for a moment. Fast forward to smartphones with built-in cameras, and we’ve reached a point where almost everyone has a camera – at all times. But with so many fantastic camera phones at almost every price point, is the camera really a selling point when buying a new smartphone?

Now, I’m not saying that your smartphone’s camera isn’t important or maybe even the reason why you bought this particular device. I’m just saying that for the average person, not the weekend warrior photographer or the budding filmmaker, this camera has gotten so good on so many phones that manufacturers maybe need to start focusing (understand …to concentrate).

With the maturation of computer photography, smartphones are better than ever at taking photos in a wide range of situations. It was something that at one point required the purchase of the high-end phone to accomplish. But now you can get something like the Pixel 4a for around $ 350 and have one of the best camera experiences out there.

While you still need a few more Benjamins if you want more advanced features like the 100x zoom found in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, things like this are only used every now and then by most people. While seeing jaw-dropping zoom numbers, astrophotography mode, cinematic mode, and other trending features advertised can be appealing, if you’re really thinking about what will be used most often on your next smartphone purchase, these gadgets really matter?

Do I think these advancements in camera functionality are unnecessary – no. But I think smartphone makers could put more effort into finding ways to make the rest of the device just as intriguing. It is no coincidence that there have been rumors that phones have gotten boring over the past few years. But the introduction of some truly amazing foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, and even the upcoming Microsoft Duo 2, is shaking up the smartphone industry and giving consumers more than just a camera to look forward to.

Speaking of Microsoft, on the first Duo the company felt so strongly that the camera was not the most important part of a smartphone that it only included one – and not very good at it. . However, the error was realized and corrected with the Duo 2. Although I don’t think the error was the assumption that the camera is not the most crucial feature, but rather that people are cares so little about the camera that he might put a bad one in his phone.

The smartphone camera is an essential part of modern smartphones, and every phone should have a good one. The Microsoft Duo has proven this by delivering an inferior shooter to the phone, putting it at a significant disadvantage over phones that offer better photography capabilities at much lower prices. However, the Duo aimed for an experience that didn’t revolve around the need for a good camera but forgot that people always want to take good photos when the moment comes.

Samsung is so convinced that the experience of a foldable phone is enough to sell units that it hasn’t even upgraded the camera hardware in the Z Fold 3. Instead, the company chose to keep the exact same hardware and tweak the software to improve image quality. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has received a nice upgrade to its camera system, but that’s by no means the main selling point of this device.

Many smartphone manufacturers are trying to find new ways to make the camera a central part of their new phones. Even Apple, with the new iPhone 13 series, spent most of its presentation talking about cameras, with only small mentions of changes to the rest of the device. Is it because businesses are struggling to find what consumers really want in a new phone? Could it be because some manufacturers are afraid to stray from what they know to work?

Perhaps it is a combination of all of these things that keeps most smartphones from evolving beyond the rectangular slabs we’ve had over the past decade. It’s a shame that courageous brands like LG and its Wing were gone because they weren’t afraid to take risks. Although it probably could have been part of his downfall. But the fear of trying something new for big companies like Apple and Google shouldn’t mean the camera is the only place that sees innovation.