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ElliQ: A Remarkably Helpful Companion Robot for Older Adults

A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist told me we need to rebalance my mom’s life. Her Parkinson’s disease medication had steadily become less effective over the previous month, and with it, she had slowly stopped doing many of the things crucial to managing the disease – exercising, socializing, and engaging in hobbies. […]

Fujifilm’s X Half Becomes More Enticing with a $300 Price Cut

Fujifilm’s X Half digital camera wasn’t designed to replace your main camera, though you’d be forgiven for assuming it was with its ludicrous $850 price. However, the company recently reduced the MSRP to $649.99, and is now knocking an additional $100 off through June 28th. That means you can grab the X Half in its […]

The Factors Contributing to the Growing Size and Bulge of Smartphone Cameras

iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra models feature the largest camera protrusions in their series to date.

Is there a specific reason why your smartphone’s camera can’t be level, causing a bump that results in your phone swaying whenever you place it on a surface? Indeed, there are several factors contributing to this design, primarily stemming from manufacturers’ desire to maintain a slim profile for their devices. If you reduce the thickness of your smartphone but keep the camera dimensions constant, a bump will naturally occur. With devices like the Galaxy S25 Edge measuring merely 0.23 inches in thickness, the observable trend of enlarging camera bumps is logical.

So, why can’t these manufacturers simply downsize their cameras? Additionally, for phones that aren’t becoming thinner — like the iPhone 17, which has a slightly greater thickness than its predecessor — why are the camera sizes expanding? The explanation lies in enhancing camera performance, the constraints of physics, and our present technology. Essentially, to achieve superior photo quality, a larger sensor that occupies more space is necessary. This is why the finest smartphone cameras are all characterized by noticeable camera bumps.

Why smartphone manufacturers don’t reduce camera size

Drive-Thru Chatbots: The Start of a New Era

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about how AI is seeping into our daily lives, follow Emma Roth. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started In 2021, McDonald’s became one […]