I see this said all the time but I think people underestimate what an extra few millimeters of thickness would feel like in the hand. Both in terms of grip-ability and weight. I would reckon if people actually got to use a device like that they'd quickly realize they don't want to use it in their day to day.

The iPhone 14 Pro was noticeably heavy, but the switch to titanium the following year made the 15 Pro feel way lighter. The only difference was 206 grams -> 187 grams, but you'd swear it was 25% lighter.

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ProfessorLayton 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

Okay but in this scenario there would still be a slimmer/lighter iPhone to buy, so what's the problem?

The apple watch ultra is thicker and overall bigger than the regular one in the name of better battery life, and people that don't need that buy the regular one. Win win!

	▲	hbn 6 days ago \| parent [-]
		The Apple Watch Ultra is thicker but still within reason for a thing you wear on your wrist. For a thing you're pulling in and out of your pockets and is already straining people's pinkies at their current sizes, I can't imagine a phone that's as thick as the camera protrudes being at all usable by a normal person's measure. The iPhone 16 Pro is advertised as 8.25mm thick. The camera bump is an extra 4.3mm, so flattening it out would make the thing 12.55mm thick. Spread across a big 149.6mm x 71.5mm body, or in the Pro Max case, 163.0mm x 77.6mm, you're adding a lot of mass. Now I'm curious to do the math. The iPhone 16 Pro's volume (not counting camera bump, you don't hold that in your hand anyway) is 149.6 x 71.5 * 8.25 = 88,245.3mm^3 Bumping the thickness to 12.55mm you end up with 149.6 x 71.5 * 12.55 = 134,239.82mm^3 A 52% increase in volume. In the Pro Max you'd go from 104,352.6mm^3 to 158,742.44mm^3 The iPhone Minis sold millions of units and Apple still determined it wasn't enough to justify existing. I'd bet a big brick iPhone would be far more niche. I'd certainly like to see one and hold it in my hands but I think you can see why Apple wouldn't go for that.

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fossuser 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

iPhone 5(s) was peak case design imo and the last to have a flush camera iirc. The 12 and 13 mini were close, but still had the bump.

My personal favorite would be that style with modern chips and a full glass display. Basically an updated mini without a camera bump.

They'll never make this though because the minis proved the market is tiny.

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socalgal2 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Well, take this as a data point of one. I hate thin phones. It's like holding a dull knife. It's not comfortable. There's a reason OXO and other brands started making utensils with THICKER handles. They feel better to many people (me included)

I also don't care about weight, up to a point. No phone I've owned in the last 25 years has felt too heavy.

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konart 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

>Both in terms of grip-ability and weight.

It will be much more grippier and easier to hold. The weight part is very subjective of course.

I'm not comfortable with lighter models for example and always have to buy a case simple to feel the phone in my hand.

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brulard 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I guess many people hold a thick device like that - iPhone with a case, battery case, etc.

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foobarian 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I promise you I would love and worship a phone like that every single minute of my life. :-)

But yeah, I know you are right and the market has spoken. I accept this however begrudgingly.