Why do none of the modern phones have a flat back? It's crazy to me that seemingly everyone is jumping on the train to have the camera stick out from the back. I guess the camera lens needs more space, but why not then add some additional material so it's still even? I feel like I'm missing something obvious, do people not put down their phone on flat surfaces or something?

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drnick1 24 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

The Pixel 9a is nearly flat (no camera bump). It's great for running GrapheneOS on.

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ktosobcy 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This! Just add those 1-2mm and stuff bigger battery in there… (and make it more rugged so most likely no need for additional cover that is even more bulky)

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fmajid 8 hours ago | parent [-]

More than rugged, add some knurling so it doesn't slip out of your hands so easily.

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ktosobcy 7 hours ago | parent [-]

my bad, I meant to say "rigid" not "rugged".

probably unpopular opinion but Nokia Lumia had awesome design - they use polycarbons so they case wasn't unpleaseant to touch and had this "rubbery" feelings and was not slippery...

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Aachen 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

The Sony 10 vii that launched yesterday for 450€ has a grippy back according to reviewers, and the Fairphone 6 I've found has plastic as well (battery is removable so the back needs to come off reasonably, not like these horrible two-micron glass panes)

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fmajid 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The problem with most of these soft-touch plastics is they are incompletely polymerized and will eventually disintegrate into a sticky mess you need to strip off to get to the hard plastic they are painted on. Silicone doesn't, but it's seldom used as a coating.

	▲	AAAAaccountAAAA 13 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Is that really a problem, given the lifespan of a smartphone? I've only really noticed that to happen to decades-old objects.

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goda90 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Most people put replaceable cases on that extend past the camera bump, so making it flat isn't necessary for those people.

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Aachen 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Doesn't that just reinforce that they might as well have made a better device?

I'm not a case user but even I agree

	▲	arccy 6 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		cases are more replaceable, and they show personality

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sneak 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

People prefer thin to flat. It spends more time in a pocket than on a table. People don’t really put their phones down.

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CaptainOfCoit 10 hours ago | parent [-]

But is it really thin if there are parts that are thicker? The "depth" or whatever should be measured where it's thicker, not thinnest.

I guess I'm too much of an office worker to get that most people have their phones in their pocket, as soon as I sit down at my desk the phone gets placed on the desk.

	▲	throwawayben 10 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I will always have a case that has a cut-out for the camera so it still lays flat and it's otherwise thinner (or the case is thicker and thus more protective) than it would be if the camera didn't stick out slightly