{"id":608624,"date":"2023-02-16T07:48:45","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T13:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/16\/i-adore-the-oneplus-11-camera-but-not-for-the-reason-you-think\/"},"modified":"2023-02-16T07:48:45","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T13:48:45","slug":"i-adore-the-oneplus-11-camera-but-not-for-the-reason-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/16\/i-adore-the-oneplus-11-camera-but-not-for-the-reason-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"I adore the OnePlus 11 camera \u2014 but not for the reason you think"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

There\u2019s little doubt that cameras are among the most important selling points of today\u2019s best phones<\/a>. Apple, Samsung, Google, and others trade on the value of their camera technology \u2014 from the hardware lenses and sensors to the computational photography AI features. And almost without fail, they reserve their very best cameras for their premium flagship smartphones.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s somewhat ironic that as important as these cameras are for setting each phone apart, most companies slap them rather unceremoniously onto the back of their devices without much style or panache.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up
Andrew Martonik\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From a design perspective, there\u2019s been a trend toward either minimizing the camera array \u2014 as if the designers would love to find a way to pretend it isn\u2019t there\u00a0\u2014\u00a0or just slapping on a bulky camera bump that often feels jarringly out of place.<\/p>\n

Granted, there\u2019s an argument to be made for minimalism. Samsung\u2019s new Galaxy S23<\/a> gives us a taste of that concept with its three protruding lenses that now stand on their own without a camera bump.<\/p>\n

However, as with the Galaxy S23 Ultra<\/a>, they still sit there feeling uninspired. Nothing about these designs suggests that Samsung is proud of its camera system, despite the impressive hardware specs of the cameras themselves.<\/p>\n

\"The
Apple iPhone 14 Pro<\/span> Andy Boxall\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Apple is a perfect example of going in the other direction. There\u2019s no doubt the camera module on the iPhone 14 Pro<\/a> makes its presence known in a big way.<\/p>\n

Fans of the iPhone have learned to accept the camera bump, but looking at it objectively, it\u2019s hard to see it as anything other than a blemish on what could otherwise be an exquisite look.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Many faces of smartphone camera designs<\/h2>\n
\"The
Andy Boxall\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, not every company shows this sort of inferiority complex when it comes to its smartphone cameras. Some choose to embrace the camera module as an integral part of the design rather than something bolted on as an afterthought.<\/p>\n

For example, Google does this with its modern Pixel phones, which have adopted a camera bar rather than a camera bump. It\u2019s a unique design that sets the Pixel apart from just about any other smartphone on the market. There\u2019s also a practical element to the design: unlike most smartphones, an uncased Pixel 7 Pro<\/a> won\u2019t rock around awkwardly when you lie it on its back.<\/p>\n

\"T-Mobile
Julian Chokkattu\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Samsung toyed with a similar concept for the Galaxy S10 lineup<\/a> in 2019, but the design clearly didn\u2019t stick as it had moved to a more traditional corner bump by the following year.<\/p>\n

Julian Chokkattu\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019ve also seen other interesting designs from niche smartphone models, such as Red\u2019s Hydrogen One<\/a> and the Nokia 9 PureView<\/a>. Sadly, the camera designs were probably the most remarkable thing about those phones.<\/p>\n

\"Huawei
Huawei Mate 50 Pro<\/span> Andy Boxall\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The recent Huawei Mate 50<\/a> also goes with a rounded and centered camera module, and I have to give props to Huawei for trying something different \u2014 but elegant it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

From uninspired camera designs to inventive ideas that don\u2019t quite stick, there\u2019s often a lot to be desired from the aesthetics of a smartphone\u2019s rear camera housing. Thankfully, the OnePlus 11<\/a> changes that.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Why the OnePlus 11 gets its camera so right<\/h2>\n
\"The
OnePlus 11<\/span> Andy Boxall\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year, OnePlus got my attention with the OnePlus 11 \u2014 and not just because the OnePlus 11 camera gives the iPhone 14 Pro a run for its money<\/a>. The cameras in OnePlus\u2019s flagship models have always piqued my interest, thanks to the company\u2019s collaboration with Hasselblad<\/a>. However, while the OnePlus design has gotten more classy and refined over the past few years, the camera array has retained the cliche squared-off look of most of its competitors.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say that the camera bump on the OnePlus 10 Pro<\/a> didn\u2019t make a statement. It was as big and bold as Apple\u2019s iPhone 14 Pro bump, yet more attractive and flowing seamlessly into the OnePlus design. However, the statement it made still wasn\u2019t that different from most of its rivals.<\/p>\n

\"The
OnePlus 10 Pro (left) and OnePlus 11 (right)<\/span> Andy Boxall\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year, OnePlus has decided to get more creative with the look of the OnePlus 11, moving to a rounded camera module that feels like it finally deserves to have the name Hasselblad stamped onto it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an opinionated design, to be sure, but as someone who cut his photographic teeth many years ago on a Hasselblad 500C\/M<\/a>, I quite like it. There\u2019s a certain nostalgia to it that feels more \u201cright\u201d to me than OnePlus\u2019 earlier attempts at this collaborative branding.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, it changes things up and clearly sets the OnePlus 11 apart. It\u2019s unmistakably something different, and it could easily become the signature look for the company\u2019s flagship phones if OnePlus embraces this as its new normal.<\/p>\n

\"Someone
Joe Maring\/Digital Trends<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the end, that may be the biggest problem with the look of the cameras on modern smartphones. While companies are doing everything they can to set themselves apart in camera performance, few are doing anything to create distinctive and inspired designs \u2014 and that\u2019s sad.<\/p>\n

Until technology improves significantly, the laws of physics mean there will always be some protruding cameras, but that doesn\u2019t mean designers can\u2019t find a way to make them look both elegant and unique.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\tToday’s tech news, curated and condensed for your inbox\t\t<\/p>\n

\n

<\/i>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tCheck your inbox!\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tPlease provide a valid email address to continue.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThis email address is currently on file. If you are not receiving newsletters, please check your spam folder.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSorry, an error occurred during subscription. Please try again later.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tEditors’ Recommendations<\/h4>\n