iPhone 8 Leak Reveals A Nasty New Surprise

iPhone 8 leak | Reveals a Nasty new surprise..

Apple AAPL +1.02%’s iPhone 8 is going to get a lot right. My exclusive images confirm a dramatic upgrade, its biggest changes combine cutting edge with overdue catch-ups and it feels great in-hand. But my time with a late stage prototype has also confirmed one infuriating design flaw…
 
‘Great Secret Features’ and ‘Nasty Surprises’ are my regular columns investigating the latest hardware and software for the best features / biggest problems hidden behind the headlines

iPhone 8's enlarged camera causes usability issues (finalized prototype pictured)

For all its inevitable photographic improvements, Apple’s new vertically aligned dual rear camera causes physical problems. I’ll break them down:

#1 Shake, Rattle And Roll
In a nutshell, the iPhone 8 is a pain to use on a flat surface. Why? Because the protrusion of the new rear cameras is not only bigger this year, it also extends further down the phone. This means on a flat surface the iPhone 8 rocks, rolls and rattles a lot more than even the iPhone 7 Plus (whose horizontal rear cameras provide more stability). 

I also find the increased angle the iPhone 8 lies at when flat to be inconvenient, though I’m sure others will cope just fine. That said you’re going to want to pick up the iPhone 8 to use comfortably more than previous iPhones so it wouldn’t have been the worst compromise if Apple had built Touch ID into the back rather than ditching it altogether.

iPhone 8 rests at a significant angle when flat

#2 Wear, Tear and Contact Area
The other issue the iPhone 8’s new vertical cameras create is one of contact.
Firstly the enlarged cameras lift the whole back of the phone off a flat surface so every impact when putting the iPhone 8 down is to the cameras’ rim and opposite bottom corner of the phone (the two pivot points which cause the phone to rock). With Apple switching to a glass chassis this may protect the back, but there are two clear contact points which will surely scuff and scratch over time.  
Secondly, don’t put the iPhone 8 on a slippy surface. Again these two minimal contact points (maybe a few millimeters square in total) mean this smartphone is going to slip and slide all over the place. The Nexus 4 was a similarly suicidal phone so be very careful where you put the iPhone 8 down.
The Case Problem
Of course, I know what the main counterpoint to all this is: just put a case on it! Well yes and no.

iPhone 8 looks incredible, but you're going to have to put a case on it

Firstly buying a case should be a choice and not something to simply make a phone usable/safe on a flat surface, and secondly, iPhone 8 cases will need to be substantially thicker to both level out the smartphone and still provide enough protection for the cameras’ rim.

It’s a shame. The iPhone 8 is a stunning looking phone but I doubt many owners will get to see it much. 

The Sensible Solution
Ultimately the more sensible solution should come from Apple. It should either double down its efforts to create a flush camera like produced with iPhones 1-5 or fill out the rest of the smartphone with a larger battery to hide the bump. Two birds, one stone. 

Personally, I’ve been arguing for the latter for many years, but with the iPhone 8 set to be the most expensive iPhone in history (and a rare find at launch) maybe Apple will label its increased camera protrusion as a feature. After all, it will remind you this prized device needs a case everytime you put it down…

Also Read: 

* iPhone 8 Exclusive: Apple's New Design 'Confirmed

* iPhone 8 Release date