The iPhone 13 has cameras arranged diagonally. A technical constraint explains this arrangement very easily.
Apple announced the iPhone 13s on September 14 in a relatively short keynote. These high-end smartphones differ physically from the iPhone 12 in two details: the smaller notch on the front and the arrangement of the cameras at the rear. On the iPhone 12, the cameras were aligned vertically. On iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, they are positioned diagonally.
Why this change?
A matter of size … and style
The first response from Apple takes us into the details of the equipment of the iPhone 13. Unlike the iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 inherits the very high-end lens of the iPhone 12 Pro. His particuliarity ? It is surrounded by 4 small magnets allowing dynamic material stabilization. This is particularly useful for night photography and video camera mode: the component cancels micro-tremors.
However, it takes up space. As can be seen from the photos of the iFixit lab, this lens is not small. You will see it below on the far left of the module: you can clearly see the small magnets.
We also notice on this X-ray shot of the iPhone 12 Pro Max that the ultra-wide-angle lens is already positioned diagonally in relation to the main lens. The zoom completes the trio, but is not available on the iPhone 13: it is reserved for the Pro range.
The “mini” factor must be taken into account
It is easy to understand then that a place had to be found for this mastodon. Especially since Apple had another constraint in its specifications this year: to put this big lens on the tiny iPhone 13 mini. If it is the latter that did not have enough room to accommodate the large magnet stabilized lens, it is easy to understand that Apple has chosen to harmonize the aesthetics of its range and has chosen to do the same on the ‘iPhone 13.
And then, we are not going to lie to each other: it is an opportunity to immediately distinguish a new model from an old model, when the design does not change radically. Exactly the case of the iPhone 13 compared to the iPhone 12. Clever.
