If you want a phone with a 5x zoom, make sure you’ve got big hands

If you want a small phone with a big zoom think again, you probably won’t find one. (Source: Notebookcheck)

What was once considered “big” in smartphone terms is now the norm in the industry. But one feature seems to be tied specificially to the size of the screen. If you don’t like big phones, don’t expect to be on the cutting edge of photography. Long zoom cameras are reserved for those with deep pockets and big hands only.

David Devey, 👁 Daniel R Deakin, Published 11/12/2023

Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.

Remember the HTC HD2 released in 2009 with its behemoth 4.3-inch screen with a 65% screen-to body-ratio? That was a specification at the time that had never been seen on a phone. What about the Galaxy Mega? The 2013 mid ranger from Samsung with a 6.3-inch display, a phone with such a big screen it was described as “unwieldy” by CNET. If only manufacturers made phones with screens this small again.

What is worse is that now manufacturers seem to have made the connection that the only people who want versatile camera setups suffer from gigantism. There isn’t one single phone on the market that offers an optical 5x zoom that comes with a screen size of under 6.7 inches. While some may argue that the periscope zoom that enables a 5x zoom is larger than most camera modules, Apple still managed to stuff it’s tetraprism zoom (which can only be found in the iPhone 15 Pro Max) into a sensor  footprint not much larger than the previous year’s 3x. These are phones deemed “Pro” or “Ultra” and professionals only want big screens right?

Sure, you could opt for a “small” Samsung Galaxy S23 or iPhone 15 Pro that has a 3x zoom, but the difference between 3x and 5x can be substantial. In terms of versatility, a 5x zoom lens has far more scope for getting up close with a subject.

So really, the only zoom camera options available to someone with these needs are the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Pixel 8 Pro (available on Amazon). All of these come in sizes of 6.7 inches or larger. For someone with small hands or who doesn’t like carrying a monolith in their pocket, your options for getting up close and personal with a subject are few and far between.

That being said, if you can live with the size, these are all great choices for those looking to maximise their photography potential. Equally you might not care about zoom lenses at all in which case the mid-range-priced with high-end features of the Motorola Edge 40 Neo could be a solid choice.

The Apple Tetraprism occupies a similar footprint to lenses found in much smaller devices (Source: Notebookcheck)

David Devey – Magazine Writer – 3 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2023

Ever since being introduced to Manic Miner on the ZX spectrum I have been an avid gamer and technology fan. Sucked in by UMPC’s and the promise of big power in small packages, I have wasted too much time and energy jailbreaking, flashing and overclocking anything that has an electrical pulse. A staunch advocate for the right to repair, I resent any company that dictates how I can use something I paid for.

David Devey, 2023-11-12 (Update: 2023-11-12)

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