The thickness of smartphones is a characteristic that influences the design, comfort and autonomy of the devices.
The average thickness in the high range is between 8 and 9 millimeters, but, in recent years, the actual thickness of smartphones has been increased by the camera module.
With ever larger sensors and higher magnification lenses, manufacturers need to leave more space between the sensor and the end of the lens, causing some devices increase their thickness notably in the area of ​​the camera.
Xiaomi 13 Pro, one of the smartphones with a thicker module
Some manufacturers choose to make modules thinner and more discreet, while others prefer to make them thicker and more striking. The problem is that manufacturers do not usually provide information on the thickness of the camera modulebut only from the body of the phone, which often leads to surprises.
Beyond the aesthetics or the inconvenience of carrying a thick phone in a tight pocket, a camera module that protrudes a lot also makes dance plus the phone if we intend to use it while it is resting on a table.
We have measured the actual thickness of various high-end smartphones to analyze how much the real thickness increases compared to the advertised if we take into account the thickness of the chamber.
Actual thickness of some high-end smartphones
| Model | Thickness according to the manufacturer | total thickness measured |
Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 7
|
8.7mm | 11.3mm | +2.6mm |
| iPhone 14 Pro
|
7.85mm | 12.0mm | +4.15mm |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max
|
7.85mm | 12.0mm | +4.15mm |
| Huawei Mate 50 Pro
|
8.5mm | 12.0mm | +3.5mm |
| OPPO Find X5 Pro
|
8.5mm | 11.0mm | +2.5mm |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
|
8.9mm | 10.6mm | +1.7mm |
| Xiaomi 13 Pro
|
8.4mm | 12.8mm | +4.4mm |
Note: The measurements have been carried out with a digital caliper with an accuracy of ±0.2 mm, so the measurements may not be exact.
As we can see in the table, the thickness when we have as soon as the camera module increases significantly.
The most extreme case is that of xiaomi 13 Pro, which goes from 8.4 mm (depending on the manufacturer, since my measurements are closer to 8.6 mm) up to 12.8 mm. The iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max They have a fairly slim body at just 7.85mm, but by adding the camera module, the overall thickness increases to 12mm.
The manufacturer that has done a better job in this regard is Samsung, since the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra it is barely thickened by the camera module (in fact, it does not have a module as such) and, consequently, it is the thinnest device of the six.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
What do you think of the thickness of the camera modules? Do you like them to be big and stand out? Or do you prefer them to be discreet?