I recently decided to go case-less on my iPhone 14 Pro. My only concern is that when I place it on the table or counter the camera lens could get scratched. How tough are they?
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iPhone 14 Pro Does the iPhone 14 Pro camera lens scratch easily?
- Thread starter Hieveryone
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The lenses won’t touch the surface if it’s flat. Only the edge of the square bump that surrounds them.
No it's sapphire. Unless your putting your phone down on a surface made of diamonds it physically cannot scratch.
Wow that is incredible. The main surfaces would be like a wooden desk, kitchen countertops, bathroom sink area, shower tile, surfaces like that
I would say that Iphone camera lens glass and screen will fair better as compared to other smartphones but it can get scratches even with day to day usage. Apple is not using pure sapphire for iPhones which is why I would say back cover is required or apply a lens covers such as spigen optik tempered glass.
This will retain original camera quality but also save it from day to day usage.
Here’s an anecdote: I’ve kept my iPhone 14PM in an Otterbox Symmetry since day 1, but I recently found micro-scratches on my lenses. It’s annoying but doesn’t seem to affect functionality. The lens is definitely made of (or coated in) softer material than pure sapphire, and I don’t carry around diamonds in my pockets! 
The lens touches a table/surface on a Pro Max. Heck, the lens face almost sits flat on a surface because the angle it forms with the table is so small. In fact, the camera is the ONLY reason I bother with a case.
Speaking purely about scratches, you can scratch a lens with sand (i.e. if there’s sand in your pocket, or some on the surface you place your phone onto like a picnic table).
However, if you include cracking, then sapphire cracks. It’s not easy, but it’s not necessarily difficult, either. Repeatedly putting (dropping) your phone on a hard surface (e.g. stone kitchen countertop), even from not that high up, may result in a crack eventually.
Don’t bother with a glass lens cover for your camera lens. It doesn’t scratch easily at all, makes photos worse, negatively affects the flash, and doesn’t protect the lens from anything. 🤷🏻♂️
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I would NEVER put a lens protector over the lens as it can only degrade image quality.
People tend to worry too much about fine scratches and other imperfections on camera lenses. Even a cracked lens wouldn’t cause a noticeable degradation of image quality except for in some special cases such as when shooting into a bright light source. At most it would lead to a reduction in contrast. Fingerprints and other smudges reduce the image quality far more than scratches do.
Is it possible to make a picture? I checked my old 5S and X, especially the cam of the X I cleaned very often with my dry shirt when I was traveling. I bet this would scratch normal glass.Here’s an anecdote: I’ve kept my iPhone 14PM in an Otterbox Symmetry since day 1, but I recently found micro-scratches on my lenses. It’s annoying but doesn’t seem to affect functionality. The lens is definitely made of (or coated in) softer material than pure sapphire, and I don’t carry around diamonds in my pockets!
I didn’t use screen protector on both so I found micro scratches on the displays but none on the cam. These are in mint condition. As I would expect from sapphire.
I would be concerned to fracture the lenses on the spot it touches the table if it’s an hard table made of glass or ceramic etc. If there is too much pressure on the phone.
Yes.
For context, I don't wipe the camera frequently, maybe the once or twice a month I take a photo. I notice that there's a noticeable amount of dust/smear buildup on the lenses, more so than the iPhone X that I upgraded from.
This is in direct sunlight:
This isn't lint or some other debris. I think it's scratched whatever coating is on the lens, rather than the lens itself, since I can't feel it when I rub my finger on the lens.
If you'd like any other information, let me know!
Here’s an anecdote: I’ve kept my iPhone 14PM in an Otterbox Symmetry since day 1, but I recently found micro-scratches on my lenses. It’s annoying but doesn’t seem to affect functionality. The lens is definitely made of (or coated in) softer material than pure sapphire, and I don’t carry around diamonds in my pockets!
Another anecdote. You'd need a lot more than some minor scuffs on the lens before it'll translate into artifacts in your photos. I actually have a deep gouge in the rear element of a $1000 lens that I own. Ouch. I have no idea how that happened, but I was really kicking myself for that one. Then I realized it wasn't affecting my images at all and I really mean not at all.
Check out these photos taken from a camera with the lens actually smashed in.
How Dust and Damage on Lenses Affect Image Quality
This photograph was taken by a lens with some "obstruction" on the front element. Aside from the blurry patch of nastiness in the bottom portion of the
Nice link! Yeah, I agree that these things are cosmetic at this stage. However, as the phone ages and collects more scratches, the image might soften. I’m not concerned about it, but just something to note.Another anecdote. You'd need a lot more than some minor scuffs on the lens before it'll translate into artifacts in your photos. I actually have a deep gouge in the rear element of a $1000 lens that I own. Ouch. I have no idea how that happened, but I was really kicking myself for that one. Then I realized it wasn't affecting my images at all and I really mean not at all.
Check out these photos taken from a camera with the lens actually smashed in.
How Dust and Damage on Lenses Affect Image Quality
This photograph was taken by a lens with some "obstruction" on the front element. Aside from the blurry patch of nastiness in the bottom portion of thepetapixel.com
Different use cases. It’s not like you’re swiping on you camera lens...😂 That would be funny tho. 🥸
I’ve had iPhones since the 2g 2007 version and over 12 different models. I’ve never had the camera scratched and I never used a case until the 6 plus version. Plenty of scratches screens but never the camera. I’ve never worried about this.
Not at all. IMO that’s the strongest part of the iPhone scratchwise. Everything else will scratch much easier so be careful about everything but the camera lenses lol
Do you remember what happened? I own a watch with sapphire it’s over 10 years old and I wear it almost every day. It got scratches everywhere (titanium) but non on the glass. 🤔
Same my series 3 titanium has small scratches on the body but the screen is immaculate. And I worked in the garden and doing demo work at that time. I’m confident the camera and Apple Watch titanium glass is super resistant
There is absolutely no need for a camera protector, period.
Well my daughter had a iPhone 6 and her camera lens was scratched beyond anything I had ever seen. Pictures were unusable. She doesn’t carry diamonds in her pockets I imagine, and at the time she didn’t carry a purse. So anecdotally, mileage differs from user to user. Daughter was a high schooler at the time and loved her phone. No case used. I would recommend a case if you’re concerned about scratches on the camera lens.