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The iPhone 13 Pro’s camera bump is a problem for the Backbone controller

The iPhone 13 Pro’s camera bump is a problem for the Backbone controller

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Making it a little less fun to use the best mobile controller you can buy

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BackBone One
Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

The new and very good iPhone 13 Pro lineup has a thicker camera bump than previous generations (7.65mm vs. 7.4mm in the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max). It sounds negligible, but it’s enough to cause a few small issues with accessory compatibility. For instance, the iPhone 13 Pro apparently doesn’t fit perfectly onto the MagSafe Duo dual charger because of its size. And based on my colleague Sam Byford’s first-hand experience, it also doesn’t fit all that well when placed inside of the Backbone One, the best iOS controller you can currently buy.

The Backbone One has a, for lack of a better word, backbone that connects each side of the controller. The iPhone 13 Pro’s camera bump causes the phone to rest unevenly while nested in the Backbone One, making it wobble during use. That’s not a huge issue in itself, aside from the fact that the phone is technically less secure in the controller.

But he reported a few disconnect issues while playing, too. And if the device isn’t flat while connected via the controller’s Lightning jack, there’s reason to believe that it could be putting stress on the iPhone 13 Pro’s Lightning port, which may amount to a bigger problem over time. So, keep this in mind if you already have one of these controllers and expect a perfect fit.

Backbone One
A side angle of the iPhone 13 Pro fit into the Backbone One controller.
Sam Byford

We’ve reached out to Backbone to comment on this issue. But this problem isn’t isolated to just this company. Presumably, there are several bespoke accessories, in and outside of the realm of gaming, made to fit iPhones and Android phones up to a certain level of thickness. But as mobile photography gets more advanced, the sensors and lenses built into phones will likely get larger, too.