June 27, 2024, 2:21 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Social media is a true goldmine for curiosities you would otherwise never encounter. A prime example: an iPhone that comes completely without a camera. TECHBOOK explains what this is all about.
One of the main features of any smartphone is the built-in camera. This is also true for the iPhone, whose photo and video quality ranks among the best on the market. It seems strange, then, that someone would use such an expensive device without this important feature. However, there is a fairly simple reason for this.
When an iPhone Without a Camera Is Necessary
Recently, a user posted a picture on the subreddit “mildlyinteresting” showing an iPhone with a completely blank back–causing a stir. There are now almost 2,000 comments under the post, with users debating whether the image is real and why a camera-less iPhone would be necessary at all.
According to the post, it is “a camera-less iPhone provided to my buddy who works at a nuclear power plant. No cameras allowed.” Some of the comments seem to confirm this. It’s not just nuclear power plants mentioned, but also government facilities and other sites relevant to national security.
Even though iPhones without cameras are likely a real rarity–they do exist. A two-year-old Reddit post also shows an iPhone with no camera visible on the back. The comments here are quite clear: In Singapore, cameras are not allowed on many military bases. Anyone who wants to take their smartphone to military service can only do so without a camera.
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Specialized Companies Remove Cameras from iPhones
In Singapore, there are companies for this very reason that, for a fee, remove the camera from the iPhone or blur the lenses with sandblasting. Mister Mobile offers the procedure for all models from iPhone 5 to iPhone 15 Pro Max. The “camera removal” service costs between 38 and 48 Singapore dollars (26 to 33 euros), and the price includes both the front and main camera. However, this also means losing the Face ID function, which relies on the front camera.
The repair shop explains on its site: “The removal of the iPhone camera is a popular service in Singapore. For most boys in Singapore, it is common to remove the iPhone camera for NS (National Service). In fact, most army camps in Singapore have red zones that do not allow camera smartphones.” Customers can take their cameras with them after the procedure to have them reinstalled after completing military service.
Prices Vary Greatly
Another Singaporean company offers the service at a significantly higher price. At Noncam, conversion kits cost up to 250 Singapore dollars (172 euros). Also, except for the iPhone SE (2022), no kits are available for newer devices. Noncam even sells already converted iPhones without cameras–but with a hefty markup. The iPhone SE (2020) with 256 GB costs 1,769 Singapore dollars (1,218 euros) here–almost twice as much as an unmodified device in Germany (649 euros).
Noncam, however, differs in that the company not only removes the cameras but also transplants the entire iPhone into a new housing without a cutout for the camera. The higher price is therefore mainly justified by the custom-made new housings. According to their own information, Noncam supplies companies such as General Electric and the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) with iPhones without cameras.