Nokia 9's cameras are triggering fear in people: Here's why
Just a few days back, HMD Global unveiled the highly-anticipated Nokia 9 PureView at the Mobile World Congress. The device sports a Snapdragon 845-powered 2k display but its most notable feature is the ZEISS-certified 'penta-camera' setup on the back. It promises an exemplary photography experience but, for some, the same cameras are triggering 'trypophobia' or the fear of small holes. Here's how.
What is Trypophobia?
Trypophobia is an aversion to clusters, particularly those made from small holes. It's not a mental disorder but can be classified as a broad form of phobia if the clusters lead to fear, stress, or panic. ScienceAlert says some 16% people are affected by the condition, which typically triggers as they may see clusters as markings of dangerous animals or process of decomposition/infestation.
Nokia 9 PureView comes with a cluster of seven holes
Some people are so bothered by Trypophobia that they can't even stand the sight of the trigger object. This is exactly what dozens of people are experiencing following the announcement of Nokia 9 PureView, Metro reported. They are claiming that the device, which packs as many as seven holes on the back (5 cameras, 1 flash, and 1 proximity sensor), is triggering their condition.
Nokia called out for the weird design strategy
Nokia 9 PureView hasn't even started selling but people have already expressed concerns over Trypophobia because of circular camera arrangement of the device. One Twitter user claimed that the phone makes their 'skin crawl', while another called out Nokia for failing to consider a common condition before designing the device. "It's all over the tech sites, triggering panic attacks," the latter tweeted.
Nokia still silent on the matter
Though Nokia has not commented on the matter, it is pretty obvious that people who fear such clusters would stay away from the new device. However, it is worth noting that not buying the device may not mean they won't ever see it. The device is being promoted all over the internet (without warnings) and could even show up when someone's taking a photograph.
Trypophobic responses can vary from person to person
Notably, the degree of a trypophobic response can vary from person to person. Some people may find it hard to concentrate (thinking about it over and over) after seeing a trigger object while others may get panic attacks and stay disturbed for days.
Capabilities of Nokia 9 PureView's 'penta' cameras
Nokia 9 PureView sports a ZEISS-certified five-camera setup, comprising three 12MP monochrome sensors and two 12MP RGB sensors with all sensors having an f/1.82 aperture. When the phone is used to take a photo, each sensor captures a shot which are merged to create a single image with higher details. On the front, the phone sports a single 20MP snapper for high-resolution selfies.
Meanwhile, here are other specifications of the device
Nokia 9 comes with a 5.99-inch Quad-HD+ (1440x2960 pixels) pOLED screen, in-display fingerprint sensor, and IP67 certification. The device pairs Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage and hosts a pretty massive 3,320mAh battery. On the software side, it runs Android Pie as part of the Android One program.
