Why do we make double-triple-quadruple eyed cameras in smartphones instead of just improving the specs and keeping one lens?
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Luckbot mostly covered it, but there’s another reason.
Think about a DSLR camera: If you want to take pictures at a certain distance, you would get a lens with a focal point that matches that distance. There’s [macro lenses which are for close up shots](https://www.lomography.com/lenses/4987-canon-ef-100mm-f2-8-macro/photos), [telescopic zoom lenses for distance](https://www.lomography.com/lenses/9524-canon-ef-70-300mm-f-4-5-6l-is-usm/photos?page=2), [wide angle lenses for landscape photography](https://www.lomography.com/lenses/277-canon-ef-s-18-55mm/photos), etc. Switching between them is simply a matter of swapping out your lens for another one.
Phone cameras are different for two reasons: One, they’re teeny tiny, so swapping out a lens on a camera the size of your fingernail really isn’t a compelling option. Second, digital camera modules are fairly cheap (at least from an OEM perspective). This means that it’s better to just put six of the same camera module, each fitted with a different lens and make your phone switch between them in software depending on what kind of picture you want to take.
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