Why camera phones aren't as bad as you think they are

I often think that camera phones are a useless gimmick and that I would be happier with a bit of extra battery life on my phone. Phone ads are always full of people taking pictures of life defining moments on their phone. They're all wrong.

What those tiny little cameras with bad lenses are actually good for is taking pictures of all the things you would probably not show in an ad for a device that's supposed to improve your lifestyle.

Example 1 Random J Coder is walking in the street when he sees the latest PHP book in the window of a book shop. He really wants to get it but is running late. What should he do? Take a picture of the cover!

Example 2 Random Q Coder is driving home when his car gets rear-ended by someone who hasn't figured they cannot drive their cars through yours. Like most coders, Random Q Coder lives an almost completely digital life and has no pen in his car. What should he do? Take a picture of their plate! Save their details in your phone contacs.

Example 3 Random X Coder wants to go out to dinner after working overtime for many nights but doesn't know the address of that great restaurant. After looking it up on Google, he then needs to write it down, or spend hours entering it in on a tiny keypad. Wait! He doesn't! Take a picture of that area of the screen. It actually works!

Unfortunately, I didn't see a great PHP book or go to for dinner tonight so I did not get to do those. I did however get my car rear-ended, so I have new picture on my camera phone.