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Apple Begins Selling Belkin Mount for Using an iPhone as a Mac's Webcam

Almost 20 years ago, Steve Jobs introduces mounted iSight. I remember this. Man I am old. Listen to how the audience applauded when Steve told them he was giving them a camera. Apple ain't giving away iPhones in 2022.

 
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This is the one I was thinking I would upgrade to, but now that I look at it, I think I'll go for the iPad Air. The M1 chip is just too much better to not go with it rather than the chip in the iPhone 12.
 
B4rbelith said:
We already do this using 3rd party software for broadcasting Zoom Yoga classes. It’s a massive improvement over the woeful camera in my 2018 MacBook Pro.
Don’t like it, don’t use it, but many people are happy with this new addition from Apple.
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Ooh this sounds fun.
 
Why improve our webcam when we can sell you an adapter to use your thousand dollar phone as a webcam? 😂🤣
 
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When asked for comment on this new connection option, Steve Jobs said, “This looks like a spider monster trying to crawl up the back of a road sign. It’s the kind of crap that could only happen over my dead body.”
 
I improvised something vaguely similar just after the pandemic started and used it with my iPhone via Camo and with a GoPro. Neither was perfect but both were worlds better than the appalling 720p cameras that were mostly video noise. I’ll give this a try.
 
Can you use your iPhone in cinematic mode for a call using Microsoft Teams on the Mac (not iPhone)?
 
BeatCrazy said:
I also use the Brio 4K, I think the quality is 'decent' but still rather noisy. The nice thing is that my Brio is semi-permanently mounted. I'm not sure how much of a pain it will be to messing around taking the iPhone on/off a fixed monitor.

I'm intrigued by the Continuity camera concept, but that mount doesn't look like it will fit on top of the Apple Studio Display.

Maybe this is better suited for mostly-MacBook users on-the-go that want a nicer webcam, then they put the phone back in their pocket when done? I'd want the quality and macOS convenience in something that was essentially permanently mounted on a monitor.
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@BeatCrazy The mounts for the ASD are "coming soon" from what the article says.
 
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I bought the black mount and it's an excellent accessory. The build quality is very good and the ring grip and kickstand are actually very useful. Haven't used it with Continuity Camera since I don't run macOS Ventura yet, but I did try it with Camo and it did the job very well. I only have to figure out where I store it when I don't need it.
 
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trevor-b said:
Nobody is going to see your phone screen. What am I missing?

Also, you can use the Do Not Disturb mode.
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I was just thinking that when I am using my $1,400 phone as a Webcam, it will still actually be a phone. If I need to take an urgent phone (e.g. from a family member) then there would be a whole set of shenanigans to answer the call and then get back into the Zoom or FaceTime.

I was mostly joking though. I'll probably not bother using this feature unless I was doing something like a livestream to YT. My Apple Studio display webcam is perfectly fine for Zoom calls. I don't really need anyone seeing me in hi-def to talk business.
 
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I hope this doesn’t mean Apple aren’t going to bother trying to actually improve the built-in Webcam on future products…
 
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I’ve been using iPhones and iPads (via OBS) for streaming church services since before the pandemic. Works great and the quality is spot on.
 
What an ugly solution.

I still think the Insta360 Link is hands down the best webcam available.
 
CalMin said:
I bought the black mount and it's an excellent accessory. The build quality is very good and the ring grip and kickstand are actually very useful. Haven't used it with Continuity Camera since I don't run macOS Ventura yet, but I did try it with Camo and it did the job very well. I only have to figure out where I store it when I don't need it.
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Madonepro said:
Mine arrived today (London, UK) and it's a solid piece of kit. Not cheap plastic, and feels very sturdy.
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Mine arrived today and I'll second these opinions. The quality is impressive. It's vastly better than anything that could be printed on a 3D printer. The magnet is extremely strong. The hinged clip and kickstand/grip ring are really well-fitted. Folded down it's roughly the diameter and only a little thicker than a U.S. silver dollar (coin, if anyone is old enough to remember those...). I tested it with Camo, which I started using off and on in 2021, and this is the best iPhone-as-webcam setup I've used.
 
Just picked one up here in Tokyo, and it was a bit cheaper than in the USA even at the increased Apple Japan pricing, with the current dollar/yen conversion and buying from a duty free shop (Yodobashi). Impressive quality and handy for more than just the intended purpose.
 
What kind of case do I need to buy for my 14Pro? I guess I don’t get how it mounts.
Thanks.
 
Got mine this morning, it's feeling great. I thought it would be hard plastic, but except the metal piece, everything else including the lid is kind of rubberized, so you could not scratch by accident your MacBook. Magnets are strong. A bit pricey for what it does, but the quality is there.
 
TyWahn said:
What kind of case do I need to buy for my 14Pro? I guess I don’t get how it mounts.
Thanks.
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It mounts via MagSafe, so magnets. The best you should do to have the strongest grip would be to buy a MagSafe compatible case. If your case is thin enough, magnets may be strong enough to hold securely your iPhone even if the case doesn't have magnets
 
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