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iOS 14.2 Quietly Added FaceTime 1080p Support to iPhone 8 and Later Models

JosephAW said:
Yet a brand new M1 laptop is stuck at 720 :rolleyes: Maybe they’ll release an update in 4 years to support 1080.
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Well, I guess they could release a patch to how the universe handles photons? Because, just because something has a lens doesn’t mean it can capture 1080p due to science reasons.

I hope when they release the patch, though, that my eyes still work the same way. I’m very careful not to apply patches that affect them ever since I installed the eye patch and I lost stereoscopic vision. I uninstalled that RIGHT quick.
 
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-Maxim- said:
But WHY has this been limited to 720p so far? The hardware/camera is the same obviously and the internet connection speed isn't the bottleneck now nor was it 3 years ago.
Apple could have used that for marketing all those years. I don't quite understand that...
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Been thinking about this for sometime. Still no idea why. HEVC was enabled for iPhone 8. So it doesn't seems to be an hardware limitation.

I think thinking if it was simply due to cost issue with Networks. Since the video call go through Apple Servers.
 
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Even if the MacBooks could support 1080p, the camera sensor and lens are so tiny, that the output wouldn't look any better than 720p. Even 720p of those MacBook cameras looks like *******.
 
I don't understand why "5G" is required for 1080p Facetime. The bandwidth is ABSOLUTELY there on LTE; hell the LTE connection on my iPhone 11 Pro Max sometimes tests FASTER than my home Internet when on WiFi.

I'm so tired of stupid arbitrary restrictions like this from Apple whose only purpose is to sell new phones.
 
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zorinlynx said:
I don't understand why "5G" is required for 1080p Facetime. The bandwidth is ABSOLUTELY there on LTE; hell the LTE connection on my iPhone 11 Pro Max sometimes tests FASTER than my home Internet when on WiFi.

I'm so tired of stupid arbitrary restrictions like this from Apple whose only purpose is to sell new phones.
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I think this is more of a concession to the carriers (similar to those download size limits for things like apps). Any LTE phone might have enough bandwidth but that doesn't mean that every LTE tower/cell has no bandwidth limits serving all phones that connect to them. With 5G, the bandwidth of each tower/cell is much higher.

It's still an artificial restriction but not one primarily designed to sell new phones but to keep the carriers 'promoting' iPhones.
 
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farewelwilliams said:
but the forum keeps talking about PlAnNeD ObSoLesCenCe

there is no planned obsolescence. apple throttled to prevent shutdowns due to aging batteries. end of story.
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That is what is so ridiculous about this. Planned obsolescence would mean they wouldn’t be working to extend the life of devices by keeping them from being damaged from spikes as the battery dies. Punished for doing the right thing. Makes them afraid to do the right thing.
 
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What is the obsession with stating that something was “quietly” updated? Why not simply say it was just updated? Was it supposed to be kept secret? Are we not supposed to tell everyone? Was it supposed to be a surprise? If so, you ruined it.
 
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ksec said:
Been thinking about this for sometime. Still no idea why. HEVC was enabled for iPhone 8. So it doesn't seems to be an hardware limitation.

I think thinking if it was simply due to cost issue with Networks. Since the video call go through Apple Servers.
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Being the richest company in the world, saving a few $$ on server capacities would be quite a "%§$ move. Not sure about that.
Again, they could've marketed that for years! That's worth more than the few $ in savings for the servers, IMO.
 
Which makes no difference at all because it will still stream at extremely low bitrates to make it actually work.

People are way too obsessed with 720p vs. 1080p when it comes to webcams when they don't realize that 99% of the time they're streaming something less than 360p in terms of bitrate.
 
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I'm wondering if messing around with the camera is what caused the FaceID with a mask to get so slow again. For me it's just as bad as it was before they added that improvement a few months ago.
 
ksec said:
Been thinking about this for sometime. Still no idea why. HEVC was enabled for iPhone 8. So it doesn't seems to be an hardware limitation.

I think thinking if it was simply due to cost issue with Networks. Since the video call go through Apple Servers.
Click to expand...
-Maxim- said:
Being the richest company in the world, saving a few $$ on server capacities would be quite a "%§$ move. Not sure about that.
Again, they could've marketed that for years! That's worth more than the few $ in savings for the servers, IMO.
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I agree 10% that server throughput was one of important issues and quality of networks can be other. It is useless for me to have 10 Mp camera when on other side user has 1 Mbps speed and all I get is pixelated sh**

Here is detailed article about data consumption during calls:
www.maketecheasier.com

How Much Bandwidth Does Video Calling Use? - Make Tech Easier

Bandwidth usage can vary depending on the app, quality, and participants. Find out how to get a general estimate of how much you’ll use.
www.maketecheasier.com www.maketecheasier.com
 
Things like this makes me glad I have been an Apple user since my first iMac in 1998. Yes I am older. :)
 
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MrGuder said:
No love for the 6s :(

in all fairness this should have happened years ago, shameful that Apple held this off for so long...and it was available by software update...hmm!!
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6s’s front camera only shoots at 720p

TechieGeek said:
Wonder which generations of the iPad support 1080p
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if Apple has (or hasn’t) done this yet for the iPads ( or if they haven’t my best bet is when the 5G iPad Pro comes out) my best bet is A12 iPads and later and A10X iPad Pros and later
 
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JosephAW said:
Yet a brand new M1 laptop is stuck at 720 :rolleyes: Maybe they’ll release an update in 4 years to support 1080.
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Most videcall softwares have max 720p support, M1 Macs are much more better thanks to DSP. It is totally fine in 99% cases.
 
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-Maxim- said:
But WHY has this been limited to 720p so far? The hardware/camera is the same obviously and the internet connection speed isn't the bottleneck now nor was it 3 years ago.
Apple could have used that for marketing all those years. I don't quite understand that...
Click to expand...
Optimizations, gift for users over long time. Very few companies improve software like Apple do.Happend so many times in the past, for example adding multi-touch in some older MacBook Pros. If possible Apple will do it, but users always whine.
 
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snipr125 said:
Good to see my iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone SE getting more functionality. Now just need WhatsApp to release its multi device feature and I can alternate between my 12 mini, 8 plus and SE as I desperately miss Touch ID (Face ID gives me headaches so turned it off.)
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Headaches? Just use your device un unlock... simply as staring at it. The issue today is facemask but iOS ask for code immediately because it detects facemask.
 
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