Joanna Stern and John Gruber Discuss Apple M1 Transition and 'Craptastic' 720p FaceTime Cameras

[Moyapilot]

This is fine for most people. But honestly for me, as I have to do presentations on Zoom, it is a big deal on the quality of the webcam. I receive compliments on the VQ when I use my ipad pro 11 when giving talks. Apple can and will do this in the next iteration of the Macbook Pros, and I'll be buying.

I can point out in the zoom meeting exactly who is using the Macbook, including the 2020 models. White balance and color fixes are not enough. Its an all around low quality camera that looks unnatural and grainy. People look over-processed and pixelated, and makes them look like they have a layer of makeup on their faces. It looks comical TBH. Putting a gold ring on a pigs nose is what this is.

 

[Baby Aliens Everywhere]

I wouldn't want to see any of these people in HD let alone 4K

 

[PickUrPoison]

Nobody is asking for thinness. We want a better webcam that’s not from the 80s. The tech is available btw.

so many of us are ready to buy but want a good webcam!

Anyone who decides against the M1 because of the cam quality might want to re-examine their priorities. The camera is fine lol.

 

[Maconplasma]

True but Apple is a company not a person; And if someone were to use such language on Tim Cook or Craig, then I would discourage that too...Anyway, have a good day and I wish the same for that lady too! 😇

Thanks for the civil response but Apple is a company made up of humans who are trashed here daily. If it's not Tim Cook then it's Phil Shiller. If it's not Phil it was the lady who does the store marketing named Angela. If it's not her then people here trash Apple store employees who make under $20/hour and don't deserve to be trashed by Macrumors members on the internet, but unfortunately that's what happens. She put herself out there on national television and ranted about a camera she deserves feedback rather good, bad or ugly. And I'm sure she's making more money than most of us so she can handle it. She's a big girl.

 

[adrianlondon]

I get that people are complaining about the camera, but for web cam style calls,

It's (early 2020 Air, the same camera but no "M1" processing) really bad in low light. I used to use my late-2013 MBP for Facetime calls in the evenings instead of my phone if the latter was low on battery. Since getting the Air, that's no longer possible.

During the day, or a brightly-lit office, it's totally fine.

 

[Maconplasma]

Nobody is asking for thinness. We want a better webcam that’s not from the 80s. The tech is available btw.

so many of us are ready to buy but want a good webcam!

Hey buddy don't use WE because you are not speaking for the rest of us. I greatly prefer a thinner laptop since I have to carry it around. The camera quality on the FT camera is good and it's clear. That's fine for you but don't speak up for the rest of us.

 

[Maconplasma]

The irony of so many commenters furiously typing away on their retina display devices about how 720p is good enough is palatable. Zoom will upgrade when device manufactures give the laptops better cameras.

Right and good-old Apple should be the one to get the party started right? It's funny how the world expects Apple to be the first to move the chains. I don't see Dell, Lenovo or HP moving the chains in innovations at all.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I didn’t think John looked bad using the stock camera.

 

[pers0n]

Wrong. Laptop users absolutely want thin.

The camera’s fine lol, did you even watch the video?

Its so thin now, that it will crack very easily. I had it crack by barely closing it with a thin headphone cable underneath it.

 

[Enlightened Doggo]

Right and good-old Apple should be the one to get the party started right? It's funny how the world expects Apple to be the first to move the chains. I don't see Dell, Lenovo or HP moving the chains in innovations at all.

Yes, poor Apple only a $2 trillion company and having to listen to consumers. How ignorant of me to want a camera of comparable quality to budget phones in a luxury laptop.

 

[XXPP]

What's so hard about upgrading to 1080HD Camera??? Are they rare or what?

My wife looking always for most crappy web camera. This is not for photography. It should hide home and person.

 

[PickUrPoison]

The irony of so many commenters furiously typing away on their retina display devices about how 720p is good enough is palatable. Zoom will upgrade when device manufactures give the laptops better cameras.

My SE (2016) was amazingly sharp and played amazing... 640p video. At least my current one is 750p 🙂

I hope your post helps people understand how awesome 720p can be. Maybe they can understand that the MacBook camera issues have nothing to do with 720p resolution whatsoever!

Whether a 750p display on a 4.7” iPhone 8, or an over the air 720p HDTV signal on a 5 or 6 foot flat screen TV, that’s a ton of pixels. You don’t need 1080p.

When will people learn?

 

[PickUrPoison]

Yes, poor Apple only a $2 trillion company and having to listen to consumers. How ignorant of me to want a camera of comparable quality to budget phones in a luxury laptop.

If you’re ok with a 5-6mm lid, you can have that in some other brand I’m sure.

Most of Apple’s customers, like Apple, don’t want to make the trade off of thicker lid for a better camera. It’s that simple.

 

[citysnaps]

Yes, poor Apple only a $2 trillion company and having to listen to consumers. How ignorant of me to want a camera of comparable quality to budget phones in a luxury laptop.

Well...why don't you find and purchase a laptop that sports the camera you want. Easy.

 

[windowsblowsass]

I thought the image of Joanna Was not quite as clear as the one of John even though hers was supposed to be higher resolution.

CNBC broadcasts in 1080i anyway

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Nope, they don’t exist. The previous posters who also claimed this $2 camera upgrade are also wrong.

Not sure who sent you guys that talking point lol.

I would be more than happy with the same front camera like in the latest iPhones.

 

[bousozoku]

Considering that the major camera makers are offering the ability to use their mirrorless cameras as webcams, and because people who would buy a Mac usually have extra money, is this a real issue?

 

[LonestarOne]

No issue with that. Engineering is about managing a set of conflicting objectives knowing that compromise is often required.

Exactly. So many people don’t understand that. They think engineers are wizards who can give them everything imaginable, on any schedule, and at very low cost. That’s one of the reasons why I think every high-school student should be required to take a course in basic engineering.

 

[ApeBot]

Sadly, the older I get, the better I look at lower resolutions. 👴

 

[ErikGrim]

Stern: "Am I allowed to call it a craptastic camera?"

*immediately undercut by John Gruber's call looking as good or better*

 

[MacBH928]

720P is literally HD, is that bad? A lot of youtube videos default to 480p people still enjoy them.

 

[Ninja Dom]

What’s the highest quality that FaceTime supports on Mac and iOS?

 

[AAPLGeek]

I think it's the new thing to get outraged about. Along with the attached HomePod Mini power cable.

Past favorites including the notch, bezels, USB-C, and Apple philanthropy have now become golden oldies.

I've noticed that faux outrage is a thing among these blogger types to appear more "authentic". Gruber is the worst offender.

 

[v3rlon]

The video of the lady with the big camera was not that sharp.

Especially when watching in a tiny YouTube window anyway...

"We are on Zoom all day," well, yes, I do spend a lot of time in virtual meetings, BUT (and this is important), I am NOT looking at talking heads. I am looking at presentations with actual, useful data.

Your talking head is a small corner of the screen at best, and since no one is shipping a laptop with an 8k monitor, you don't even get 720*1280 pixels of my screen.

It isn't "craptastic." It just isn't the best built in laptop camera. It also isn't the worst.

 

[nexusrule]

Everyone is saying that the lid is too thin. Honestly, I don't buy that at all. The 720p webcam is simply an artifact of laziness: an artifact of the latter Intel era, where Macs were treated like a sideshow product line that continued to exist due to its far better profit margin than their main business, the iPhone, and was only improved at an Intel-controlled cadence, where their progress was just "good enough." There's just no way that a 1080p camera module of the size of the current 720p one is infeasible. ****, if Macs weren't a second-class citizen, they'd all have Face ID already. Figure it out.

Face ID is expensive and it would add $100-150 to the machines prices, I think that’s the main reason why they don’t have it.