Next-Generation iPad With 1-Megapixel Rear Camera and Case Cover Proximity Sensor?

[womble2k2]

So there have been on and off rumors of a 3 MP screen (2048 x 1536), yet the camera is only 1 MP!?! I was hoping it would be at least 5 MP so that you could import pictures directly into Pages or Keynote. Not something I'd want to do with a 1MP image, especially if it needs a bit of cropping.

Let's hope that this was just for a development device.

Phil

 

[webman2k]

Why does iPad need a rear camera?

Folks, Who's going to be taking high quality pictures with an iPad? That's hardly comfortable. Can you imagine lugging this around to take photos?

The rear camera is for a few uses on this device:

- FaceTime - doesn't need high resolution
- Applications - apps that use the camera for scanning barcodes, identifying objects, providing augmented reality imagery - none of these need anything higher MP

So, before complaining about the lack of a powerful calendar on the back, ask yourself if you'd ever use it.

 

[mlmathews]

For FaceTime ... so the person you're speaking to can see what you can see ... so you don't have to flip your iPad around.

So, someone is going to hold the iPad up with two hands pointing it at things? How often is someone going to need to do that? It just doesn't make sense to add the cost. But I suppose a 1MP camera chip doesn't add much cost. I really want the iPad to become a better eReader. The current iPad has got some shortcomings in that area: screen resolution and screen glare. Address those things and I'm guaranteed to pre-order one at the first chance.

 

[Friscohoya]

Dont really care about rear camera...

As far as as the camera goes, why not just let the iphone tether its camera to the ipad screen? I always have my phone on me anyway.

I am more concerned about the facetime ability and front camera for video conferencing. I want to be able to view docs while facetiming as well so give me some decent software that addresses business/education uses as well. You could tutor a kid while both looking at the same document from across the country.

 

[daneoni]

Why are people up in arms about this? did you seriously expect to be taking 12MP Carl Zeiss lensed photos...with an iPad?

 

[0815]

I personally don't care since I can't see myself holding that big iPad up to take pictures. Most use cases I heard for a back camera are for augmented reality applications, facetime and document scanning - might be good enough for that, but still, these days 1M is pretty lame.

 

[stridemat]

So, someone is going to hold the iPad up with two hands pointing it at things? How often is someone going to need to do that? It just doesn't make sense to add the cost. But I suppose a 1MP camera chip doesn't add much cost. I really want the iPad to become a better eReader. The current iPad has got some shortcomings in that area: screen resolution and screen glare. Address those things and I'm guaranteed to pre-order one at the first chance.

Babies first steps? Your son's football match? etc etc...

 

[foodog]

I never understood a need for a rear facing camera on the iPad. Its kinda big to be taking pictures.

 

[TitoC]

When I first heard that it might have a proximity sensor, this is the first thing that came to mind. . .

 

[JoEw]

A rear camera would be most useful for Augmented Reality and for showing people things on FaceTime; applications which only need 1MP or less.

And occasionally you could take snapshots or video with it just because you don’t have your real camera along—assuming your phone doesn’t have a decent camera (many do now). 1MP to have a spontaneous shot of something you didn’t expect to need a camera for is OK. Bigger than you’d email or show online, not ideal for printing large.

A high-MP rear camera would have been a cool novelty, but seldom that vital since an iPad (due to size) is a poor primary photography device. Some might use it as their main camera... but not many.

And a high-MP camera can make a WORSE video camera! That’s why the latest iPod has a better video camera than the iPhone 4 (which is also pretty good, admittedly). As I understand it, the failings of the iPhone 4’s camera for video are:

* Narrower field of view (nice for some situations, but it’s narrower than a typical still shot, for instance); this is because the video recording only captures a frame of pixels at the middle of the larger sensor. It’s like a crop.

* Unavoidable wobble from the sensor.

Both of those problems can be helped by using lower megapixels.

So I actually hope this is true! If there is a rear camera, I don’t want 5MP!

ummm no.

My friends pictures vs my iPhone 4 pictures can't even compare.
Megapixels are just as important as how you use them.

 

[nagromme]

If true (we’ll see), the iPad cameras are, by intended use VIDEO cameras. Chat and AR cameras. Not still cameras. That make sense to me.

Casual still snapshots are a nice extra, not a main function of something so large as an iPad. (Neither is camcorder use for that matter.)

Video applications that make sense with a tablet are FaceTime (showing someone what you’re seeing) and Augmented Reality. Both will get more and more used over time.

While using something so large as an iPad to capture memories will be an ever-shrinking rare usage over time, as more people carry phones (or, say, cameras ) that do that job.

ummm no.

My friends pictures vs my iPhone 4 pictures can't even compare.
Megapixels are just as important as how you use them.

You misread me.

I said VIDEO camera—specifically video, not stills. The iPhone 4 as a still camera IS far better than the low-MP iPod Touch, as you say. (A high-MP camera does carry problems even for stills: it can be high-noise and waste memory/storage for no reason but marketing. But the iPhone 4’s still camera is indeed excellent, and has replaced my old standalone camera. Its rear-facing HD video is good too—just not as good as the iPod Touch in the 2 ways I mentioned. Demos of this are online.)

My post was about how, on the iPad, moving video would be more important than still photography.

I don’t want, for instance, to be viewing a scene in AR (or showing it to someone on FaceTime) and have my view restricted because it’s a high-MP sensor dedicated to stills over video. (See my discussion of the field of view being cropped on iPhone 4 video recordings because of their high MP.) Sensors are specialized for either stills or video, and I know which specialization I want for an iPad!

Babies first steps? Your son's football match? etc etc...

Yes. Any old camera will be nice for capturing a memory if you’re at an important event and don’t have any other camera. “The best camera is the one you have with you.” The day will come when I capture some memory on my iPad 2 because someone else is playing Tetris on my iPhone! But it’s a rare use. NOT the purpose of the camera being there. I really hope it has a rear camera, but frankly I will use it rarely compared to the rumored front one.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

If there is a rear-facing camera on the iPad and if I ever see anyone taking a picture with it, I'm gonna knock it out of their hands. It's not meant to be a photography device. Come on people that are whining. Think about how ridiculous you'd look.

Save this post. In 20 years, when you're 30 or so, have a look at it again, and try not to feel like a complete idiot.

 

[foodog]

So, someone is going to hold the iPad up with two hands pointing it at things? How often is someone going to need to do that? It just doesn't make sense to add the cost. But I suppose a 1MP camera chip doesn't add much cost. I really want the iPad to become a better eReader. The current iPad has got some shortcomings in that area: screen resolution and screen glare. Address those things and I'm guaranteed to pre-order one at the first chance.

I agree 100% the glossy screen is terrible for reading. That why i bought a Nook.

 

[mtvfyrfytr]

proximity sensor

I like the concept of the idea of a proximity sensor that would enable the iPad to sense when the cover on a case has been opened or closed and correspondingly automatically lock or unlock the device, BUT, what happens if you move your hand over the sensor? Will the iPad lock while your using it, and/or moving it? Just a thought.

 

[Slurpy2k8]

Many observers had expected that the second-generation iPad would offer a rear-facing camera with a resolution higher than that found in the iPod touch,

The iPod touch has a 0.3MP back cam, so 1MP IS quite a bit higher.

If true, this would just go to show that the back camera isn't meant for picture taking (logical) so much as to be used for videochat, AR, etc. People kept mocking a potential back cam in the iPad, for the ridiculousness of using it as a camera, the same people who are bashing it now for not having an ideal camera. I'd be fine with 1MP, as it would be sufficient for everything I would use it for.

Also, 1MP is more than enough for 720P video.

 

[MaxPower49]

I like the concept of the idea of a proximity sensor that would enable the iPad to sense when the cover on a case has been opened or closed and correspondingly automatically lock or unlock the device, BUT, what happens if you move your hand over the sensor? Will the iPad lock while your using it, and/or moving it? Just a thought.

It will probably have some type of magnetic sensor that will require a special case.

 

[Popeye206]

The "why do we need..."

The whole argument on why someone would need a camera on the back of an iPad or a high resolution camera is totally silly.

Why? Different strokes for different folks.

Personally, I know my intention would be never to use my iPad as a camera or video camera. But... I know if it was there, at some point I probably would. If anything just to snap a quick shot or snag a quick video. But I would never say grab the iPad... we're going to Disney World! LOL!

Again... the argument is silly. If you don't see a need for it. Cool. If you do, cool. Apple needs to put one on there for competitive reasons if anything and I'm sure they'll deliver a decent quality camera.

Seems like MR posted this rumor just to stir the pot. It doesn't seem logical.

 

[DeeEss]

Save this post. In 20 years, when you're 30 or so, have a look at it again, and try not to feel like a complete idiot.

ha - that's what I was thinking!

 

[CrAkD]

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It's funny everyone kept saying rear cam is pointless now that it may get a 1mp cam everyone is like wtf I need a good cam haha. Maybe it's cause I'll always have an iPhone but it makes no difference to me. The rear cam on the iPad will mainly be for FaceTime if I want to show someone something

 

[RoboCop001]

So, before complaining about the lack of a powerful calendar on the back, ask yourself if you'd ever use it.

But I want a powerful calendar on the back!

 

[ninethirty]

Why does the iPad need ANY camera? And don't say video calling... try holding an ipad out in front of your face for even a minute and see how comfortable that is.

Why does iPad need a rear camera?

 

[Iphtashu Fitz]

QFT
All it needs is a front camera thats good enough for facetime. No one seriously needs to be taking pictures with their ipads when out and about. The fact that there is a camera at all in the rear is just an added bonus, to me. I'll use my phone to take pictures and video, thank you very much.

If all you care about are taking photos with a tablet then you have a very limited point of view. A rear facing camera is very useful for showing things during Facetime calls and is also immensely useful for apps like Word Lens, document scanners, QR/barcode readers, etc. Try doing any of those things with only a front facing camera.

 

[anomie]

Well, I can somehow understand a low-res rear-camera since it is unlikely that someone is going to make serious photos with the iPad.
I guess the camera will be just there so you can switch while using Facetime.

 

[Iphtashu Fitz]

My feelings exactly. The only reason Apple is even including a rear camera is so that "Facetime" can work as designed (being able to show Facetimers what the person is looking at). Seems that Apple/Jobs sees this as the only reason it's being included. The iPad as a "standalone" camera and needing a higher MP sensor is honestly stupid. They know people won't (or shouldn't) be wanting to or trying to use the iPad as a device to capture serious still images. If you want a device for that, they have an iPhone to sell you!

You obviously haven't heard of the Word Lens app. That and other augmented reality apps, scanning apps, etc. would be very useful on iPads with decent rear facing cameras.

 

[thefourthpope]

Nah, I'd say this is the Facetime one and Apple is messing with us with the file names. ... So it will have a 1MP Front facing Facetime camera, and no rear, IMO.

I'm hoping for this as well.

The only thing I would use a rear camera for would be showing my parents something/someone via Facetime, in which case 1MP is plenty fine. For any real pictures, I'm either using my easier-to-carry-and-shoot-with iPhone or a real camera.