New MacBook Air Fails Coronavirus Webcam Test… Again

Updated Nov 11. Article originally posted Nov 10.

When Apple launched the early-2020 MacBook Air, the impact of lockdowns to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic was just becoming apparent. From a technology point of view, the lockdown accelerated the move to working from home, and saw an increase in videoconferencing as tools such as Zoom gained a new prominence.

The new Apple MacBook Pro

Apple Newsroom

It was perhaps unfortunate that Apple’s MacBook Air did not update the FaceTime camera at the start of the year. With a wave of consumers and enterprises buying new devices (helping Apple retain marketshare for the year), the new revolution was going to be seen through something less than stellar. As I wrote at the time…

“What is becoming clear to many Apple users is the fact that the MacBook range is hobbled. The universal 720p web camera barely sneaks into the megapixel range with a 1.2 megapixel camera. In the new world of self-isolation and lockdowns, there’s a sharp focus on weak webcams.”

The release of the early-2020 MacBook Pro quickly followed. Perhaps it was released too quickly to react to the changing circumstances. The 720p FaceTime camera remained. Of course the biggest question is this; even without the rise of video calls in 2020, why did Apple keep the weak webcams on the desktop? After all, the iPad Pro’s FaceTime camera was a relative monster at 7 megapixels, capable of recording 1080p HD video.

Still, here’s the new MacBook Air, with an internal redesign for the new ARM-based M1 processor, a completely reworked operating system in macOS Big Sur, and all of the innovation and expertise Apple is willing to invest in the desktop.

And it still ships with the same derisory 720p FaceTime camera.

Nov 11 update: The lack of physical updates to the webcam has become a bit of a talking point around the machine. With no hardware yet available for independent review, Apple’s words on improvements solely in software remains untested. Jagmeet Singh notes the lack of resolution at Gadgets360:

“Apple did acknowledge during the event that as people are staying indoors and working remotely from their homes, camera image quality matters even more. But with some tweaks at the chip and software levels, it is unclear how the company would be able to meet the demand for better webcam experiences on Mac machines.”

Mikael Markander for MacWorld picks out two awkward facts. The first is that external webcams are going to provide higher quality, and if you really want something that works then you need to be looking at expensive peripherals; the second is there may be a better solution already in an Apple-influenced household:

“Why Apple insists on sticking to the 720p resolution has not been announced, but hopefully we will see support for 1080p in next year’s Mac models. If you want to see your colleagues and friends in high resolution right now, we suggest that you use a separate webcam – or press an iPhone into webcam service, which should produce far better results than the Mac’s own camera.”

For all of Apple’s push towards new technological heights in the processor, it’s clear that stepping back from that achievement, the MacBook design remains tired, unimaginative, and the weak link in Apple’s portfolio.

Now, to give Apple its dues, it has said the new software offers better noise reduction, an improved dynamic range, and facial recognition. Which is great, but none of that impacts the low resolution of the camera. For all of Apple’s talk of being the best MacBook ever, with an attention to detail, and a focus on the user, the camera feels… cheap.

Sometimes you just have to match the competition. Especially when the competition is your own tablet.

Now read the latest headlines from Cupertino in this week’s Apple Loop…