Apple is planning to bring high-definition FaceTime cameras to all next-generation Mac models, one tipster claims. The move will start with the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh, expected later this year.
The low-resolution webcams found in most Apple computers today regularly (and deservedly) receive criticism from Mac users and reviewers. Most feel they’re not good enough for $1,000+ machines.
And they’re right. But it seems Apple is finally planning to do something about it. One tipster, who has been reliable in the past, claims next-generation Mac models will all get 1080p FaceTime cameras.
Full HD FaceTime cameras on the way to Mac
“It’s so odd how the less expensive iPad air has a better front facing camera than the MacBook Air,” wrote @dylandkt on Twitter. “But it’s good to note that the upcoming MacBook Pro will actually be getting an updated improved 1080p webcam for the next model.”
It won’t be the only Mac to get a 1080p FaceTime camera, either. In fact, Dylan said on Saturday that “the entire Mac lineup” will get the same upgrade when Apple rolls out refreshed models. And it’s about time.
Apple’s most recent MacBook models — even those powered by an M1 chip — still use a disappointing 720p FaceTime camera. Only the new M1 iMac and the latest 27-inch iMac have a 1080p webcam built-in.
Dylan’s tweets were posted in response to a video from Linus Tech Tips, titled “Why do Laptop Webcams Suck?” The video is focused on Windows machines, but Linus has made his feelings about Apple’s lackluster webcams known many times in the past.
New MacBook Pro models coming this year?
“The webcam on both news MacBooks is shockingly the same old 720p affair since they’ve been using since 2011,” Linus said last December in his review of the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. “It’s decent but not great,” he described in his review of the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
So, when can we expect to see more 1080p webcams from Apple? Well, Dylan, along with other tipsters, expects a MacBook Pro refresh to happen later this year. Recent rumors have hinted at new 14- and 16-inch models powered by even faster Apple Silicon chips.
