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Have just purchased a new MacBook Air (2020 model). Have bought to use for home working (Zoom meetings, etc) and the image is really grainy when using Zoom or FaceTime. Is this normal with Macs?
MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.15
i've just taken delivery of my MBA 2020 and the camera image is so terrible I am not sure what to do about the machine now. I paid to have a ton of upgrades so overall this was a £1800 machine. The camera is about the worst i have seen since laptops started coming with in-built cameras. I hope, Apple, you find that damning... but i suspect you won't care. The web is awash with similar complaints. To see someone commenting saying wipe the screen and check your internet connection; it's just offensive. The camera quality is so bad in low light that i can barely even recognise myself. I joined a video call the other night and everyone was commenting about how bad it was, unprompted. I genuinely don't know if I will keep this macbook... i feel like it will be my last, at least, if this is the type of thing we can expect. Apple support were meant to call me back this evening to discuss it but what a surprise, they didn't.
Wow! reading all these comments and realizing it's not just my computer.
This is TOTALLY unacceptable that the camera isn't working on such a high-priced new machine.
Happy to get together and collaborate to ensure apple takes care of this and honors their customer base.
Please everyone demand that apple remedy this issue or... class action?
Frankly, I don't know what action to take. I have spoken with Apple support several times, with the Apple retailer/dealer and was on various Mac forums for advice.
The answer is always the same: you can't improve the camera, you can only buy an external camera, you have to buy a completely new Mac with a different camera, you shouldn't be so obsessed with brilliant pictures etc.
So what can you do? I bought a MacBook Air two weeks ago for almost 1400 euros and I'm also puzzled by some of the answers from Apple.
I recently went to the Apple store for this issue for my 2019 MacBook Air. I had my screen replaced and it still have the same grainy image. The service person says that it is working as is (per specification). They can replace the hardware but it will most likely not fix the issue because the Apple seemed to have not this type of camera for quite some time. Apple knew this was a problem and decided not to do anything about it. When I purchased the Air, the sales person did not mention anything about the grainy camera image. So they lied to sale this laptop and now I'm stuck with it. My advice to anybody who is having the same issue with their 2020 MacBook Air and is within the return policy, return it. Don't buy this crap, don't accept mediocre quality, and also suggest going to a competitor. I'm frustrated with this situation and hope that it doesn't happen to you. PLEASE DON'T BUY THE 2020 MacBook Air.
RETURN RETURN RETURN is the right thing to do!
I ventured into MacBook due to the good experience I had with iPhone over the last 10 years and the hype that surrounded M1. Terrible webcam. Who will buy an external camera for a laptop in this day and age? It is clunky and inconvenient.
Apple reserved a better webcam for its incremental upgrade next year! AMD Ryzen laptops seem way better than Apple laptops!
I upgraded to a Macbook Air 2020 a couple of months ago, and it's the worst camera I've ever seen in a Mac. No the screen is not dirty, and it's on the same wifi that I my previous Mac Book was using so it's definitely not the internet spped.
In today's world of zoom meetings, recordings, etc. this is just not acceptable!
I had a MacBook Air 2017, and I was using it with Zoom for my meetings. With my green screen behind me, I could put any background image, the illusion was almost perfect. But I made the mistake to replace it with a MacBook Air 2020. The camera is so bad, even with a lot of light in front of me (almost 500W of spotlight). The quality is so bad, there is a blur all around me, it's so ugly. I can't use my computer anymore. So frustrating...
Under English law, you have a right to return goods if they are not not of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose or as described. Apple may claim that the MacBook is of satisfactory purpose. However, if you mentioned to the sales guy that you wanted it for Zoom meetings etc, then you will have a better argument for claiming that it is not fit for the specific purpose that was made known to the company before you bought it. Apple may object but it is simple enough to draft a letter of claim (online examples are available) and to make an online claim. The court fee will be £60 or £70 and the online claim form is simplicity itself. I would claim myself but may just pay for a webcam. Not ideal but a lesson to check out all the reviews before buying in future.
To add to what Dylan is saying, remember that the Product page for the MacBook Air claims:
"The image signal processor in the M1 chip helps you look your best for every FaceTime call and video conference. "
"FaceTime HD camera
Get clearer, sharper images. See more detail in shadows and highlights."
The previous page (before M1 Macs, said it was a "super clear image" or some other obviously false advertising. You can always use the Wayback Machine to view a websites past pages.
I was just on Amazon looking for a webcam, so I can do my work properly, including recording myself for youtube and my podcast, etc. So that means I'll have to fork out another $60 at least to get a decent camera.
Dylan, thank you for that info. Unfortunately, I'm in the US. Not sure if those laws apply here. So for the additional court fee money, I guess I'll just try to buy a webcam from Amazon or one of the office supply stores.
For anyone who buys a webcam or spends any other money on this problem, keep your receipts and documentation. Hopefully someday Apple will be held accountable and should fix the issue, as well as reimburse any costs you incurred. (I learned this the hard way with a defective washing machine)
I'm having the same problem. I had the 2017 MacBook Pro 13" and the camera quality was great. Last week I bought the 2020 MacBook Pro 13" M1. I immediately noticed how bad the camera quality was. I returned the MacBook because I thought it was defective. Only to get a new one and it had the SAME problem. I noticed that all the display models at the Best Buy store had this same issue. I don't know if I'm the only one that sees this. I am a teacher and have used the 2017 MacBook camera everyday almost for the past year. And when I used the 2020 MacBook camera it was so noticeable to me and even my students said it looked weird. I know it's not the internet or fingerprints! It looks like it's zoomed in and just blurry and dark. I wish I could find out if this is a hardware or software issue. I'm hoping an update will fix it. If not, I'm going to return the 2020 model and just stick with my 2017 only for the camera.
I suggest you return the Macbook. I went to the apple store with the same issue with my 2019 Air, and they replaced the screen, but the problem persists. Apple says it's a known issue and within specification, so they cannot do anything. Apple knew this problem and did not fix it for the 2020 model. Go to another computer manufacturer.
I just purchased a MacBook Air 2020 and it also very grainy. It's worse than my old MacBook Pro which has a CD player. I'm thinking of returning it. On Zoom, I even changed the HD settings. Nothing has helped.
No this isn’t normal, this is a huge issue. I upgraded from a macbook air and I’m extremely disappointed in this significant drop in camera quality. Everything is online now and they seem to be using a worse camera than the last 5 years of laptops when it hardly mattered how good a webcam was. It matters now and they dropped the ball.
Grainy Image on MacBook Air 2020
