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
yes. I had purchased exact same 2020 MacBook Air model and it had worse camera than 2015 MacBook Pro. After a lot of research I figured out that since 2018 Apple changed the MacBook design and made the lid slimmer and put in the same camera they’ve used on older macbooks but made the camera hole much smaller. If you compare both camera holes side by side and look at the size you’ll see the new MacBook has small tiny camera hole which leads to less light and all photos and videos look grainy in low light thus your new MacBook has grainy and low quality camera. It doesn’t actually have a worse camera but due to this flaw in the design the camera sensors get less light and makes it blurry. The only fix is to add more brightness with better lighting but it doesn’t help much or to pay for an app and download it to enhance your webcam to apply filters over it and increase the brightness of the image. There doesn’t seem to be any other fix. Just return the MacBook if you aren’t satisfied and wait for new one or buy an external wireless camera or use your phone as the camera or iPad. A lot of users on here have this issue but on reddit and other places most people have ignored this issue and instead blamed the users for not knowing how to use the MacBook properly and not doing their “research” for calling this a downgrade in camera quality. They’re ignorant of the fact that in 2018 this design change happened. The brand new users who don’t complain are either upgrading from latest macbooks or those who never bothered paying attention to camera quality or don’t care or new MacBook users. Only people with older macbooks like 2015 or 2012 are the ones complaining and if you google 2018 MacBook camera issues or 2018 MacBook low quality grainy camera you’ll find tons of posts and stories and even YouTube videos and some general advice or fixes. That’s the best advice I can give you. Google that maybe you’ll find something there. That’s how I found out about this whole issue. You can even google check my webcam resolution and I compared the resolution and sensor of 2015 MacBook and 2020 MacBook side by side and the 2020 has same exact model of camera same exact resolution just worse contrast and brightness due to low light. But do the experiments to find yourself. Good luck!
I have the same problem. Teaching on line I needed a good computer with a better camera than my 2013 Air. Biggest disappointment ever. I was too busy working to change it so I dusted off my old MacBook Air and have to use that. When I’ve asked anyone Who works for Apple they all say they know about the problem and there is nothing they can do. I guess since Jobs left us the company has gone to crap. No innovation, no customer care or satisfaction and surely no desire to be the best anymore. Looks like my next purchase will be back to good old Windows PC at least you know what you’re getting. Sad thing is all my technology has been Apple since the early 80’s who would have thought they would just be another laptop right up there with student Chrome books. Great job Apple!
Same here! I just purchased the 2020 model and the webcam quality is much worse than my old 2013 model! I was excited to use my new mac for zoom meetings. I'm seriously considering using my old one for zoom meetings, lol.
There are many issues outside of the camera. If I have 3 programs open at once the fan starts running where my 2017 MacBook Air could handle without a problem. The camera is horrible and it is pretty insulting when you call Apple and they tell you it is you but clearly it is them. Apple takes pride in the fact that they make quality machines; I’m surprised that this was released. If they don’t rectify the issues, I will be jumping ship to another brand. The whole machine is trash. If you were thinking about buying the 2020 MacBook Air just don’t. I’m writing other places that do online reviews just to tell them how horrible this computer is. If I can save someone from buying this machine, then I save saved them money and the headaches they will have with it. Total crap!
I hear you. I was contemplating to return it as well, but then what? My only other option is the Pro which I don’t really need. My 2013 Air is still working OK but has its issues bad enough to make it annoying for daily work use. I now went around it by ordering a logitech webcam. Hope this will solve the problem (and not be too tedious to mount on every time I have a virtual meeting). I’m definitely irritated that the store employee never brought it up. In times when so many people use daily virtual meeting platforms they did not once ask me how important a good camera was to me. I feel tricked.
This is not a helpful answer and I do not know why it is endorsed by Apple.
First off, you don't need an internet connection to use the camera. Secondly, the user said they just bought it BRAND NEW.
I will second that its not the case that its due to internet connection or to it being dirty. I just bought a 2020 Macbook Air. Via facetime over internet connection OR through photo booth and through Zoom settings camera before I even log into a meeting, the video is grainy, dark, like I'm looking in the camera of an Iphone 3. I compared it to a 2012 MACBOOK PRO!!! And the Macbook Pro from EIGHT YEARS AGO is way better quality. As another user said, it is like NIGHT AND DAY. I will likely return or exchange mine also, this computer has been nothing but problems. Apple no longer cares about quality and functionality. They only care about profit.
Would you suggest I exchange mine for a Pro then? My 2012 Macbook Pro has a better camera than this 2020 Macbook Air. In general, my Pro's functionality is even better, I just needed a new one because of software incompatibilities.
I just got a MacBook Pro 2020 and the camera is also way worse than my 2012. On video calls, it's grainy and poor quality. That doesn't make sense. My 2012 has great quality. Is it a setting that I cannot find or did they change degrade the quality of the camera?
actually, the camera on the 2012 MacBook Pro is identical to the camera in the 2020 MacBook Air. I don't think the camera itself is the issue because the camera looks great on my 2012 pro.
are you saying your 2009 mac has a better camera too? it's unclear what you're saying in your post. would you mind checking to see what camera your 2009 has?
oh hey i know i've replied before on this post but honestly just to mention, PLEASE for the love of god use a cleaning solution if you clean your screen, even if its with a microfiber cloth, it WILL scratch really easily if you don't (or maybe even cause the pixels to break from putting too much pressure on the screen which is clearly never good)
I just bought mine last week and it's the same and I bought it specifically for Zoom! I also told the sales assistant this. I'm so ticked off.
I bought at JB Hifi so I am going to return there within the 14 days of purchase and see what they have to say.
My 2020 MacBook Air camera is worse, yes worse, than my 2014 MacBook Air camera--which was fine. I can't even believe this is happening. Camera technology hasn't gotten worse in those 6 years, quite the opposite. This is a BIG PROBLEM, Apple. Very big. Especially when I'm trying to do business over Zoom and Facetime. Come on! Now, I'm trying to get a refund, but they're refusing. This shakes my faith, Apple, which I've had in you since the early 1980s.
Just bought the new macbook air 2020. Extremely disappointed with its camera. My children both have macbook pros that are 5 yrs old and my new laptop cannot top the quality of their old laptop. If anyone is reading this and you plan to buy it, please do not. Until they find a solution because you dont want to waste your money on this. With everything going online, a good quality camera is essential in doing our work. Apple has failed in this aspect. I hope they fix this and recall all the laptops. Been an apple user for years and this time, ive regretted my decision for the first time.
I don't think the camera's problem will be resolved or improved, so I already returned the MacBook Air to Apple store. So I will wait and see the new M1 MacBook Air if comes wth a better front camera.
It is very disappointing that this model does have such a bad quality of the camera. Could I have an exchange of it? Please let me know how to do it. I am leaving in Germany, Frankfurt and I could come at any time in order to have this issue fixed by Apple. I think Apple is big enough to find a proper solution, isn't it??
It is appalling how Apple could be this irresponsible. The camera is worse than any device I have used in the past 7-8 years. The 2017 Mac had a 100x better quality. How could Apple be possibly getting away from this?!
Grainy Image on MacBook Air 2020
