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 understand. For some of us, a home computer is a MAJOR investment, even when it is a small laptop.
I hope Apple will find a solution; the public expects excellence without having to dig into the deepest darkest volumes of user manuals to find out what the resolution on the camera is. For that matter:
WHERE IS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMERA IN THE COMPUTER?
Thank you, Apple. I trust you're listening?
If the camera was going to be this bad after making such a huge deal about the new chip they should have made that very public as well. And since they didn't a nice offer would be to supply us with a better webcam to use with the new mac air m1
the camera here is so substandard it's embarassing. Apple is much better than this.
Are you listening to this? I have faith in you Apple you are SO much better than this. Please make it right and offer people a webcam.
I agree, they should be more transparent about this! We expect quality, thats why we chose their product in the first place. My old MacBook 2013 actually has a better camera than this one. I really hope they are listening and that they are thinking of a solution to rectify this problem.
I agree, they should be more transparent about this! We expect quality, thats why we chose their product in the first place. My old MacBook 2013 actually has a better camera than this one. I really hope they are listening and that they are thinking of a solution to rectify this problem.
When I contacted them, they said the technical team is working on a software update to make the camera better. This I am assuming was a lie. I also don't know how a software upgrade can fix a hardware issue!!!
Seems some Apple MacBooks are having this problem for a year now, it's unbelievable that they have not found a fix. Whats going on?? My device is one month old, the much hyped MacBook Air M1 processor purchased March 2021, and I have a similar issue of blurry/ hazy camera. Apple customer care India admitted there is a problem, but are waiting for a solution. I am tweeting to Mr. Tim Cook every few days T-001, T-002...3,4,5,6 gone and counting. No response. Apple must recall such machines forthwith.
BMW, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, and several of the leading companies have had recall based on serial numbers for parts replacement. Even Apple ran this program for product issues, I remember for iPhone battery replacements. The onus is on suppliers to replace them Free, so wonder why Apple is silent. They can easily recall the notebooks for replacement of camera. It is very normal
Cost cutting at the expense of performance is tragic for the organisation. Regrettably I see a very lackadaisical or nil response from the manufacturer which is exacerbating rather than ameliorating the issue. Sad to the core.
yes i have the same issue. I also upgraded from 2013 and my 2013 camera was clear and perfect. I used it for all my video calls. I upgraded because my 2013 became way too slow for me. What should I do? I need a clear camera for my zoom calls?
are there other mac books that have better cameras out there.? I cant continue to use my 2013 its too slow. I also compared 2013 and 2020 side by side and camera is horrible on 2020
Ok, let me try to get a screenshot from ‘my folks’ to see how they see me!! But the fact remains that the device shows me in “poor light”, and the manufacturer is not responding. I still have ten months of warranty and hoping the Covid cools off, I’m going to visit the Apple service center for a resolution. And BTW, what’re the safety precautions and steps to protect/ erase your data if one has to sell his Mac...!?
Oh ok... so I (my folks) may be wrong. We anyways stay with the serious issue. As it is I am struggling with bronze/ rose pink color of my MacBook Air M1, which Apple described as 'Gold'. And my family is calling someone colorblind. Apple has a different description in case of iPad, but someone goofed up in case of MacBook, so here I am frustrated. Ordered Gold, and delivered a funny Bronze or Rose Pink...hahahahahaha
My friend, this didn't help me though. Good if you are happy with it. I am still waiting for a solution from the Apple company. It is very frustrating. How I wish I had not bought this blooming piece of M1, and retained my good old MacBook Air 2017...except for battery becoming weaker, it was just marvelous.
I got mine delivered today and have the same issue. I'm surprised how every unboxing/review video online talks about great camera quality yet so many people have issues with this. Did anyone place a return/replace request?
Replacement was flatly refused by their product support. They said if it were purchased directly from Apple, a seven day replacement is possible, only if there is any hardware defect found in the diagnostics. So...very sad Apple is silent. And they are getting a bad name each time we have a video call, people laugh at the Apple product quality!
I have bought Mac air m1 and shocked with this camera quality. what should I do. I bought for my online business. I have main use of my camera and its really worst. can anyone suggest what to do with this???
Grainy Image on MacBook Air 2020
