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
Basically what it means is that they are very very aware of this issue.
Their process is to classify issues as either expected or unexpected. If it's expected it means it's "our fault" for not knowing the camera image quality is impacted by poor design not allowing for enough light to enter the lens. That they have no recourse to fix it. It is hardware and it's a design flaw. It actually has nothing to do with the camera quality. Not something they are currently able to fix. I said its false advertising and they said prove it. That's why your camera quality is better on older models. More light coming into the camera. Its beyond stupid they let this happen. haha Someone got fired for sure I imagine.
I have a Macbook pro 2019 I just purchased in Dec for 5500.
Its way better in natural light.
Who the **** has access to natural light in their office lol. I am lucky to have some and can see the clear difference, but at night it is unusable.
When I bought my computer for the Macbook pro this was still not classified expected behaviour. It became expected as I was negotiating with them.
This is why they sent me free accessories.
Now, they have changed the classification to "expected." This means you have no recourse whatsoever with Apple other than complain and hope they offer something in the future who those who did.
All you can do is return it and buy something else or wait for their next release otherwise.
Yes, you and all of these other people have fallen through the cracks. (As of Feb 25.) If "Apple cares" they would immediately fix this issue. They just pretend too like the others. Not a special company lol.
I called support to see if now they have some direction from higher ups on this - on a positive side support acknowledged right away that they know about this issue but have no solution! In past, they used to act as if they never heard of this and that used to tick me off as how could you not know if so many of us have posted here + posted in feedback + have taken painful time (2 hours on call) with support trying to solve unsolvable without design change!
I have suggested a solution that Apple swaps out our Macbook air as and when they come out with new one or have a creative way of fixing it.
I have the 2015 and the camera is so much better than my 2020 that I just purchased and I am ******!!! How is my older laptop better quality than my NEW one that I paid big bucks for! I am a teacher so I am doing zoom meetings everyday for work and this was the reason I bought it ! Now I don't know what to do!! The camera is sooooo grainy and dark no matter how good lighting there is !
So! I went to the Apple store and they said that it’s the display screen and it picks up more imperfections so that’s why it’s blurry. But when I FaceTimed my friend I was clear to her....it doesn’t really make sense. But they are going to look at my old laptop and see how it’s running so maybe I can keep my old one and just get a new battery.
And yet viewing iSight photo taken on my 2014 MacBook Air on a Retina display isn’t anywhere near as grainy as the one take with the newer computer. They are both 720p webcams but the quality in the newer device is worse.
Top photo was 2020 MacBook Air. Bottom photo 2014 MacBook Air.
Last Saturday we bought for our daughter a new MacBook Air 2020 model, she was so happy as her MacBook Air mid-2012 models was getting old, until she started her online classes and got comments from fellow students that her camera gave a crappy image. I checked all her other video apps including FaceTime, made images with Photo Booth with the same result, grainy images, like going back to Windows95....
I just had a call with Apple Support, their new call script is beyond pathetic, the lady didn't want to understand the issue instead she kept on emphasising that there is a ambiance sensor next to the camera that improves the camera experience and the best result is to use ambience lighting. I do not accept this and will keep on complaining about it till they come up with a satisfactory solution! Obviously the current camera is not in sync with the technology they added, the camera cannot keep up....
Is there a group of MacBook Air users who are collectively raise this? a lonely user is considered not interesting for them, the laptop is already sold, even with two more ready to be replaced will not wake them up.....
I just bought a 2020 MacBook Air (upgrade from a logic board failure on my 2017 air... unrelated issue). The camera quality is shockingly bad! My 2017 was much better quality. I purchased this for school- and in the covid era of all my classes becoming virtual, this is completely unusable. Definitely not reflective of the price tag for this device... so disappointing.
I just got a new MacBook Air last week, after having used the 2013 model for years. I was also shocked when I used the camera for the first time. Wondered initially if the problem was with my machine, I now see that this is just how it is. This is crazy and super disappointing.
So disappointed with Apple after reading all of the comments. I bought the 2013 MacBook Air and have had it ever since until I bought the new Mac air last week. Im a full time student, and with COVID all of my classes are being done through zoom. When i opened the mac, i was excited with how pretty it was. But then I opened Photo Booth and was literally in shock by how horrible quality the camera is. Im not one to usually complain but it is absolutely unacceptable and just ridiculous that they charge this much $ for a computer that's camera quality looks like its from an early 2000's flip phone. Whats even funnier is that they fail to let you know how horrible quality the camera is in the description before buying. I want to return this mac simply for the reason that the camera is this awful. Regardless of corona, since this mac was designed before the pandemic, there is no reason for the camera quality to be this pathetic. Not sure what I should do. I cant decide whether I want to return this mac or just deal with it.
Same. I had a 2015 macBook Air and we needed another computer in the family so I "upgraded." But, other than a retina display, it's been nothing but a downgrade. Battery life is much shorter. I've already had to replace it because of the fingerprint access being faulty. And now, the terrible quality face time camera. A lot of downgrades IMO.
Haven't found any way to improve the video quality, so I suspect it's a hardware issue. (Definitely not internet, or fingerprints on my camera).
Same experience like most of people here. Very dissappointed on the quality of the camera.
I went to Apple Store Stanford this morning, waited and argued with the staff over three hours.
Finally I got my exchange for a new MacBook Air, I was asking the staff if I can open my new Mac in the store to check if the camera has the same issue. They don't allow me to do that. Now I found that the camera still has the same issue, do I need to go back to return it? it's totally waste my time and energy to deal this kind of crappy service and product.
Received my air as a gift for my wife for her google classes ( she is a teacher) . She was shocked when she activate the camera. compare to my 2015 air, picture quality sooooo bad, looks like only 240p or 360p, this pic quality same as my old phone back to year 2000 Nokia cell phone.
Also, it's runs hotttt......
Sooo disappointed for APPLE!! will definitely send it back and ask for refunds! it's Shame for apple's engineer.
Bye-bye Macbook air, I will ask all my friends don't purchase it to avoid my bad experience.
I agree. I just bought mine two weeks ago. This is my first Mac and I didn't know how the camera was supposed to look. I'm gonna call apple care and see what Apple can do but their next thing needs to either be a software update or a recall. Soon.
If your experience is like mine, all they will offer is a return within the standard 14-day return window. After that, you have no options. No chance of exchanging/upgrading to the MacBook Pro, either.
I was kind of pursuaded to buy a new Air 2020 (wanted 2017 with USBs), it didn't even come to my mind to check the camera since I had been using one (2014) till this September. I thought I went crazy or something when I first had a Zoom lesson on my new Air 2020 - grainy, brownish bleak picture. Then I went back to the shop and we compared cameras on Air 2017 and Air 2020, it's a shocking difference! I hope Apple will do something, right now I'm in the middle of legal fighting - filed a few claims to get my money back and buy something decent. It's a serious matter and most Apple specialist treat this issue as if it's idle and trivial. ((
Glad you were able to get this done within the return window. That is probably the challenge for many of us--I know we didn't use the camera until after we were outside the 14-day return window. I just hope more folks see these reports before they buy this disappointing laptop.
Grainy Image on MacBook Air 2020
