Front camera on new iPad Pro 13 M4 super grainy

I have the same issue with my 11” M4 ipad pro. The front facing camera pictures are grainy, noisy and soft. Not as sharp and in focus as my old 2nd gen 11” ipad pro that I replaced. Hoping it is a software issue and Apple will fix it. Please do let us know when you hear back from Apple.

I’m having the exact same issue with my 13 inch m4 pro. At first I thought it was the OLED screen, but it’s not I’ve taken pictures with the iPad sent them to my iPhone and they’re still grainy. Take the exact same picture with my iPhone and it’s perfect. Definitely something to do with the camera itself when you line up the shot everything looks perfect on the screen. I went through Apple support and did a diagnostics and everything with the iPad was it should be hopefully a software update will address this issue.

For me, it’s the rear camera. Everything looks great when lining up the photo, but as soon as i’ve taken it and i go to look at it, the results are super washed out and grainy. looks like an early 2000s digital camera. might consider returning if this is the actual hardware and not a software issue.

Yes, you can compare the images, but remember the rear facing iPhone camera has a 48MP sensor and will render noise much different. Size of sensor also favors iPhones. However, in low light with front facing cameras the solution is add light and reduce noise.

I also just fired up my new pro M4 13 inch and was absolutely shocked by the poor resolution of the front camera. One of the main reasons I upgraded was so I could use the front facing camera for video conferencing now that the camera is located in a better position. My pro from a couple of years ago is much better, and it seems crazy, but I think I might go back to that unit and gift this one away. Hugely disappointing after spending over $2k on this unit.

I can post a couple, but the easiest is a selfie, and that is the last thing I'm going to post here :) I went to Apple this afternoon for a Genius bar appointment and took the older iPad with me and the new 13" m4. The guy who helped me confirmed all of the settings were correct and ran some tests. When he took a selfie he literally said, "oh god I look terrible" and quickly deleted his selfie off of my iPad. He could see the grainy background and his grainy face. We tested out another m4 in the store and had very similar results. He then took a few minutes to surf around to see what other people were saying and could see what I was reporting (and what people were saying here.) They had nothing to offer me other than it is one of those 'frustrating Apple things' and I should go to feedback.apple.com and report it there. He said the engineers who monitor that site will also see the notes from my appointment.

I just did a test with Zoom on both iPads, and the quality was different but not as bad as the images taken with the front camera as still photos or videos. So, I think it has something to do with the way the front-facing camera processes photos and videos.

The basic premise of screens is they always lie. Auto brightness, manual brightness etc. You can try turning on Reference Mode in the Settings > Dsplay & Brightness > Advanced > Reference Mode > enable.

Use Reference Mode on your iPad Pro - Apple Support

The brightness might change, which is important. None of the standards it support are really for photography as they are all video standards. But it might get your screen in the ballpark for matching photo better. If it doesn’t, it’s not a surprise because that’s not what it’s designed for.

In your case I’m not seeing super grainy like a 2000s digital camera like you mentioned in a previous comment. Also, you’re comparing the iPad Pro M4 camera to the iPhone Pro Max Camera. They aren’t the same.

Specs for iPhone 14 Pro Max camera:

Specs for iPad Pro M4:

Based on the specs Apple released the front camera on both your new iPads and your previous 5th gen are the same with exception of the Smart HDR 4 on the M4 vs HDR 3 on the 5th gen. Which would lead me to believe it may be more of a software issue.

I would need to restore my previous iPad Pro to check and compare the cameras to my M4 (honestly can’t recall how well my previous front camera performed because I didn’t use it to take selfies {only do that on my iPhone Pro Max} and never had any issues reported to me about how FaceTime or other video chats appeared. I only checked the back camera and that was solely to see if there was any degradation with the Ulta Wide lens being removed).

Yup. OP complains M4 iPad Pro is worse than M1 (which also has the ultrawide Centre Stage camera). That shouldn’t be the case.

Yes I totally agree. I just bought the 11 inch m4 iPad Pro and was having the same issue on face time. My girlfriend has the M1 iPad Air and we were on face time. Her video was clean and mine was very grainy. I returned my iPad for another one but unfortunately I'm having the same issue. Pretty disappointed considering this should be a better iPad all around. I hope they fix this issue.

There has been no fix yet unfortunately. Replacement will give you nothing as all of the pieces are the same. If you have doubts try ones in apple stores.

iPads were never designed to be a primary photo system. Just look at the form factor. It’s about as convenient as a 4x5 view camera. 😀😀

But your comments are using it for conference calls etc. are dead on. I do see the issue in the two photos you posted. The size of the two photos tell the tale.

The old camera image is 12MP and 4.8MB in size. The new camera I’m is also 12MP, but 5.4MB in size and both are jpegs. So, why the difference?

There may be a slight framing difference, but the main difference is noise. The jpeg algorithm is dynamic. This means amount of compression varies with each image. The jpeg algorithm can’t tell the difference between noise and image detail. Images can’t be compressed as much if they have more noise (or more detail).

I’m sure future firmware updates will improve the look of the images But until then the solution is more light on the subject. Noise lives in the shadows in digital images. Reduce the shadows and you’ll reduce the noise. Open a window shade, turn on a light, buy a small compact LED light. But more light will always improve overall image quality, including noise, and improve your digital photography.

Another factor may be the aperture of the lens. The smaller the numerical f/# the more light enters the lens and thereby helps reduce noise. The front facing (selfie) camera is described as Ultra Wide and rear facing is a Wide angle. Generally, speaking ultra wide lenses typically are slower, let in less light. It’s just a physics thing.

I hope this helps a little.

The simplest answer is what was already pointed out…the cameras in both devices are not the same therefore trying to compare the images from both to each other already has a negative against it because they generally won’t be equal. The iPad was never designed with a main focus on the cameras. It is not the device that most users would reach for regularly and in most situations to take their photos (convenience is a huge factor in that. Most users don’t have their iPads glued to them almost everywhere they go. iPhones however…or phones in general almost always are). The iPhone is absolutely designed with the cameras being a major focus with one of the goals being that the cameras are supposed to be theoretically so good that it becomes most users primary camera choice over traditional cameras. You have to remember that while the iPad Pro and the iPhone Pro Max are both considered the “top of the line” for their respective lines. That will never mean that they can be compared equally and expect both to perform equally. If your comparison had been with another iPad Pro (like the 4th gen M2) and you were seeing the issues you mentioned then yes…that would have been a much better comparison.

Also…basing your experience with the iPad and its camera shouldn’t have any impact on your decision to upgrade your iPhone later this year. Again, the cameras are not the same. That should be dependent on the details released about the new iPhone once that info is released and seeing if it offers enough benefits to make upgrading worth it for you. If the camera is the primary motivation for you to opt to upgrade that will be the information you will look at. And if the tech specs don’t really translate to understanding for you (which is the case for most users honestly) then seeing how it performs in real world situations compared to your current 14 Pro Max will be key.