2018 MacBook Air HD camera is in poor quality.

Same issue here (macbook air 2018 13'').

From you comments it seems that it is not a technical camera issue but just that the camera is poor in quality. I have compared it with my old macbook pro 2011 and I preferred the latter. No words...

Hi Guys,

Today i was talking with a specialist, and he gave me this link for contact directly with software and hardware Enginering department, maybe if we let a lot of comments in this part, Apple will know about this problem.

Product Feedback - Apple

Same issue here in Germany. Today, i was in the store and checked some devices and i have seen that the MacBook Pro 13" have the same issue.

I was just surprised when I checked an MacBook Pro 15" and the camera was much better. When I looked into the system, then another camera was installed ("Apple camera"). This MacBook was running with macOS 10.14 and not with macOS 10.14.1 like my Air or the other MacBook Pro 13". The camera name of my Air and the MacBook Pro 13" was "UVC camera" and may be it could be that driver makes some problems.

But only a guess 🙂

Greetings from Germany!

I had the same issue with two MacBook Airs that I purchased within a few days of each other, so I was able to compare both to each other. One was a week 43 build and the other was a week 44 build (verified by serial number) and both models had the blurry/grainy webcam image quality. I thought it had to do with Apple's choice of Retina display in the Air, but in comparison to the webcam in my 2016 MacBook Pro 15, it's a night and day difference in image quality. To call the webcam in the 2018 MacBook Air a "720p" camera is laughable when the image it produces looks the way it does. I ended up returning both MacBook Airs eventually.

Agree with Ricky here. I went back to the Apple store the other day and tried all the camera using PhotoBooth and FaceTime. Non of the MB, MBAir or MB Pro are better than the 2015 MB Air. It's a big downgrade in camera quality if you upgrade from early 2015 MB Air to 2018 MB Air. The only device that has a better camera or at least the equivalent to the 2015 MB Air are the iPads. Disappointed, but I guess this is the new reality. I doubt Apple will do anything about it. Just strange that a MB Air from 2015, three years old, is better than the current generation MB, MB Pro, and MB Air. I wanted to report back to everyone here.

Here is what I found talking to various mac owners. Old style airs and old style pros (no touch bar!) have decent cameras. New airs and new pros (with touch bar!) have terrible cameras. The signatures are Apple_camera and UVC correspondingly. If the latter can be fixed in software - remains to be seen. Hardly. And still not a word from Apple.

Apple removed my post about my 2018 Macbook Air. They said it's a "rant" and not constructive.

Well, I guess they don't like all the paying customers speaking facts about a crappy 480P camera that they put in the new MB Air lolol

Sadly my messages keep getting deleted. You may or may not be able to read this, but I will write anyway...

As I have seen no solution or any real response from Apple - then the only solution is to take the laptop back. You don’t want to take the risk of being stuck with a laptop with a sub-standard camera - when it is supposed to be HD (if it is important to you).

Everyone just needs to take the laptops back and wait until it’s solved until you give the multi-billion dollar company more cash.

Hi everybody, i'm one of you.

I bought the new Macbook air 2018 and, just after 2 days, I returned it to the apple store. FaceTime camera was worse than a HD camera and made blurred photos with a very bad resolution.

But I have a interesting thing to say.

• Every macbook air 2018 in the Apple store in Milano (Italy), where i bought mine, were with a bad working camera. Then I thought that is a common defect of these pcs.
• But, some days after, I was in another Apple store and there every Macbook air 2018 cameras worked!!

Then, I guess that there are some whole batches with Macbook air with this problem and other ones with macbook with working cameras. I'm thinking to buy my definitive (I hope so) Macbook 2018 here

What do you think?

Fra41, it would be GREAT if you could find two things:

1. The serial number of the "good" Air
2. The camera information from the system properties app.

And the photo made by that Air...

Anyway, thanks for the interesting update!

Hi everyone,

I have asked apple support team about the camera issue. They replies -- which is very embarassing -- that the poor quality of the camera is working NORMAL and they suggests users to use under strong light environments to improve the quality.

I simply cannot believe this... completely unacceptable.

And in my personal opinion, sad to say this is not a software problem and may not be fixed by Apple in recent days.

I am surprised there has not been more backlash considering the camera quality issue with the MBA 2018. The website still adversities that the camera is 720HD, which is misleading, so misleading, Apple took back my MBA and gave a full refund after having it for an entire month. I pleaded my case to the genius bar tech and manager by comparing the camera quality on the MBP vs. MBA within the store.

Has there been any additional information that has come out about if Apple will address this with a software update? The Apple Tech seemed to think the camera is just of more inferior quality than the one in the MBP. Most likely, there may not be a solution coming for those who purchased this device. Pixelbook 2 anyone?

I have tested and swapped out machines and tried different lighting . My conclusion is this : when u move to more ambient light near windows the quality does get better , still grainy but more realistic to a low end 720p camera. Apple just disregarded to improve this feature in the new MacBook Air , I’m not returning the machine , but it is annoying and I will be flabbergasted if a 1080 is not included in the next model. The marketing pics for FaceTime on this device are misleading .... I’m disappointed by the response but I guess it’s accurate that if you design it poorly and it behaves poorly then the issues is truly “per design”. Thanks to all for the great dialogue and convo.

This is all about the sensor ... has nothing to do with HD ... sensor is just not as good as what we are used to with other devices and the lack of consistent lighting hurts this camera aggressively —- Apple is correct that it is not per design , the ads already indicate simulated images , just ha e to hope that they prioritize a new camera in the next refresh