If you’re accustomed to using an iPad or iPhone, then you’ve probably enjoyed their high quality camera systems. And since you love those Apple products, you may have become interested in their computers too. But after purchasing, say, a MacBook, you noticed that the camera quality wasn’t like the other products.
The biggest reason for that is the difference in form factor. Since iPads and iPhones have what’s referred to as a slate design, while the MacBook has a clamshell design. The crucial difference between these two form factors is the thinness of the display chassis. Since that’s where the front camera is housed.
On the iPad and iPhone, the display is included in the same chassis as the rest of the device. While the MacBook has a separate housing for the display, typically called the lid, that’s made to be as thin as possible. Luckily, LED panels are considerably thin and light. So the display component doesn’t take up too much space inside iPad or iPhone. When it comes to the MacBook’s lid, Apple could make it just four millimeters thick. And while this makes the product look sleek and appealing, it causes problems for one component in particular, the camera.
Have you ever wondered why expensive DSLR camera lenses are so huge? It’s because capturing the highest quality image possible requires a long focal length and a large aperture. That just means you need a big lens. So less space for a camera means lower quality.
Now consider the MacBook. It offers just four millimeters of space for a camera lens, while the iPhone offers 7.6, almost twice the amount. That means Apple can include a longer, larger lens on iPhone, resulting in much better image quality. That’s why iPhone 7 Plus received a 1080p front camera in 2016, while the MacBook didn’t receive the upgrade until 2021, five years later. The problem is, the iPhone’s cameras have improved even further since 2016. So switching from that camera system to a MacBook camera is quite a noticeable downgrade.
Apple’s well aware of this. They know the physical constraints of the MacBook’s lid will never allow for a comparable camera system as iPhone. Which is why they added a new feature to macOS Ventura called Continuity Camera. Which allows the iPhone to be used as a MacBook’s webcam. So users can enjoy the same high image quality they’ve come to expect on iPhone, without sacrificing their MacBook’s ultra-thin design.
