The rumors stem from Twitter tipster @dylandkt (opens in new tab) who has been fairly reliable in the past when it comes to knowing what’s coming for the MacBook Pro range. His thinking and source reckons that once the new and improved camera arrives on the MacBook Pro, it’ll extend to all models in the Mac line-up. So, what does that mean? It should mean that the fairly poor quality integrated FaceTime camera we’ve all suffered for many years despite owning the best laptops (opens in new tab) and best home computers (opens in new tab) out there will finally benefit from a 720p upgrade making it a fair bit more respectable. While those looking for the best webcams (opens in new tab) available will still need to buy a separate device to enjoy 4K recording and more, this should be useful for users focused on a more portable experience. MacBooks have been stuck with low quality webcams for a long time now although the latest 24-inch iMac (opens in new tab) demonstrated that Apple was slowly shifting away to a better device, but we’ve still been left waiting for more of an upgrade for portable devices. Given the MacBook Pro and Air (opens in new tab) have seen some considerable updates in recent times thanks to the Apple M1 chip, it’s certainly about time that the webcam sees an improvement. The nearest we got was Apple offering software improvements that replicated a camera upgrade but it wasn’t really the same as a genuine upgrade. So, when could the true upgrade happen? Rumors suggest that it’s likely to accompany the new and improved Apple M1X chip or possibly the M2 chip which isn’t expected until 2022. It’s unlikely there will be other significant updates to the MacBook range but such incremental differences can swing the balance when making a purchase. Granted, an upgraded 1080p FaceTime camera is unlikely to excite many undecided consumers but it all adds up. If you’re considering purchasing a new MacBook Pro or Air and a new webcam is important to you, it might be worth holding off for a little bit longer while we straighten out concrete details.
