Apple admits that its webcams suck... and reinvents them in its own way

Craig Federighi has half-heartedly admitted that webcams on Mac are insufficient, but offers a new system using an iPhone.

Hook your iPhone to your MacBook to use it as a webcam // Source: Apple

MacBooks are not known for the quality of their webcam. In the long list of their qualities, this is not one of them and Apple seems perfectly aware of this, according to its new announcements at of WWDC 2022.

The iPhone as a webcam

In collaboration with Belkin, Apple launches a support allowing to attach an iPhone on top of the screen of a MacBook to use it as a webcam. The phone is immediately recognized and immediately replaces the poor quality computer sensor. It also improves the quality of the image by, for example, illuminating the subject and darkening the background, giving the impression that we are using a ring light.

But these improvements made by artificial intelligence do not stop there. Using the wide-angle of the iPhone, it becomes possible to broadcast both the image perpendicular to the screen (you), as well as what is happening on the table on which the computer. Many algorithms then take care of straightening all the perspectives in real time to give the impression that a second camera is positioned above the keyboard. A great feat that will certainly allow many interesting creations.