New iPad's VGA front camera and Apple's history of holding back from perfection
Summary: I can't wait to see the display on my new iPad, but am a bit disappointed that the front facing camera is only VGA quality. Will there always be just one more thing missing from new mobile products?
I'm excited to finally see the display on my new Verizon LTE iPad tomorrow, but as I look at the reviews that went live last night and think more about the new iPad I can't help but notice Apple, and many other manufacturers, always seem to leave out one or two things that could have made the device near perfect. I'm not talking about technology and features that are futuristic, but functions and hardware that is available today on other devices. Android smartphone manufacturers do a better job of including the latest technology, but many offer incremental updates (slight increase in camera resolution, bump up in processor speed) every couple of months and flood the market with device models that confuse the consumer.
I have never used my iPad 2s rear camera, but I do use the front one for Skype and FaceTime so I am confused why Apple thought they had to significantly improve the back camera while leaving the front facing camera a simple VGA model. Most Android devices have 1.3 megapixel or higher front facing cameras and the BlackBerry PlayBook has an excellent 3 megapixel model that results in very high quality video chat sessions through their application and service. I would like to have seen Apple launch this new iPad with a 2 megapixel or higher front facing camera, wouldn't you?
Looking back through the recent history of Apple's iPhone and iPad products, here is my take on holdbacks made when the technology was readily available at the time of the launches. Keep in mind for the average consumer these are minor issues, but there always seems to be something where Apple could have stepped up and given us "one more thing." These same kind of issues were present in the iPod history.
- Original iPhone: No 3G when it was readily available on other phones
- iPhone 3G: 412 MHz processor, 2 megapixel camera, no voice control
- iPhone 3GS: 3 megapixel camera with VGA video
- iPhone 4: VGA front facing camera limited to WiFi only FaceTime use
- iPhone 4S: No 4G LTE or fast HSPA+ (limited to just 14.4 Mbps speeds) and no increase in screen size.
- Original iPad: No cameras, 256 MB RAM
- iPad 2: Same 1024 × 768 resolution display, VGA FFC, lame rear camera
- New iPad (iPad 3): Limited VGA FFC
I have several Apple products, an iPhone 4S, iPad, couple of MacBook Pros, and find the hardware and user experience to be excellent. Apple innovates on things like display quality and the user experience. Apple computers and devices have been in my life since 1989 and I will continue to buy them in the future. I think my 2009 MacBook Pro was near perfect at launch and there is nothing I wanted more in the device at the time. However, I sure would like to have an iPad or iPhone that didn't have me wishing Apple would have gone just a bit further and offered a complete product.
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Talkback
Nice article. Not to be a grammar cop, but well...
Would have "went" is like saying would have "ate". ;-)
would'a
as in: "I would'a et the possum if I coulda been sure it hadn't been lyin' on the road fer mor'n a day or two."
Ah reckon yo're right. :-D
If they gave you everything you needed
Nex version
Nikon D800 Launched Finally - the 36 Megapixel Monster!
wait...
It's not even their screen... They buy them...
You forgot...
That said, Android also never got this ability and Microsoft dropped the capability, when they swapped from Windows Mobile 6.5 to Windows Phone 7.
In practice, I can't remember the last time I used the front facing camera on my phone, probably on my old Nokia, back in 2002, just to try it out.
To be honest, I'd be happy for a tablet and smartphone without cameras, front or rear. At least then, I could take them on-site with me, when I visit customers - most have a no camera equipment policy, which means either leaving the phone in the car or handing it over to security for "safe keeping".
2001?
In 2005 when I got a replacement flip phone, it had an integrated camera- but it only faced the front when closed (as in, the phone was off). But perhaps this is what you meant, "front-facing" as in the camera is on the front of the case when you're not using the phone, but on the rear when you have it open to snap a picture.
But you're right, the old flip phones were so clunky and terrible in taking pictures (and hard to get pictures off of), that I rarely used them to do so, relying on a digital camera when I wanted to take pictures (which wasn't very often). It wasn't until I got my first iPhone, a 3GS, that I put my digital camera away in a drawer. And it changed the way I took pictures, as in now I take lots of pictures in many situations simply because I have my phone handy to take them. So when the 4S came out and my contract had run its course, I grabbed one the first week, because its 8-megapixel camera meant that I could take lots of very high quality photos of my infant son wherever the possibility struck me.
Agree
They can't give you everything
Might be a minor technical reason...
As it currently stands, FaceTime works well with the current camera resolution and bit rate - images look good enough, and there's not much delay/dropout. A higher resolution camera could significantly impact the bandwidth used when videoconferencing - more bits = more traffic = probably more delay/dropout.
Admitted, any good webcam and good webcam software should have the option of specifying a resolution. Surely the FaceTime team could hardcode a low-res setting when using that software, while allowing the user to take hi-res glamour shots in other applications.
re: holding back from "perfection"
1) Perfect doesn't exist, anyway. I've never seen a product or a person in my life that met my definition of "perfect".
2) There's usually what they consider a good reason for every decision that they make. In the end, it generally comes down to a) money, and b) demand. In this case, I'm willing to bet that they found there's not enough demand for a higher-resolution front-facing camera to justify the added expense of incorporating a different camera. They were trying to make the best improvements without raising the cost (and thereby the price). Why would I need a higher-res picture of my face to talk to someone? As long as they can see me, and my features, while we're talking - what more is needed?
If there's really that great a demand for it, you can be sure that they will eventually incorporate it into their device. It might not be on your timetable, though... but you are welcome to purchase a competing product that does have the hardware features that you desire.
Great