iPhones have the best cameras, hands-down. It’s a combination of good camera software design, post-processing touches, and some secret hardware-software recipe that Apple doesn’t want to tell us.
But their webcams on laptops suck.
This is why the company finally decided to include some nifty features on the macOS Ventura. The latest OS is going to support Continuity Camera that lets users’ iPhones act as webcams for their Macs.
There’s no need for cables though, so it’s not as cumbersome as having to connect wires between the two devices. There might be issues with latency but Apple has always prioritized speed in its devices.
The best thing about this update is the ability to add myriad effects to the video feed. An iPhone’s ultrawide camera would be extremely useful if a top-down view of the desktop is required, but mostly its just the lighting effects and the bokeh effect that will really upgrade the experience.
Most of these features will benefit people who spend a lot of time doing Facetime. It may be a really useful feature for teachers and online students who need to show solutions for their math problems or other types of schoolwork that need more hands-on participation.
While this is all good and dandy, it’s just a temporary fix. The best way to go about this would be to upgrade the camera hardware, or at least Apple should implement the same approach they do with their phones (ie. better camera software or at least make good use of the M2 chips they’ve added to their latest Macs)