Why the Resolution of Laptop Webcams is So Low

When you buy a laptop or an AIO computer, a webcam is almost always integrated, but when you start using it you realize that it has a very low resolution . In this article we are going to explain why this is so, and why if you want to have a good resolution webcam you will have to buy an external camera.

It seems illogical, right? Even a low-end smartphone has a camera capable of recording video at 1080p resolution (and in fact if you go to the mid-range, almost all record at 4K), and yet it is very rare to find a laptop, AIO or even a monitor ( many come with a webcam) that is capable of recording at more than 720p.

Why Resolution of Laptop Webcams is low

For this reason, and more now that videoconferencing is the order of the day, if you want to have a webcam with good resolution you will be forced to buy an external model with a USB connection instead of the one with the integrated laptop. It seems illogical, as we said, but everything has its explanation and then we will explain it to you.

Why are embedded webcams so low resolution?

Take for example the Apple MacBook Pro, high-end equipment and all luxury that cost a fortune, and yet incorporate a webcam that can barely record at 720p resolution. The reason that this is so is none other than the space to install the camera module, so extremely fine that it is not possible to integrate a better lens .

Webcam resolución portátil

As the bezels of notebooks and computers shrink, so does the space for the optical assembly required for a webcam to record at higher resolution . The MacBook Pro, following the example, have a webcam of just 0.2 inches in diameter … a smaller sensor is equivalent to a worse lens, which collects light worse, the pixels are coarser, etc. In short, it has a worse resolution and quality .

Oddly enough, on smartphones there is more space than on laptops to install a better camera module, and not in vain you will have noticed that in the designs of the latest models, especially in the highest range of terminals, cameras arrive even to excel. This is so in order to integrate better optics and thus be able to record at higher resolutions, in addition to other functionalities. Therefore, the explanation for this is none other than the fact that there is no more physical space to put better cameras.

If you want more resolution, you need an external camera

Unfortunately, there is no other possible solution, and if you want to be able to have video conferences (or record yourself while streaming games, for example) with a better quality, you will need to purchase an external webcam. These devices, logically, have much more space to be able to integrate better optics, so we can find webcams with 4K or 1080p resolution at 60 FPS although their prices – at least in first-rate manufacturers and not Chinese brands – are still a little high.

The reason that these 4K webcams have somewhat high prices is none other than the low demand they have, since normally people usually settle for much more basic cameras (such as integrated ones) or with those of smartphones. However, this trend is changing quite a bit because of telecommuting , demand is going up, and prices are likely to end up falling in line with demand.