In one of the eyebrow-raising moments during his During the keynotes of the Worldwide Developer Conference 2022, Apple presented a quirky approach to improving the camera quality of your Mac laptop by… using your iPhone as a whole.
Dubbed Continuity Camera, the option comes with macOS Ventura and will be a full-featured quality camera add-on for your Mac instead of the, ahem, hastily arranged tape-on solution it seemed at the keynote.
Apple iPhone Continuity Camera Features and Compatibility
- iPhone 8 and later with iOS 16
- Macs with macOS 13 Ventura
Ms. Xing also explains that Apple will have an API useful for iOS 16 and macOS 13 developers to read, which will allow their app to automatically recognize your iPhone and use it as a webcam for your Mac.
Practically speaking, the Continuous Camera option can be used automatically when your iPhone is on a stand and wired with a USB cable, or wirelessly when your Mac detects a “nearby” iPhone for a Bluetooth or Wi-i connection.
The Mac can capture your iPhone’s screen at 1440p resolution and a 60fps frame rate, while also letting you use Apple’s funky Desk View mode to project the flattened image from the iPhone’s ultra-wide camera, though it’s only can be captured at 30 fps.
In any case, the iPhone Continuity Camera option that will land with iOS 16 and macOS 13 appears to be a much more fleshed out affair than Apple had the time to let us know during the keynote presentation.