Why are modern laptop cameras so bad? Why has there been so little improvement in 10 years? It seems like the camera is an area which, prior to COVID-19, was completely neglected by laptop manufacturers. When comparing the camera of my mid-2017 MacBook Pro to the camera of my mid-2012 MacBook Pro, the difference is negligible. According to Apple’s tech specs, both devices feature a 720p FaceTime HD camera (not sure if you can call 720p HD anymore), and yes the newer camera is slightly better in low-light conditions, but that’s it.