New photo of Job's iPad camera

[falconeye]

After Wired extracted a photo of the supposed webcam in the iPad Job's showed during the presentation, I thought, I could extract a better photograph.

I used the new HD stream now on Apple's website and choose a frame which shows detail without having blown highlights. I adjusted levels and magnified x2. The on/off button is at the bottom edge (cropped).

My result is in the attachment.

There definitely is a device, most probably a webcam.

 

[MacDawg]

Do you have any pictures of the grassy knoll?

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[roland.g]

He's holding it upside down. Screen orientation auto-flips. That's the home button. At the bottom (really the top) there's nothing, no button, just glare.

 

[falconeye]

He's holding it upside down. Screen orientation auto-flips. That's the home button. At the bottom (really the top) there's nothing, no button, just glare.

Not true. I attach the original frame, at movie location 9:09.

It is true, the on/off button reflects glare at this frame. But 1 second earlier, you can clearly identify the on/off button to be bottom edge. And another 2 seconds earlier, you see Jobs using it to activate the device. No cut within these 3s.

So, the device I managed to clearly depict is on the opposite side on the bezel.

 

[Chaos123x]

Do you have any pictures of the grassy knoll?

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[aforty]

I just watched the HD keynote again and he's not holding it upside down. The home button is clearly on the bottom and there is clearly something on top that looks like a small hole. Check it out yourself, it occurs 9:10 in the video.

I don't doubt at this point that they were trying to put a camera into it. Too much evidence (this included) shows otherwise. However, I think it was a feature that was eliminated and therefore not mentioned. This is probably one of the many early prototypes around that had the hole (and maybe even actual camera) before Jobs put the axe down on it. That said, I don't think Apple will ship the iPad with a camera. Jobs would have mentioned it and video conferencing would be major selling point on the product page.

 

[falconeye]

I think it was a feature that was eliminated and therefore not mentioned.

I think that currently existing iPads have a camera but won't the moment they launch. A matter of target pricing, probably. Or maybe, they watch the reaction about the missing camera?

I don't think it is a hole only. Later in the video (in the marketing video actually), there is the sequence I attached below. I believe to see a video power indicator there. I would say it is the on/off button which happens to be turned left rather than right. But now that we know that there is something on the other side...

 

[G4R2]

Just throwing this out there- I don't know what it is or have any opinion one way or the other- but it could be the ambient light sensor.

 

[nateharr]

I seriously think this will just be the ambient light sensor.

Just grab an iPhone and look at it from an angle. You can see the ambient light sensor and proximity sensor.

Since the iPad is not expected to make calls like a phone, I'm guessing the dot is just the ambient light sensor for auto-adjusting the brightness.

I admit there is the placeholder discovered but the repair shop. Maybe the bezel was fitted with a hole for the camera, but the camera was never put in place.

I admit the lack of a camera is a bit lazy, but I'm sure Apple has it's reasons. (Even if they are purely business related.)

 

[Sketh]

I've also measured out the distance from the "camera" and it's in the exact middle of the top part of the bezel. I've also done some photoshop editing and agree it doesn't look like a smudge. As to what the hell is going on? I have no idea.

 

[ARF900]

Yeah I was just thinking, ambient light sensor. Look at your iphone, it has little hole things on the top too if you look really carefully and in the right light. Dont get too excited.

 

[Sketh]

Yeah I was just thinking, ambient light sensor. Look at your iphone, it has little hole things on the top too if you look really carefully and in the right light. Dont get too excited.

While I agree with the possibility of it being the ambient light sensor, I don't see my iPod touches light sensor appear that way from any angle with light on it, the supposed camera on the iPad appears to be not just a single circle.

That being said, I still doubt the iPad is coming with a camera.

 

[bbydon]

It's not there in any other shot. And it's the same ipad. There is no camera and jobs is not dumb enough to show one to a crowd.

 

[melman101]

Also, maybe he has a special iPad with a camera. His birthday is coming up (55) and maybe they made him a special one.

Just kidding.

I think possibly maybe someone was taking a picture, or something flashed off something. Definitely a fluke. That's my theory

 

[falconeye]

It is NOT the ambient light sensor ...

I think my photo as posted above is good enough to exclude the possibility that it is the ambient light sensor or an iPhone type sensor.

The transparent bezel region of the "device" has a diameter of 10-11 mm and the inner object "showing thru" has a diameter of 3.5-4.0 mm.

An iPhone 3G has 3 sensors, each having a transparent bezel region with a diameter of 3 mm and no visible inner object.

An iSight camera on a MacBook has a (hole-)diameter of 3.5 mm.


Given the dimensions and exact center position, I think there is a 90%-likelyhood for a camera device.

 

[NT1440]

Looks like the standard ambient light sensor to me.....

 

[falconeye]

I think possibly maybe someone was taking a picture, or something flashed off something. Definitely a fluke. That's my theory

No way, You are just aren't very good in analyzing this stuff.

I can find the "device" in many frames for Job's device and (less clearly) some frames in the marketing video section. And no frames on the beamer images.

Just look at my photo. There is too much detail for not being real. And it is from the video which is online now on Apple's site.

 

[melman101]

No way, You are just aren't very good in analyzing this stuff.

I can find the "device" in many frames for Job's device and (less clearly) some frames in the marketing video section. And no frames on the beamer images.

Just look at my photo. There is too much detail for not being real. And it is from the video which is online now on Apple's site.

Well then I'll bet ambient light sensor. No matter what, no camera on our iPads when they ship in late March or April. I mean it's possible it could happen. Like .005%. But I doubt it. When was the last time Apple held back on a MAJOR feature during an annoucement and released it at product launch. Everyone claimed iPod Touch had a camera, and look at how that turned out.

 

[bbydon]

No way, You are just aren't very good in analyzing this stuff.

I can find the "device" in many frames for Job's device and (less clearly) some frames in the marketing video section. And no frames on the beamer images.

Just look at my photo. There is too much detail for not being real. And it is from the video which is online now on Apple's site.

Yes, because you are a great photo analyst. Did you examine the other shots of jobs holding it?

 

[falconeye]

Like .005%.

I agree.

And anybody noticed it has no GPS? It has Compass but no GPS. (EDIT: wrong, the 3G models do have GPS).

 

[falconeye]

Yes, because you are a great photo analyst. Did you examine the other shots of jobs holding it?

Yes. As soon as the angle between a lightsource, the iPad and the camera is right you are seeing it. If you apply proper postprocessing.

Even in the frame in the post above, you won't see it with your naked eye. It is too dark. The frame posted by Wired is another one but lacks detail.

 

[master-ceo]

After Wired extracted a photo of the supposed webcam in the iPad Job's showed during the presentation, I thought, I could extract a better photograph.

 

[dan5.5]

All I can say is, I hope you are right...

 

[falconeye]

FAIL

So, where is a better one?

Otherwise, if this forum is hostile to newbies then I won't contribute in the future. I usually receive respect for my work.

 

[dissdnt]

You can see COUNTLESS hands on videos and hi res pictures of this thing and it doesn't have a camera, enough!