iOS 14.2 Quietly Added FaceTime 1080p Support to iPhone 8 and Later Models

[MacRumors]

Back in early November, Apple released iOS 14.2 and announced with it a slew of new features for iPhones, but one thing it didn't mention was the apparent addition of support for 1080p FaceTime calls on iPhone 8 and later devices.

The little-known fact was discovered by MacMagazine, which found that Apple quietly updated the specs pages for devices like iPhone XR shortly after the release of iOS 14.2.

Prior to the release, Apple didn't list FaceTime HD (1080p) video calls on its iPhone XR pages, but made the addition in the week following the debut of iOS 14.2.

Looking at Apple's iPhone comparison tool, Apple also now makes clear that FaceTime HD (1080p) over Wi-Fi is available on all models including iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

That means when it comes to using FaceTime HD, the only advantage of the iPhone 12 series is support for the resolution over both Wi-Fi and 5G.

According to tests carried out by MacMagazine, the difference in quality between 1080p over Wi-Fi and 720p over 4G was very noticeable on the older iPhones.

Article Link: iOS 14.2 Quietly Added FaceTime 1080p Support to iPhone 8 and Later Models

 

[Serban55]

Apple even now can surprise us for an 4-5 years old phone

 

[sdz]

thank you apple

 

[newyorksole]

Interesting. A welcome change to those with older iPhones.

 

[Yebubbleman]

That top image makes me miss the iPhone 8 Plus. ?

 

[Simos.805]

And what about the iPads?

 

[Chazzle]

Apple even now can surprise us for an 4-5 years old phone

The iPhone 8 came out 3 years ago...

 

[IceStormNG]

But why doesn’t the iPhone XR (and maybe also other iPhones) supports it over 4G? Don’t tell me 4G is to slow for 1080p streaming.

 

[farewelwilliams]

but the forum keeps talking about PlAnNeD ObSoLesCenCe

there is no planned obsolescence. apple throttled to prevent shutdowns due to aging batteries. end of story.

 

[JosephAW]

Yet a brand new M1 laptop is stuck at 720 Maybe they’ll release an update in 4 years to support 1080.

 

[The Rebel Alliance]

The iPhone 8 came out 3 years ago...

To be fair, 2020 has been at least two years long.

 

[vagos]

Yet a brand new M1 laptop is stuck at 720 Maybe they’ll release an update in 4 years to support 1080.

Yes it sucks. Guess the hardware does not support 1080p.

 

[Unsupported]

The iPhone 8 came out 3 years ago...

I bought mine last year, in December.

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

That top image makes me miss the iPhone 8 Plus. 😭

Yeah iPhone 8 gold color shade was soooo nice

 

[Scotty2Hotty]

To be fair, 2020 has been at least two years long.

Well said and indeed true!

 

[XmasRights]

Does macOS support 1080p FaceTime, if you've got an external camera that supports the resolution?

 

[snipr125]

Good to see my iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone SE getting more functionality. Now just need WhatsApp to release its multi device feature and I can alternate between my 12 mini, 8 plus and SE as I desperately miss Touch ID (Face ID gives me headaches so turned it off.)

 

[Ninja Dom]

Yet a brand new M1 laptop is stuck at 720 Maybe they’ll release an update in 4 years to support 1080.

How about the M1 Mac Mini with a 1080p webcam attached?

 

[Ninja Dom]

Does macOS support 1080p FaceTime, if you've got an external camera that supports the resolution?

I'd love to know the answer to this too.

And, are the Mac's that come with a FaceTime HD camera built in (2020 iMac, 2020 non-M1 MacBook Pro & Air) still just 720p?

 

[-Maxim-]

But WHY has this been limited to 720p so far? The hardware/camera is the same obviously and the internet connection speed isn't the bottleneck now nor was it 3 years ago.
Apple could have used that for marketing all those years. I don't quite understand that...

 

[MrGuder]

No love for the 6s

in all fairness this should have happened years ago, shameful that Apple held this off for so long...and it was available by software update...hmm!!

 

[Luke MacWalker]

According to tests carried out by MacMagazine, the difference in quality between 1080p over Wi-Fi and 720p over 4G was very noticeable on the older iPhones.

Why did they compare the two resolutions on two different networks? How can they know the improvement came from the 1080p and not from Wi-Fi? Really a strange way of testing… ?

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

but the forum keeps talking about PlAnNeD ObSoLesCenCe

there is no planned obsolescence. apple throttled to prevent shutdowns due to aging batteries. end of story.

if some one ends of story it is an idiot! EOS ? aren’t we all

 

[manu chao]

Does macOS support 1080p FaceTime, if you've got an external camera that supports the resolution?

I would assume it does, at least some iMacs have 1080p cameras.

 

[cocky jeremy]

but the forum keeps talking about PlAnNeD ObSoLesCenCe

there is no planned obsolescence. apple throttled to prevent shutdowns due to aging batteries. end of story.

"Give us the option to have our phones randomly shut down and not be reliable!" lol.