Job posting suggests future iPad may soon get camera

Seth Weintraub

February 08, 2010

iPhone - iPod

MacRumors found a job posting on Apple's website announcing that they are looking for a "Performance QA Engineer, iPad Media". In the Job description, they say:

Build on your QA experience and knowledge of digital camera technology (still and video) to develop and maintain testing frameworks for both capture and playback pipelines.

…and...

Good solid knowledge of photography, various video and audio media formats. Knowledgeable with lighting, whether artificial or ambient and how it affects image quality.

...Which seems to indicate that future iPads (or current iPads with features not yet unveiled) will have cameras and the ability to capture video and still images.

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Comments (11)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 08, 2010 - 8:50pm

I guess that means no surprise camera next month !

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 08, 2010 - 11:37pm

Doesn't Apple own a patent that would allow them to program a camera into the IPAD and allow the light to pass between the pixels in the touch screen into an image reproducing light collector? This would make the touch screen the camera.

Jerm (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 1:08am

It can also mean that there will be the possibility that camera users can attach an external video camera to the iPad. Thus making it possible to use the iPad as external monitor. Which would give me the one reason to buy the iPad :-)

TheBrew (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 3:31am

iMovie $9.99?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 4:03am

File this under no sh*t Sherlock...

Hmm how can we get them to purchase version 2? I know lets cut the camera from version 1!

Newstech (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 4:42am

My money is on a Bluetooth webcam add-on. Much more versatile than built-in.

Jerm (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 6:09am

I thought a bluetooth camera already exists. Saw a link for it somewhere.

psychlist (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 4:51pm

Could also mean that Apple are developing a camera that works seamlessly with Macs and Aperture?

SHEFFmachine (not verified) | February 09, 2010 - 7:57pm

Ipad at some point will have a camera (that is pretty much a given either as add on or built it). But when is anyone's guess ( ipod touch still does not have one after much speculation). If they are just hiring a guy to work on the camera it means the current iPad will not have one.

loquid | February 13, 2010 - 3:15am

i agree with SHEFFmachine. this does not mean they are planning on introducing a cam in the pad. if the 3rd gen iPod touch does not have a cam but the nano now does, why would they introduce it into a jumbo sized iPod touch? yes its bigger and able to accommodate a more robust battery and processor, but with the form factor and the market it is aimed at (kindle reader competition) it does not make a lot of sense to include one in the 1st gen pad. the iPod touches however do have a much higher market for the portable snapshot realm, and that is due to its size and audience (active individuals). the fact that if im sitting down using my pad to read the 'news paper' or the latest novel in the coffee shop im not likely to just see something i want to take a quick snapshot of, where if im jogging or out hiking with my pod i would be more likely to do so also plays a large part into the decision making of weather or not to include a camera in these devices.

PrastRestSele (not verified) | March 12, 2010 - 1:22am

What exactly is all your views about the Starcraft 2 Beta?

Do you like, really like or even detest it?