Apple releases beta update with fixes for mediocre Studio Display webcam

The Apple Studio Display has received a lot of praise in reviews including its price and IPS panel technology. But the most consistent criticism was directed at its built-in webcam, which fell far short of most standalone desktop webcams and even the front-facing cameras that came with the iPhone and iPad.

In March, Apple said it would release a firmware update to address at least some of the issues, and that update is currently available in beta starting today.

“This beta update brings improvements to the Studio Display camera setup, including improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing,” an Apple spokesperson told Ars.

To download the Studio Display firmware update, you first need to download and install the macOS Monterey 12.4 beta, which was also released today. This update is currently only available to developers, but a general public version should be available in the next day or so. Once installed, Studio Display 15.5 beta firmware will be downloaded and installed separately. The Studio Display includes an Apple 13 chip along with 64GB of onboard storage—essentially an iPad in a monitor case—so its iOS-based firmware updates are downloaded and installed separately rather than coming out as part of a macOS update.

No word yet on when the final version of macOS 12.4 or the Studio Display firmware update will be released. But we expect both to come out sometime between today and the time Apple unveils its next major OS updates at the Worldwide Developers Conference in early June.