Apple’s $ 1,599 studio display arrived last month with big promises for its webcam, which features a 12-megapixel sensor, ultra-wide f2.4 lens and the same A13 chip that controls the whole thing as found in the iPhone 11. Unfortunately , it came with bug software that made everything look bad. Apple told us it wasn’t behaving “as expected” and promised us a software update.
This update is already here, somehow. You need to update your Mac to the public beta version of macOS Monterey 12.4, which comes with an additional update to Studio Display. (Once Studio Display is updated, enhancements are available when connected to any other Mac.)
Last night I updated my review unit and in general the changes are what Apple said we will see: noise reduction is improved, contrast is better and the frame is a bit wider. Here’s next to it:
Old webcam software Studio Display on the left, updated software on the right
It won’t hit anyone’s mind, but it definitely doesn’t look as broken right away as it used to. There is a little more detail in my face, less background noise and the colors are definitely more accurate. (I look like I’ve actually seen the sun in the past year.) Apple’s decision to place a wide-angle lens on this Center Stage support camera seems to work against the image quality here – no matter what, it cuts out this sensor, which gives the whole system less operating data.
The update is still in beta, so we’ll see if Apple changes anything else when macOS 12.4 actually comes, which should be relatively soon. When this happens, we will take a closer look and update our review accordingly.
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