Apple to Address Poor Webcam Quality of New Studio Display in Software Update

Apple says it will release a software update to address issues with poor webcam quality on its new Studio Display.

Early reviews of the 27-inch monitor arrived today with multiple reviewers noting that the webcam performance was subpar.

The Verge's Nilay Patel writes...


The bad part is that I have no idea what’s going on with this webcam. Apple has a long history of producing amazing images with 12 megapixel sensors and A-series chips, and for some reason this thing just looks awful. Actually, it looks awful in good light, and downright miserable in low light. I’ve tried it connected to the Mac Studio and on my MacBook Pro running macOS 12.3, and on both machines it produces a grainy, noisy image with virtually no detail. I tried it in FaceTime, in Zoom, in Photo Booth, in QuickTime – you name it, it’s the same sad image quality. Turning off the Center Stage feature that follows you around the room doesn’t help. Turning portrait mode on and off doesn’t help.

Patel sent numerous screenshots to Apple in various lighting conditions, as well as, a full sysdiagnose of Mac Studio and Studio Display.

Though limited in detail, an Apple spokesperson told Patel that the company had "looked into the images you shared, and discovered an issue where the system is not behaving as expected. We’ll be making improvements in a software update."

It's unclear how much improvement Apple will be able to achieve through a software update but you can download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for updates.