Apple Releases Studio Display Firmware 15.5 With Webcam Update

Apple today released a new 15.5 firmware for the Studio Display, with the update coming after a few weeks of beta testing. The Studio Display Firmware improves the performance of the webcam.

studio display camera
The Studio Display firmware can be updated by connecting it to a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.4, which was also released today. After installing the new Mac software, Studio Display owners can go to System Preferences > Software Update to install the firmware.

Apple has been working on a firmware update for the Studio Display since March, to address complaints about the quality of the webcam.

The Studio Display is equipped with a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera that supports Center Stage, but Studio Display reviewers and owners discovered that the camera consistently produces grainy, washed-out images, which Apple has said is the result of the system not behaving as expected.

According to Apple's release notes, the firmware refines camera tuning, offering improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing. We tested out the firmware update when it was in beta, and there is a clear difference in camera quality, mostly as it pertains to the way the framing works.


In addition to better framing, colors are not quite as pale, the contrast has been improved, and the overall look is more vibrant. Skin tones are also better than before, and there is less de-noising for more clarity, but ultimately Studio Display owners should not expect dramatic changes.

Related Forum: Mac Accessories

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

dugbug Avatar
38 months ago

When do we start to worry that this is a more fundamental problem with the hardware, and Apple are scrambling to work around them? I had always assumed it was a last minute bug and it would be a fairly quick fix to enable the better image quality - but it seems not? :(
So center stage is a wide angle camera system that pans in sw. By definition then the framed image you see on a zoom call is a subset of the pixels available from the camera, thats some of our resolution problem there. One person sitting close to the webcam in a dimly lit room is not what this technology was intended for so overall its a bad fit for most of us. No sw update is going to turn it into the right camera lens.

That being said, the webcam is decent enough for zoom calls and the like. I have not tested this new firmware but have seen the noise get bad if there is light behind me like through a window.

The monitor though is really amazing otherwise. I feel like the webcam gets way too much press compared to the overall build quality and display sharpness.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
connormw Avatar
38 months ago

When do we start to worry that this is a more fundamental problem with the hardware, and Apple are scrambling to work around them? I had always assumed it was a last minute bug and it would be a fairly quick fix to enable the better image quality - but it seems not? :(
Should have started worrying when the reviews came out.

Software can only do so much. I think Apple thought they could get away with a middling webcam and call it a day. However, when you put it into context that this is a $1500 display, "middling" doesn't do it.

Frankly this is just turning into another overpriced Apple display that doesn't offer much more than competing panels at this price point (or lower).
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmonster Avatar
38 months ago

I just find that hard to believe. The webcam in my M1 iMac is better than the Studio Display right now, and that doesn't seem like a hardware skimping thing, that seems like something else. I can't figure they intentionally shipped a worse camera in the Studio Display than the consumer-targeted M1 iMac.
The fact is the iMac does have a much better camera (I also have both) because it's using the entire sensor instead of cropping it down to 1/4-1/6 of its area.

They chose the gimmicky center stage feature. The Touch Bar of 2022.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ececlv Avatar
38 months ago

Should have started worrying when the reviews came out.

Software can only do so much. I think Apple thought they could get away with a middling webcam and call it a day. However, when you put it into context that this is a $1500 display, "middling" doesn't do it.

Frankly this is just turning into another overpriced Apple display that doesn't offer much more than competing panels at this price point (or lower).
What competing 5k monitor do you recommend?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pauldunlop Avatar
38 months ago

Should have started worrying when the reviews came out.

Software can only do so much. I think Apple thought they could get away with a middling webcam and call it a day. However, when you put it into context that this is a $1500 display, "middling" doesn't do it.

Frankly this is just turning into another overpriced Apple display that doesn't offer much more than competing panels at this price point (or lower).
I just find that hard to believe. The webcam in my M1 iMac is better than the Studio Display right now, and that doesn't seem like a hardware skimping thing, that seems like something else. I can't figure they intentionally shipped a worse camera in the Studio Display than the consumer-targeted M1 iMac.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petvas Avatar
38 months ago
After the update the web cam quality has noticeable improved. Of course nobody should be expecting miracles here. I cannot say that the camera now is worse than what we have on the MacBook Pro or the iPad Pro. Please also consider that we are viewing images on a much higher res display, so of course everything will be much more noticeable..The web cam is good for me now. Others might still want/need something better, but I am happy now with the camera as it is.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)