Today, the first reviews of Apple's new Studio Display were published online. Although they were mostly positive, there was one clear problem that was highlighted in many reviews: the quality of the webcam. Now Apple has spoken out and promised a software update.
Critics at The Verge, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere have been harshly critical of the Studio Display's built-in camera. Apple has high expectations for the Studio Display's camera. It's a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with support for Center Stage. It's essentially the same 12MP ultra-wide lens the company has used in other products like the iPad. In the press release announcing the Studio Display, Apple touts that the Studio Display will be the "ultimate display for video conferencing" thanks to this camera.
Equipped with the A13 Bionic chip, the Studio Display delivers amazing experiences with its advanced camera and audio system. The ultimate video conferencing display features a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps users in the center of the frame as they move to make video calls even more engaging.
However, early reports on the Studio Display make it clear that this is not the case. In his review for The Verge, Nilay Patel writes that the Studio Display's camera looks "terrible in good light and downright abysmal in low light."
Studio Display: Apple wants to fix webcam problems with software update
Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal compared the camera performance to that of an "old BlackBerry." The Verge reports that it has contacted Apple about these issues and the company has promised a software update with improvements. Apple shared Patel said his team "investigated the images you shared and discovered an issue where the system is not behaving as expected. We will be making improvements in a software update." Unfortunately, there is no timeline for this software update at this time, nor are there any details on what exactly the software update will fix. However, as previously reported, the integration of the A13 Bionic into the Studio Display means it can receive software updates and get better over time. (Image: Apple)
