Apple Releases Second Studio Display 15.5 Firmware Beta With Webcam Update

Apple today released a second beta version of new 15.5 firmware that's coming to the Studio Display, with the software coming one week after the launch of the first beta. The Studio Display firmware is designed to improve the function of the webcam on the device.

studio display webcam
All Studio Display models are able to receive over-the-air firmware updates, but this firmware update is limited to Macs that are running the ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.4 beta at the current time. After installing the macOS 12.4 beta, Studio Display owners can go to System Preferences > Software Update to install the firmware.

Apple in March promised a firmware update for the Studio Display to address an issue with the webcam.

The Studio Display is equipped with a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera that supports Center Stage, but Studio Display reviewers and owners have discovered that the camera consistently produces grainy, washed-out images, which Apple has said is the result of the system to not behaving as expected. The firmware brings updated "camera tuning, improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing."

Related Forum: Mac Accessories

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...

Top Rated Comments

odHbo Avatar
46 months ago
*** Ignoring all comments until someone says they have actually done the update so we can talk about the actual results of the update. ***
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeLaSoul Avatar
46 months ago
“The best firmware update for the Studio Display we ever released”
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FasterQuieter Avatar
46 months ago
Such a wasted opportunity and cheapskate move not putting a great camera in this monitor. It should have had the front iPhone camera at the very least. For the amount they are charging, the main back camera is not unreasonable. It would have been a great way to distinguish the monitor as well. Webcams are very important to people now. If it was known this monitor had the best webcam out there, many would buy it for that reason alone.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
46 months ago

How do you know this?
Because there's nothing to fix. Apple took an image sensor from a device that, relatively, is far smaller than the Studio Display. You blow up that image, it's obviously going to magnify the pixels and produce worse image quality on a larger screen. But they didn't just stop there, they actually used a wide-angle lens and need to crop the image just to keep one person in the centre of the frame - whilst using AI to alter the perspective.

The real question is why Apple didn't use a higher quality sensor, such as the selfie camera from their iPhones.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
46 months ago
Apple made a huge mistake putting a ultra wide for centre stage 99% of people just sit in front of there screen and not use centre stage and if they put a normal wide camera like the iPhone 13 one it would be epic quality, it’s not like a laptops the display is thick so they could or put the iPhone sensor in it
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
izzle22 Avatar
46 months ago
So are there any productive posts out there that address whether this beta has made any improvements? Or just continuous bashing from folks that don't want or can't afford the display? Asking for a friend...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)