Apple has been making its own monitors again for a few years. The latest model – the Studio Display – comes with iPhone hardware and therefore receives iOS updates.
In March 2022, Apple introduced the 27-inch Studio Display along with the Mac Studio. What’s special about the monitor isn’t just that it’s “smart” and supports things like Hey Siri and spatial audio (3D audio). Inside is a full Apple A13 Bionic – the same chip that powers the iPhone 11.
Apple monitor runs with iOS offshoot
In addition to the functions mentioned above, the A13 Bionic enables the “Center Stage” feature that Apple introduced with the iPad Pro 5th generation. Center Stage ensures that the camera integrated in the monitor always keeps the subject in the center of video calls, even if they are moving. However, this requires a certain amount of computing power – and the A13 Bionic provides that.
Since iPhone hardware is in the studio display, the monitor must also be supplied with iOS updates accordingly. Although Apple calls these updates Studio Display Firmware, they are customized versions of iOS. So far, Apple has provided three updates, the previous version is based on iOS 15.5.
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Unclear what’s in the iOS update for the Studio Display
Similar to the beta version of iOS 16.4, the company has now also released a firmware update for the Studio Display. However, as for AirPods, Apple doesn’t give any release notes, so we don’t know what’s inside. In the past, however, audio problems, for example, have been fixed with updates. Studio display owners can check for the update on a Mac under System Preferences>General>Software Update. The prerequisite for installing the iOS 16.4 beta on the monitor is that the current beta version of macOS Venture is running on the Mac.
source
9To5Mac: “Apple releases mystery iOS 16.4 beta 2 for Studio Display“ (accessed March 3, 2023)