The good news is that the issue appears to have more to do with the software/firmware side of things, rather than anything to do with the actual hardware (it’s effectively the same module found on the new iPad). That means the company should be able to issue a fix to tune things to where they should be.
Clockwise from top left: iMac 2020, iMac 2021, Opal C1 external webcam, Mac Studio. Image Credits: Brian Heater
After acknowledging that our systems (and, it seems, the systems of other reviewers) weren’t working as intended, the company promised a fix without a specific timeline. Just over a month after those reviews dropped, the company’s rolling out a fix today for users running the macOS beta.
The 12.4 developer beta should be arriving as I type this, with the broader beta rolling out later today. A spokesperson for the company tells TechCrunch, “An update to the Studio Display firmware is now available with today’s beta release of macOS Monterey 12.4. This beta update has refinements to the Studio Display camera tuning, including improved noise reduction, contrast and framing.”
I will say I’ve been relying on an external webcam for my video chats, due to the wonky white balance and image noise. I’m looking forward to installing the update and seeing where we land. We’ll update accordingly.
