Apple’s New Studio Displays Are Already Breaking?

Apple's new studio display is an impressive technical marvel. However, the expensive piece of tech may already be breaking.

By Joseph Farago | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Apple is known for its state-of-the-art technology and innovative products. But recently, one product has been malfunctioning to the dismay of the company’s loyal customers. Those using Apple’s Studio Display monitor experienced issues last week, where users started to notice they couldn’t update the software.

Over the past weekend, Apple product owners toyed with their unbelievably innovative Studio Display monitors. But when it was time to finally upgrade their software to the latest 15.4 version, the firmware would not install. The specific firmware couldn’t complete its download, which frustrated many users nationwide. Fortunately, Apple tech support quickly responded to these concerns and eradicated the issue late Sunday night.

This issue only existed for those using Apple’s Studio Display monitors. The impressive monitor stands 27 inches wide, with a crystal-clear 5k display resolution. What’s even more impressive is the features the monitor holds. Like a desktop and iPad wrapped in one, the monitor includes Apple’s newest M3 chip and 64 GB of storage. But despite its unbeatable quality, the product can still suffer from unavoidable bugs and malfunctions. Luckily for Apple users, the firmware issue was solved as quickly as it appeared.

The Studio Display malfunction could’ve stemmed from an internal Apple situation with its iOS updates. Apple will verify an iOS file’s digital signature before agreeing to the new installation to confirm the update. This process helps avoid the accidental installment of malware or any nefarious programs. When a new update is introduced, the Apple team will also disallow verifying signatures for previous iOS programs, hoping to stop the potential downgrading of Apple products. The amalgamation of processes Apple takes to update software ultimately caused the Studio Display to malfunction.

When the newest Studio Display monitors were shipped, they included the 15.3 firmware already installed. Users tried to upgrade their monitor to the latest 15.4 version, but their access was denied. This was because 15.4 had already been excluded from verification, and only 15.4.1 firmware could be verified. Since the 15.4.1 remained unattainable for Studio Display owners but was the required version for the update, the discontinued 15.4 version couldn’t be installed either. This led to a wave of confusion and frustration but was quickly figured out by Apple support.

This past Monday, Studio Display monitors were able to update their firmware to the latest 15.4 version successfully. All other devices such as laptops and tablets will only be able to upgrade to the 15.4.1 version since the previous update has been technically discontinued. The tech corporation does this only to ensure users are receiving the newest, high-end software instead of accidentally downgrading. According to Macworld, this update mistake can be attributed to Apple simply forgetting to continue to verify signatures for the Studio Display monitors.

Apple is always on the frontlines of technological innovation. Even with a revered corporation like Apple, the company is not infallible; mistakes and bugs are an essential part of creating the most efficient tech worldwide. Thankfully, the firmware issue has been solved quickly for Studio Display monitors, with the updates ready to be installed for optimal productivity.