Studio Display issue prevents some owners from updating their monitors
A number of Apple Studio Display owners are having trouble updating their monitor's firmware, with some asked to take their $1,599 screen in for servicing.
The Apple Studio Display is unusual for a monitor, as it uses iOS as its operating system to function. Like other Apple hardware, it can be updated with new firmware, but some users are encountering issues when trying to do so.
Posts on the Apple support forum reveal a number of people who cannot perform an update of the firmware. In some cases, users see the message "Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider."
Others have also seen that the firmware installation is attempted, but it only completes the "Preparing" phase partway, and not concluding.
In one instance where a user attempted to contact Apple for support, they were informed to take the monitor to their local Genius Bar to try and force the update. However, they were quoted a turnaround time of between 24 and 48 hours for the fix, rather than an expected quicker resolution.
Some posts on the Macrumors forums discussing the issue believe the problem could be a server-side issue, since it relates to failed downloads of the software. One user claimed an attempt by a Genius Bar employee to update a demo Studio Display in their local Apple Store also failed to update.
Apple has yet to officially comment on the problem, but a server-side issue would presumably be one that could be fixed without any further intervention by users.
The ability to update the monitor is important, as new firmware can be used to fine-tune features, fix bugs, and add new elements. For example, the webcam quality of the Studio Display have been attributed to a software bug, which could be fixed as part of a software update.
Read on AppleInsider
The Apple Studio Display is unusual for a monitor, as it uses iOS as its operating system to function. Like other Apple hardware, it can be updated with new firmware, but some users are encountering issues when trying to do so.
Posts on the Apple support forum reveal a number of people who cannot perform an update of the firmware. In some cases, users see the message "Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider."
Others have also seen that the firmware installation is attempted, but it only completes the "Preparing" phase partway, and not concluding.
In one instance where a user attempted to contact Apple for support, they were informed to take the monitor to their local Genius Bar to try and force the update. However, they were quoted a turnaround time of between 24 and 48 hours for the fix, rather than an expected quicker resolution.
Some posts on the Macrumors forums discussing the issue believe the problem could be a server-side issue, since it relates to failed downloads of the software. One user claimed an attempt by a Genius Bar employee to update a demo Studio Display in their local Apple Store also failed to update.
Apple has yet to officially comment on the problem, but a server-side issue would presumably be one that could be fixed without any further intervention by users.
The ability to update the monitor is important, as new firmware can be used to fine-tune features, fix bugs, and add new elements. For example, the webcam quality of the Studio Display have been attributed to a software bug, which could be fixed as part of a software update.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Has Apple earned a 'plug and pray' moniker since 2011 ?
Is it time for a 'firmware upgrade' of senior management ?
Obviously, it isn't a coincidence that the "firmware" of the Studio Display is the same number as the current iOS/iPadOS feature version, 15.4. (the less-common x.x.1 and x.x.2 updates are for security updates and bug fixes only). I wonder if it will be updated with every major iOS/iPadOS update? So when iOS/iPadOS goes to 15.5, will the Studio Display firmware also go to 15.5? Or will it be more haphazard, only catching up to the current iOS/iPadOS when macOS gets an update?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkJ3--2K7yo
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-keep-your-smart-tv-from-spying-on-you/
https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/01/fbi-smart-tv-security/
I have Apple cinema and thunderbolt displays still working well without ever asking for a firmware upgrades, as well as a couple of 40" non Apple displays in the same camp, so I am unsure how vitriol might be applicable...?
On the 27" Apple Display front I have only ever expressed a wish for 4K & USB 3 upgrades which would seem relatively modest, hopefully affordably economical and status quo in 2022 or even long prior... ? I would still commend the 30" Apple Cinema display I also enjoyed for many years... Things I like of the new Apple display include a thinner bezel & lighter weight, with all things seemingly increasingly tethered since 2011 not so much...
I have tried three different cameras, including updating one to the exact camera version specified, and I have tried this on a Mac, on a Windows virtual machine on my Mac, on a Windows Server virtual machine on my Mac, and I eventually tried this on a real machine running Windows that I borrowed from an in-law.
Silly things have firmware upgrades these days. And it is clear that for many manufacturers, the firmware update processes themselves are an afterthought. In Sony's case it isn't clear that the word "thought" should come into play at all, "after" or otherwise. Perhaps Dell monitors are the same. That is certainly a lot of listed case numbers for monitor update problems. But hey, at least they document their bugs. That's so far beyond Sony that Sony can't even see it in the distance.
support.apple.com/HT203417
support.apple.com/kb/DL1453
support.apple.com/kb/DL1775
I wouldn't mind updating the older one to bring it to the same version as the most recent one but, alas, there doesn't seem to be a way to do so (even though they can both plug in via USB-C and have USB-A plugs of their own, which should definitely enable such a feature).