Apple issues beta firmware update for Studio Display
Apple has issued beta firmware for the Studio Display, an update that brings the software of the monitor up to version 16.4.

Apple Studio Display
Surfacing late on Friday, users of the macOS Ventura 13.3 beta are now able to install an update to a connected Studio Display. The beta firmware only applies to Mac users who are using the beta of macOS Ventura 13.3, not non-beta versions.
Beta users who own a Studio Display can refresh the firmware to the beta edition by going to System Settings on their Mac then Software Update to check that it is available and can be installed.
At the time of publication, Apple hasn't detailed exactly what is in the firmware beta, except that it is for version 16.4 of the software running the display, and that it is 641.4MB in size.
It is plausible that the firmware beta handles bug or security fixes, increasing compatibility with the newest Apple releases, and possibly performance improvements.
Apple's previous firmware update for the Studio Display was version 15.5, which landed in August 2022. That firmware fixed speaker issues, with sound occasionally failing for some users.
Read on AppleInsider

Apple Studio Display
Surfacing late on Friday, users of the macOS Ventura 13.3 beta are now able to install an update to a connected Studio Display. The beta firmware only applies to Mac users who are using the beta of macOS Ventura 13.3, not non-beta versions.
Beta users who own a Studio Display can refresh the firmware to the beta edition by going to System Settings on their Mac then Software Update to check that it is available and can be installed.
At the time of publication, Apple hasn't detailed exactly what is in the firmware beta, except that it is for version 16.4 of the software running the display, and that it is 641.4MB in size.
It is plausible that the firmware beta handles bug or security fixes, increasing compatibility with the newest Apple releases, and possibly performance improvements.
Apple's previous firmware update for the Studio Display was version 15.5, which landed in August 2022. That firmware fixed speaker issues, with sound occasionally failing for some users.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
I’ve got a 30” Cinema Display, apart from occasionally having to buy a new adaptor for whatever the latest port is it’s never missed a beat and is still gorgeous to look at to this day. No hassles with firmware, or software updates. No worrying about whether any of said updates would improve image quality, it was tested and perfect when it left the factory and still is.
Same with my 24” LED Cinema Display. It has a webcam and speakers and doesn’t need all these constant updates.
Why does a display have to cost hundreds more just because Apple wants to shove an iPhone in there too. Crazy.
I don't have Microsoft software on my Mac for this very reason - except that Microsoft took over the To Do app when I was heavily invested in it. Now 'Microsoft To Do' needs updating several times a week.
There should be an absolute ban on updates unless the updated app can be proved to be correct and even then, once once a year.
The Studio Display has had numerous issues, from the webcam to the speakers, problems with some not turning on or randomly rebooting, etc. That's what happens when you take something simple, like a display, and make it all unnecessarily complicated.
Of course you presumably disagree with me on this and therefore think I am being hysterical, whereas in reality I am simply pointing out the absurdity of the situation.
I mean, what do you think runs the onscreen display and menus for volume, brightness, and so on? Fairies?
You can also wish automobiles still had carburetors and spark distributors too instead of the firmware that runs them these days. The simple days no longer exist.
They've made it complicated for a set of reasons they find compelling. They haven't shared those reasons with the wider world (what's new?) but they haven't made such a substantial change without developing a set of trade-offs that they feel is in the user's best interest (which they can be wrong about).
My own hunch is that the GPU in the SoC they include with the display does a huge amount of work. But I've not been interested enough to try and find out the technical details.
Once per year update? I certainly don't want to wait a year for a software update to patch a software or firmware bug, especially when it's a security issue. I want those updates right now, or better yet, fixed in an update that's pushed out without me knowing about the issue that it fixes.
A lot of software/firmware controlled products are in a constant state of enhancement, development, refinement, and continuing support. This generally continues iteratively for as long as the organization that created the product wants to keep in on the market, harvest its value (like cold hard cash), and support its users. The days of once per year (or similarly long cycles) of software releases with much pomp and ceremony are largely an artifact of history and not nearly as common as are the continuous development, continuous testing, and continuous release models used for software product development.
Sure, there are some regulated industries like Pharma, chemicals, life sciences, and refineries that do essentially "lock down" their systems at a point in time, usually after having verified and certified that the system as-built and as-certified will be used without modification for some minimum and possibly maximum period of time. For these locked-downed systems to work, their owner must minimize, eliminate, or compensate/account for anything that is outside of their direct control. This may include, for example, pre-purchasing many years worth of consumables and spare parts, licensing source code, entering into lifecycle support contracts with the vendor, buying tools, and even hiring/training people who can take ownership of the system if the original owner is no longer able to fulfill their responsibilities for whatever reasons.
The Apple Studio Display is not in this latter category.
It is true that my XDR Display has received two firmware updates that I am aware of, however both of these were related to adding increased functionality as opposed to fixing issues that should not have been present in the first place.
I suppose my primary concern with the current Studio Display (and the path that Apple is taking with the talked about refresh of the XDR display this year) is that they effectively released it half baked and relied on fixing it later via patches. All of my previous Apple Displays have all shipped in perfect functionality from day one, including the XDR display and I have never been afraid of paying for a quality product that works.
I was not impacted by the issues of the Studio Display it's true, but my best friend, a web designer, was. So yes, I personally wish they'd just leave the design as it was.
Here's the 24" LED Cinema Display firmware update:
https://appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/29/apple_issues_fix_for_flickering_issue_with_24_cinema_display_and_thunderbolt
And the rest for various other models before and after:
https://appleinsider.com/articles/10/09/22/apples_soon_to_arrive_27_in_cinema_display_gets_software_updates
https://appleinsider.com/articles/10/12/16/apple_updates_cinema_display_firmware_to_fix_audio_issue
https://appleinsider.com/articles/11/12/12/itunes_10_5_2_released_thunderbolt_display_firmware_updated
https://appleinsider.com/articles/14/11/13/apple-seeds-safari-801-711-and-621-betas-releases-thunderbolt-display-firmware-12