The Mac Studio may be a fine machine for some creative pros, but its companion Studio Display needs some polishing. An Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch and The Wall Street Journal the company will update the Studio Display through software to address an issue where the webcam isn't "behaving as expected." The company didn't provide a timeline for the fix.
TechCrunch, The Journal and others have complained that the Studio Display webcam's image quality is subpar, with grainy, washed-out video even in good lighting. Center Stage's auto-framing helps mask the issue, but doesn't eliminate it. The problem is odd given both the high quality of the 2021 MacBook Pro's camera and the presence of an A13 chip meant partly to process webcam imagery — Apple has the knowledge and means to produce a fine-looking picture.
The performance mars what is otherwise a solid monitor with good (if unexceptional) visuals and relatively powerful speakers. It's safe to say you'll want to wait for the update if the Studio Display's webcam will play a big role in your purchasing decision. If you're going to spend $1,599 on a monitor, you want to know all its features are working as well as possible.