Apple’s Studio Display has a major problem – but luckily there’s a quick fix

Studio Display in an office on a wooden desk
(Image credit: Future)

Apple has admitted an annoying audio flaw in its flagship monitor, but revealed there is a hopefully simple solution.

The Studio Display has come under fire for its enhanced smart features, that seemingly cause more issues than solutions at times.

The most recent line of issues revolves around intermittent audio drop out, as highlighted by experts such as Michael Tsai, who compiled evidence of the issue to send to Apple.

Studio Display fix

Apple’s memo, obtained by MacRumors, admits customers are finding speaker issues with the product.

Luckily, there's a simple fix, as Apple says customers should unplug their Studio Display from power, as well as unplugging any connected accessories or devices, wait ten seconds, then reconnect the Studio Display to power. 

In the note, sent to authorized Apple suppliers, the company added that the issue is not a hardware problem, and notes that it may be solved by a future iOS update.

Costly issue

Thankfully, the fact that a simple power cycle can fix this issue shows that while annoying, at least this issue is software based and not hardware based.

However, this software problem with a monitor brings back the conversation of if the over-engineering of a monitor was really necessary. 

This monitor has been reported to be running iOS 15.4, has built in hardware features that far surpass what is in standard monitors. But with issues continuing to come up, were these features worth it?

Some have theorized that with the inclusion of iOS 15.4 that this is a sleeper iMac. Another thought is that these smart features might be used to take devices like iPad Pros to the next level. Regardless, the honeymoon period of the Studio Display has started to wear off for Apple fans, with some even going as far as saying that the Studio Display is redundant.

Sorry Apple, but my $1,599 monitor shouldn’t be having software problems

Apple’s goal with the Studio Display seemed as though they wanted the Studio Display to replace a handful of peripherals on a modern desk by integrating them into the monitor itself. This creates a more minimalist and streamlined desk and workflow in general. However, from the beginning, Apple has received harsh criticism for their design choices, hardware integrations, and especially pricepoint.

Until a software patch for your monitor running iOS is released, resort to the infamous fix, “unplug it and plug it back in”.

Via MacRumors

Collin Probst

Former TechRadar Pro B2B Hardware Editor, Collin has been in journalism for years, with experience in small and large markets, including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet, and more.