Got an older Mac? Apple’s Studio Display has some good news

By Alex Blake Published March 22, 2022

Apple’s Studio Display monitor has received mixed reviews since its release, with frustration directed towards its missing HDR support and lackluster webcam performance. However, a spot of good news has just been revealed, particularly for users of older Macs.

That’s because the Studio Display enables Hey Siri, even on Macs that themselves cannot run this Apple feature, provided they are connected to the monitor. Hey Siri lets you speak directly to Siri (rather than typing in your query on your keyboard), which gives you a quick and hands-free way to check your schedule or dictate an email message.

The Mac Studio and Studio Display at Apple's Peek Performance event. — Apple / Apple

How can a monitor enable this feature on unsupported Macs? It’s all to do with the Studio Display’s embedded A13 Bionic chip. This provides the functionality for some pretty neat features, including Center Stage and Spatial Audio.

Recommended Videos

Because the Studio Display has a built-in chip, it can handle Hey Siri as well, rather than offloading this work to your Mac. That means it works even when, ordinarily, it should not. And that’s great news for Mac users who would normally be left behind.

Before you start thinking you’ll be able to get Hey Siri on an iMac G3 from 1998, it won’t work on particularly ancient Macs because the Studio Display itself is incompatible with many of these devices. Take a look at the Studio Display’s specs page and you’ll notice there’s a compatibility list:

Mac Studio (2022)
16-inch MacBook Pro (2019 or later)
14-inch MacBook Pro (2021)
13-inch MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
15-inch MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
MacBook Air (2018 or later)
Mac Mini (2018 or later)
Mac Pro (2019 or later)
24‑inch iMac (2021)
27-inch iMac (2017 or later)
21.5-inch iMac (2017 or later)
iMac Pro (2017)

So, while the Studio Display can bring Hey Siri to the 2016 MacBook Pro (which by itself cannot run Hey Siri), it won’t work with older Apple laptops.

Still, if you’re planning on pairing a Studio Display with an Apple device from the list above, you might get a nice Siri-related bonus thrown into the mix.

Computing Writer

Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…

Topics

Computing

Hackers remotely turned supermarket freezers into ovens across Europe, ruining millions of euros worth of food

The ice cream aisle is melting, and this time a heatwave isn’t to blame.

supermarket photo refrigerator section

Imagine walking into your local supermarket and finding the freezer aisle blowing hot air. That’s what happened at dozens of grocery stores across Europe last night, after hackers remotely cranked up the temperature of their fridges and freezers to a scorching 50°C (122°F).

What is happening?

Computing

Google’s next Googlebook could make your Android tablets feel outdated

Googlebooks are moving beyond traditional laptops, and the next one might look more like a tablet.

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Googlebooks have only been around for a little over a month, but Google is already looking beyond traditional laptops. The company has confirmed that detachable Googlebooks are on the way, meaning we could soon see devices that work as both a tablet and a laptop without carrying two separate gadgets.

The announcement came during the Android Dev Summit 2026, where Google outlined its plans to expand the Googlebook lineup beyond the clamshell and convertible designs currently available. While the company hasn't revealed an official launch date or shown any hardware, an earlier leak suggests Lenovo could be the first manufacturer to bring one to market.

Computing

Meta is already working on its second-gen humanoid robot, but don’t expect it to land in homes anytime soon

Meta wants a robot to do your chores, but it still has to learn how to climb stairs

Fourier’s GR-3 humanoid robot, which the company unveiled in August 2025.

Meta appears to be getting serious about bringing artificial intelligence out of the screen and into the physical world. The company has built a humanoid robot prototype with Chinese robotics firm Fourier, and it is already developing a second-generation version. However, before anyone starts imagining a robot folding laundry or handling household chores, there is a fairly important caveat: this is still research and development, with no launch date in sight.

According to The Information, which cited people familiar with the project, Meta and Fourier built the prototype, internally called Max, in around three months. The roughly 48kg robot is part of Meta's broader ambition to develop humanoids that could eventually carry out everyday tasks in people's homes.