Skip to main content

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

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.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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.

Alex Blake
Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…
Apple defends the M4 Mac mini’s power button
The underside of the M4 Mac mini, showing its vent and power button.

Apple announced a new wave of product refreshes recently, and not only does the charging port for the Magic Mouse remain on the bottom of the device -- the M4 Mac mini's power button has been moved to the bottom, too. These design choices have riled up plenty of people, but it seems Apple stands by its new power button placement for the Mac mini.

In a video posted on Chinese social media platform Bilibili, Apple's Greg Joswiak not only defends the decision but praises it. He calls it a "kind of optimal spot for a power button," claiming that you just need to "kinda tuck your finger in there and hit the button."

Read more
Apple faces challenges with bringing OLED to the MacBook Air
The MacBook Air on a white table.

A report from Korean outlet The Elec suggests the OLED MacBook Air that Apple was allegedly planning to release in 2027 could face significant delays. While progress for the OLED MacBook Pro seems to be going smoothly, the price increase caused by the new display technology is a much bigger problem for the budget MacBook Air models.

One of the biggest selling points of the MacBook Air is its lower price, making it great for first-time Mac buyers, students, and anyone else who doesn't expressly need the power of a Pro. While price increases are a natural part of the tech industry, the slightly disappointing sales of the 2024 OLED iPad Pro suggest that a new display simply isn't enough of an incentive for consumers to justify a higher price tag.

Read more
Mac monitors could finally receive the big upgrade they’ve always needed
Apple Mac Studio and Studio Display.

A new rumor has surfaced that suggests Apple may be focusing on upgrading the display technology on many of its products. If accurate, 2025 could see Apple introduce a 24-inch iMac and Studio Display with a 90Hz refresh rate display panel.

An anonymous source recently shared information on the Upgrade podcast hosted by Myke Hurley and Jason Snell. The source detailed that Apple’s timeline included a launch of the M3 iPad Air with a new and improved 90Hz panel, followed by a 24-inch iMac launch with the updated display technology, and finally the 27-inch Studio Display with the new panel. In addition to the upgraded Mac panels, the same bump from 60Hz to 90Hz is reported to also come to the next-gen iPad Air.

Read more