As the calendar turns to March, we’re naturally on the lookout for clues that Apple is gearing up to release a new spring product slate like it has for the past few years. And we could have gotten a big one from an unlikely place.
Apple pushed a new beta firmware version 16.4 to the Studio Display this week with build number 20E5223e. This is the second beta in as many weeks and coordinates with the development of macOS Ventura 13.3, which is also in its second beta. Full releases are expected later this month or early April.
While we don’t know what’s in the firmware since Apple didn’t provide release notes, the update is noteworthy for several reasons. For one thing, this is Studio Display’s first firmware update since version 15.5, which arrived in October. On the other hand, it coincides with beta testing of macOS 13.3, which has been previously rumored be the version of Ventura running on Apple Silicon Mac Pros being tested.
When the new Mac Pro arrives, Apple may need to update the Studio Display firmware to support the new machine, much like iOS 16.3 supported the new HomePod last month.
These are two very big hints that a new Mac Pro could be coming very soon. While we still have plenty of questions about the new machine, we might not have to wait too long to find out.
