The Apple Studio Display has a neat feature for old Macs
Teaching an old Mac new tricks
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TheApple Studio Display’s built-in A13 Bionic chip allows olderMac computers and MacBook laptopsto use the ‘Hey Siri’ voice command, even if they don’t support the feature.
As reported byMacRumors, the 27-inch display allows the Siri voice command to run on several devices that predate its introduction to theMacBook ProandMacBook Airback in 2018, though this doesn’t extend to the entire back catalog of Mac computers and laptops.
Although it was released alongside theMac Studiodesktop computer, the Studio Display can also be used with the following compatible Mac products onmacOS Monterey 12.3or later:
As you can see from the list, this means that devices released as far back as 2016 will now be able to use the voice-controlledAppleAI assistant. And, as the Studio Display runs oniOS 15.4, it’s likely that we’ll see additional features included in the future.
There’s nothing confirmed just yet and given the Studio Display hasjustbeen released it’s unlikely we will see any big features for some time - however, there’s always a chance that Apple will surprise us atWWDC 2022.
Analysis: Is your Studio Display listening to your conversations?
While voice-controlled AI assistants like Siri can be very useful, there will be some users with understandable security concerns around being listened to in the home.
Thing is, Siri doesn’t really listen to you 24/7, at least not in any way that matters. The trigger phrase ‘hey Siri’ is required for the AI voice assistant to communicate back and start recording, so although Siri is listening out for its trigger phrase, it doesn’t remember anything you say before it’s activated by its voice command.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Still, AI voice assistants andsmart speakershave plenty of advantages, and Siri is no different. You can quickly translate different languages, set alarms or timers, and a host of other tasks completely hands-free, which makes them a useful accessibility feature within our homes and offices.
It’s likely you’ll be able to switch this feature off entirely if you won’t be using Siri at all (though we no longer have a Studio Display unit to check this for ourselves). On Mac, this is done by heading into System Preferences within the Apple Menu. From here, simply select Siri. and uncheck the checkbox beside “Enable Ask Siri”.
Jess is a former TechRadar Computing writer, where she covered all aspects of Mac and PC hardware, including PC gaming and peripherals. She has been interviewed as an industry expert for the BBC, and while her educational background was in prosthetics and model-making, her true love is in tech and she has built numerous desktop computers over the last 10 years for gaming and content creation. Jess is now a journalist at The Verge.
MacBook Air OLED reportedly delayed until at least 2028 – here’s why
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 (2024) review: one of the best Pro laptops around just got better
I’m a die-hard Apple fan, but even I’ll admit that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the best-looking phone of the year
