Bottom line: the Apple Pro Display XDR is absolutely amazing, and worth the super hefty $5,000 entry cost.
In my search for an external monitor that led to the disappointing Dell UP3221Q monitor - one of the company’s very highest end displays - I was stuck with the realization that the best displays for Macs are the ones that are “sanctioned” by Apple. ‘It just works’ only applies to those monitors; everything else third-party have compromises few and many.
Unfortunately, as of current writing, there are only three monitors that Apple officially sells at their store: two LG UltraFine displays at 24 and 27 inch sizes, and the aforementioned Pro Display XDR. That is it, those are the only options. You either pay through the nose for the XDR, or pay reasonable amounts for the two LG monitors that’s been out since the mid 2010s.
Nothing against the LG Ultrafine: as a former 27-inch iMac owner, the LG 5K display has the same exact panel as the iMac. You absolutely cannot find this high quality and pixel density anywhere else. The problem is one of vanity: I find the LG to be incredibly ugly, with an industrial design that’s nowhere near the aluminum and glass enclosures of Apple-made products. We had a unit in at work, and the whole thing looks and feel of cheap plastic.
If Apple had taken that 27-inch display and encased it in an enclosure similar to that of the Pro Display XDR, I probably would have bought that instead, and pocketed the significant extra change. But Apple doesn’t, so here am I staring at the glorious 6K resolution of the XDR as I type these words.
I did not pay the extra thousand dollars for the Pro Stand. Instead I paid the (still expensive) $200 dollars for the VESA mount adapter, and about $190 for an Ergotron LX monitor arm.
The Pro Display XDR is the epitome of ‘you get what you pay for’. I would say to anyone that’s also looking for a display for their Mac laptops to look no further: this is the one you want. Delay the purchase and save up a bit more if you have to. A monitor is something we stare at for hours every single day; wouldn’t you want to invest and get the ultimate? The XDR’s quality and clarity is simply unmatched. Its aluminum casing is a work of art. It’s as good to look at from the back as it is from the front, a centerpiece in any home office.
It is a delight every morning when I press a button on the keyboard and the Pro Display XDR wakes from sleep immediately. A stark contrast to my experience with the Dell UP3221Q.
As with most things in life, save a bit more and get the thing you really want. The Pro Display XDR’s prohibitive price tag steered me towards a lesser option that constantly reminded me of its shortcomings. That’s not something I want to live with for the next 10 years. I’m happy I was able to return the Dell and get the display I wanted all along.
Coup de grace.