As a connoisseur of excellent displays - my main computer monitor is an Apple Pro Display XDR, and my TV is an LG OLED - what interests me most from yesterday’s Apple event is the new Apple Studio Display. They essentially took the panel from the 27-inch iMac, put it in an Apple-worthy aluminum enclosure, give it top-spec webcam, mic and speakers, then voila. For a princely sum of (starting at) $1599, there’s finally another external display option from Apple other than the aforementioned Pro Display XDR. That one commands a kingly sum of $4999.
Fan boys on the Mac forums are mad they’re not getting Pro Display XDR technology - namely full local LED dimming and HDR capabilities - at a smaller size for less than half the price. Of course, that was never going to happen. What we have with the Apple Studio Display is the LG UltraFine 5K monitor but in far nicer packaging. The LG still retails for $1299, so the Apple premium of $300 doesn’t seem absurd at all. I bet that aluminum enclosure is lovely to touch!
Would I have bought the Studio Display if it had been available at the time I bought the Pro Display XDR? Most likely. The price gulf between the two products is difficult to ignore (I could have bought two and still have money left over). Plus the Studio Display has speakers and a webcam, features that come in handy for a home office setup if you’re a minimalist like myself. Besides, I wasn’t yet spoiled by the wonderful black levels and high contrast of the Pro Display XDR.
But now that I am spoiled by the good stuff, there’s no coming down from the nicer of the two Apple displays. I can see why certain fan boys are frustrated: $4999 is a ton of money to spend on a monitor. Apple recycling a six-year-old display with none of the latest technologies like HDR or high refresh rate is probably not the progress we hope to see. However, just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s awful. I’ve had an 27-inch iMac, and that 5K display is still absolutely fine in 2022.
Not Pro Display XDR fine, but as ever, quality cost money. Suck it up, fan boys.
Drake’s fortune.