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Apple is Finally Making a Cheaper Display: What We Know
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You know that other companies make displays? Its important to me that you know that...
Cheaper.... so sell a display that compares with a $500 display for $1500 and justify it with a metal i-mac like stand. Oh wait, will they charge $1000 for the stand? Not that they've ever done such an asinine thing with wheels before.
To actually sell a decent volume of monitors? How is it going to be better? Apple displays are always a competitors display packaged in their own form factor/design. It will look better than the black plastic displays out there, but under the hood, will it actually be better? Aside from putting a graphics chip in it (which wouldn't be this consumer model most likely), you're paying for the logo and desktop curb appeal. At least with Macs, you could argue the user experience justified the Apple tax (When they were using Intel chips exclusively, which were often a year or more behind the current chip and still priced like they weren't). Apple's hardware is literally almost never better spec wise, just prettier. It's their software that gives them distinction. This is a monitor.
I sort of doubt Apple will make a monitor offering/price combo I can justify buying.
One of the main problems for me is that it'll almost surely include no ways to connect anything but a Mac.
One of the main problems for me is that it'll almost surely include no ways to connect anything but a Mac.
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I'll certainly consider a 27" or 32" when it comes out, but it would be an instant buy if it also had multiple inputs, USB-C/TB and HDMI 2.1. If not, a 3rd party switch that had those ports would also be nice.
There will be a computer built in. An A-series chip so it works as a stand alone smart TV, and for wireless Universal Display.
And will it have an internal battery, like a bigger MacBook screen? Maybe the smaller one?
The monitor market has gotten stuck on 4K resolution and just wants to sell you that resolution in different sizes. Apple displays are generally spec’s to be “retina” resolutions meaning the pixels are too small to see at typical viewing distances. For monitors in the 27” range that is about 200-220ppi. That requires a 5K monitor. 4K is not enough resolution for that size.
The only monitor available with that resolution is the LG Ultrafine which sells for $1299. Unfortunately LG doesn’t put Apple-level design and build into that model. People have reported problems with uneven lighting at the edges and with the thunderbolt ports coming loose and no longer connecting. Additionally, the design looks cheap when sitting next to Apple equipment.
The suggestions that a new 27” monitor would be $2500 is based on it being a mini-LED display, but I’m not convinced that that justifies that high price. The new MBPs with mini-LED were only a little more than the previous models. I think anything more than $1800-2000 would be excessive.
The XDR is a super specialized product and is not really something that would be considered by anyone unless you have very specialized professional needs.
But Apple does sell a Mac Mini and they sell a lot of laptops. Many more than they sell of iMacs. All of them could use a quality Apple monitor to go with their Apple computer.
Certainly Apple will price the monitor and the higher end mini so that it doesn’t cannibalize iMac sales significantly but that shouldn’t require making the 27” display $2500.
Perhaps this has been mentioned, but I think Apple is too stupid to make a ultra wide monitor. Just about everyone I know who has a higher end monitor has a ultra wide.
If Apple was smart they would make a ultra wide Pro monitor that was 7680 x 3200, 40"-42" and a lower end one that was 3840x1600, 35-37". But Apple isn't smart about monitors so here we are.
If Apple was smart they would make a ultra wide Pro monitor that was 7680 x 3200, 40"-42" and a lower end one that was 3840x1600, 35-37". But Apple isn't smart about monitors so here we are.
This is what it really needs to be about..
The laptop buyers in particular really should have some type of great, somewhat reasonable, first party solution to use.
I know so so so many people who are working from home these last two years (and at least part time moving forward) and all of them waded into the murky 3rd party monitor world, to varying degrees of happiness, and are now super sold on having a "docking station" monitor of sorts.
Apple is nuts to not be offering a great/best way of doing that with their own monitor option(s).
A larger canvas to work with, paired with an awesome camera/sound system is such a natural fit for how the world is going these days.
I just hope Apple didn't start designing these things so long ago that it's missing some key aspects right at launch -- or that they - typical Apple - maybe gimped it too much in terms of connectivity on the back, etc.
While it is true that the current 27” iMac screen is made by LG and is likely the same basic panel as LG puts into the 27” Ultrafine monitor, the results are very different. LG puts less effort into the casing and you end up with light bleeds on the edges, wobbly stands, and connection problems from loose thunderbolt ports. When Apple contracts with a third-party to build a product for them, they have specifications for the design, build, and quality that have to be met. It shows in the end product.
When you make hundreds of millions of dollars like Tim Apple...it becomes easy to forgot average people don't have that kind of disposable income. Really, Tim...$1000 for a STAND? Come back down to earth with us mere mortals.
? yeah, wow, why didn't I think of that!
Except, unfortunately, since macOS no longer supports subpixel rendering, and only supports 1x and 2x modes, most display choices suck.
Will that allow me to connect an old PC to it?
Game console?
Sounds like dongle town probably --
"Fine" -- I guess..
I just wish they'd make some stuff that's useful out of the box for common interactions.
Like -- a straight up spec modern HDMI port would be great (as one example)
They already have a decent display that can be used for wireless universal display, and can connect to a MacBook. Its the iPad.
Way too small.
There's an entire market out there that wants a large display to dock their laptop/small computers with.
I really want a 32" monitor specially if has at least two inputs. I would take 6k, but 7k would be better to match the PPI of the new MacBook Pros.
And I don't want a computer built-in (like the iMac). I have a 2015 27" iMac that is in my closet unused. The 5k screen is still beautiful, but the computer is outdated. I want a standalone monitor that I can plug into any computer I choose.
And I don't want a computer built-in (like the iMac). I have a 2015 27" iMac that is in my closet unused. The 5k screen is still beautiful, but the computer is outdated. I want a standalone monitor that I can plug into any computer I choose.
None of the USB-C display on the market today offers built in camera or quality speaker. If apple can make a display that has these two features equivalent to the quality of the current iMac, I will pay at least $1k for it. I honestly don’t know why Samsung and LG and dell don’t make such product. I hate having to connect all these peripherals to my otherwise useful 34 inch curved ultra wide display.
I would love this. That said my wishlist would be...
- quality built in speakers and camera
- built in apple screen mirroring / Airplay (for wireless streaming from other devices)
- wireless charging pad on the screen base (for mouse/keyboard/headphones/phone charging, etc.)
- height / angle adjustability
- ethernet port and headphone / optical audio ports
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I think that Apple would rather have consumers buy an iMac and a MacBook or iPad. I think thats why they added Sidecar, AirPlay and Universal control to macOS. Now your iMac has become the home docking station for your MacBook or your iPad. As far as a display for the Mac mini is concerned, its a matter of display update path. If I spend $899 on a display and then lets say I purchase the base Mac mini for $699, I most likely won't need a new display when I want to upgrade my Mac mini a few years down the line so I only spend $699 on a Mac mini. If I buy the iMac, I can't upgrade just the computer, I have to spend a minimum of $1299 on a whole new computer. I still believe that the iMac is the consumer display.