Apple Studio Display – uneven/dark shadows at top/side edges: normal?

[falconer.]

I've noticed on the Apple Studio Display that when bright colors are displayed near the top and side edges of the display, a "shadow" appears along each edge next to the bezels. See the photo below and note the dark gray line running along the top of the otherwise bright silver menu bar, as well as the dimmed edge of the window title bar on the left side.

The shadows get more pronounced as your viewing angle gets further off-center. If you look at it dead-on, it is not as pronounced. I don't know what this phenomenon is exactly—uneven backlight or what—but it is somewhat distracting when trying to do design work.

My previous display, the iMac 27", did not exhibit this behavior—it had even lighting all the way to the edges, regardless of viewing angle.

Other owners of the Studio Display, could you please tell me if your display is also like this or not? I'm trying to figure out if this is normal/expected or not before the return window closes. Thanks.

 

[lupinglade]

Same thing here, noticed it right away. I think it's just the way it's built/the way the glass front looks (it casts a shadow or something similar). Doesn't really bother me.

 

[falconer.]

Thanks for your reply. I stopped by the Apple Store tonight and looked at the Studio Displays there, they had 2 of them on display and they were both exactly the same as well. So yeah I guess it's just how they are.

 

[cybertruck]

It’s somewhat expected the luminance dropping slightly at the edges. Can you post photo of the display with white background on full screen?

 

[lupinglade]

It’s not the luminance. It’s something like a shadow from the black bezel due to glass thickness.

 

[falconer.]

It’s somewhat expected the luminance dropping slightly at the edges. Can you post photo of the display with white background on full screen?

Below, see a photo of the entire display with a white background at full brightness. The details are harder to see here than in the close-up in the original post, but you can still see the thin "shadow" running along the top edge.

I believe @lupinglade is correct, due to how the perceptibility of the "shadow" changes as the angle you're looking at the display changes, it must be something to do with the bezel or glass, not the luminance of the screen itself.

Now that I have enough information to suggest that they're all like this, it doesn't really bother me anymore. It's still slightly distracting when I'm working, but I'll probably get used to it in time.

 

[cybertruck]

Mine is similar, no need to worry

 

[Cashmonee]

I believe this is present on all of the 27" 5K displays.

 

[falconer.]

I believe this is present on all of the 27" 5K displays.

As far as the Studio Display, yeah it seems so. Additionally, even the Pro Display XDR is like this, according to John Siracusa on ATP as well as what I found when I looked at a couple of them in an Apple Store.

What's interesting is that the older 27" 5K displays, such as the one in my 2014 retina iMac that I recently upgraded from, do not have this little shadow at all, regardless of viewing angle. Something must have changed in the display construction since then.

 

[u2u2]

Thanks for your reply. I stopped by the Apple Store tonight and looked at the Studio Displays there, they had 2 of them on display and they were both exactly the same as well. So yeah I guess it's just how they are.

Not at all what I have seen on display at the local Apple Stores and that is no where near what my Studio Display looks like. I think you, and others like yours, have bad panels. Return/refund without a doubt.

 

[enricoclaudio]

This thread is potentially becoming another “Mac Studio Fan Noise….”, “Apple Studio Display Yellow Tint….” or “ Whatever….” kind of thread. Paranoia at its Max level to the point that I put these thread in my un-watched list!!

 

[falconer.]

Not at all what I have seen on display at the local Apple Stores and that is no where near what my Studio Display looks like. I think you, and others like yours, have bad panels. Return/refund without a doubt.

Sorry but I refuse to believe that all the displays I saw are bad panels. The photo I took was specifically from an angle that emphasizes the shadow effect so that it's easily visible (in an effort to try to fend off people telling me I wasn't seeing what I saw with my own eyes). I think they are simply all like this and it depends on your viewing angle, the color and brightness of what's on the screen, and lighting conditions in the environment it's in.

This thread is potentially becoming another “Mac Studio Fan Noise….”, “Apple Studio Display Yellow Tint….” or “ Whatever….” kind of thread. Paranoia at its Max level to the point that I put these thread in my un-watched list!!

Those kind of threads quickly spiral out of control, but you should understand that when people spend thousands of dollars on new equipment, they at least deserve to know if the product they bought is like all the others or not when something seems off about it compared to the previous products they owned. The only way to do that is to crowdsource the info on forums like these.

 

[mciarlo]

Just got my Studio Display and have similar shadows in the bottom left corner, top left edge, and top right edge.

 

[mciarlo]

Photo:

 

[mciarlo]

For anyone wondering, here are some of my thoughts after checking out the displays at the Apple Store in SoHo and getting a replacement:

- A majority of the displays seem to have subtle shadowing on the top edge and corners. This feels like a product of the new glass and display construction
- If you have noticeable shadowing across the top, you can consider a swap and likely get something that is much less noticeable.
- Trying to get a pristine display without ANY shadowing feels like a fools errand

Here is the before and after for my replacement. Top is the old, bottom is replacement.

 

[falconer.]

Yeah it definitely seems like that's just how it is. I've since noticed that the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros have similar shadowing around the edges as well. I guess it's something to do with how Apple builds their displays now. It could also be due to the (relatively) smaller bezels on all of these newer displays.

For what it's worth, I recently sat down in front of my old 27" iMac again after several months, and the huge bezels looked so ridiculous to my eyes now, I realized the shadowing isn't a bad trade-off for much smaller bezels.

 

[Jrshelby]

I’ve noticed over the last 3 weeks the border on mine is definitely getting a yellow tint about .75” all the way around. I don’t notice the depth or shadowing, but the yellow is a problem to me. No matter how I calibrate, allow try tone to be on or turn night shift on it’s always relevant to the start Point and equally as bad. Was NOT like this out of the box. I’ll call Apple when I get time .

 

[Cole82]

I noticed this too and was curious. It's not too annoying, the crooked stand however... sets my OCD on fire almost every day. Don't know if anyone else has noticed that their stand is a bit crooked. If I have it centered on my desk it's just ever so slightly further away on the left side, but if I adjust it so the stand isn't in a straight line it's fine. Just annoying considering the price paid.

 

[Anxiety]

Am I tripping or do I see a shadow on the corner of my studio display screen? I've also noticed that it only appears at certain angles. You can maybe kinda see it in the last photo. It's not that prominent but at the same time, I feel like its nothing. (Images are below)

 

[Anxiety]

 

[DMG35]

What's more glaring to me is that Apple released a display in 2022 with bezels that size. Those things are huge!