Apple Updates Studio Display With Thunderbolt 5 and More

[abowlby]

Pretty happy I jumped on the M9. It covers a wide gamut of needs and matches the Space Grey MBP perfectly.

 

[fathergll]

I am a graphic designer/photographer, and I love the build quality of the Apple Display, but as I am reading here, it is silly to pay this much for this in 2026...So, what is the best 27" or 32" monitor at this price point?
I am connecting a loaded Mac mini, and sometimes my MacBook Air M2.

Thanks!

Issue is it's sort of a loaded question....What are you doing with the final image? If it is for commercial print publication where absolute color accuracy is required or is this for a website use where any decent calibrated monitor will work.

Its its the former then monitors like an EIZO Color Edge. If its the ladder then just a matter of how much(or little) you want to spend. If you want the retina specs then ASUS 5k and 6K monitors are best bang for buck. Apple displays are still good but I sure as heck would rather of a matte $1300 32" 6K ASUS over a glossy $1600 non-adjustable 27" Studio Display because I want screen real estate way more than the benefits glossy can give at times. Your miles may vary. If you don'y care about retina specs then you got a ton of options.

Also keep in mind more monitors are coming out like the 27" LG Mini LED but have to wait for reviews.

 

[anthony13]

It’s funny how ridiculously off I was on my optimistic thinking that an updated Studio Display with 120hz might actually be the same cost as the original Studio Display 😭.

 

[abowlby]

I am a graphic designer/photographer, and I love the build quality of the Apple Display, but as I am reading here, it is silly to pay this much for this in 2026...So, what is the best 27" or 32" monitor at this price point?
I am connecting a loaded Mac mini, and sometimes my MacBook Air M2.

Thanks!

Charging $1600 for a 60Hz LCD in the year 2026 is diabolical work. 🤣

 

[turbineseaplane]

It’s funny how ridiculously off I was on my optimistic thinking that an updated Studio Display with 120hz might actually be the same cost as the original Studio Display 😭.

Look at how wrong I was!

You get to choose 2 of the below 3 things:

1. 6k
2. 32"
3. Less than $3k

I thought you'd get to choose TWO of these things 👆

It's 5k, 27" and MORE than $3k

I went 0 for 3.

@Pezimak and I were as wrong as wrong can be on this one.

 

[saboteur]

It feels like every Apple upgrade is so minor and the price is so unreasonable. Nothing gets me excited anymore. Let’s hope the new MacBook Pro with touchscreen and OLED will be the first thing to excite me.

That’s the only feeling I’ve having from Apple for a long time now.

 

[abowlby]

Look at how wrong I was!



I thought you'd get to choose TWO of these things 👆

It's 5k, 27" and MORE than $3k

I went 0 for 3.

@Pezimak and I were as wrong as wrong can be on this one.


View attachment 2609572

Having now seen this, I am stalwart in the opinion that this is "offensively priced." I couldn't bring myself to buy it out of the principle required for being a sentient being.

 

[ErneX]

Oh well that’s saved me some money

Same, just ordered the 6k Asus.

Can’t believe they still release monitors with just one input.

 

[Ishimura]

Same, just ordered the 6k Asus.

Can’t believe they still release monitors with just one input.

Which model, may I ask? I need something in the next month.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It feels like every Apple upgrade is so minor and the price is so unreasonable. Nothing gets me excited anymore. Let’s hope the new MacBook Pro with touchscreen and OLED will be the first thing to excite me.

I agree with you ... but I expect to be disappointed, for the same reason I expect macOS to continue off a cliff over time.

The people with the history, the taste, the training, the eye for all of this ... are all gone.


It's Apple of old in name and marketing speak only now.

 

[ErneX]

Also spotted the Pro Display XDR now links to the Studio Display XDR, but these aren't the same... Have they canned the 32inch Model?

Yes, the press release says the expensive Studio Display model replaces the Pro XDR.

Even though it’s a 27 inch model unlike the Pro XDR which was 32 inch.

Same pixel density though.

 

[jarman92]

Ancillary issue, but for those keeping score at home—Gurman just said on Sunday that new displays weren’t coming this week 😅

 

[ErneX]

Which model, may I ask? I need something in the next month.

Asus ProArt Display PA32QCV.

Keep in mind it’s a matte display with a coating some people don’t like much, and it’s 60hz obviously.

But it’s just what I need, multiple inputs to use my 2 Macs with it and also share the keyboard and mouse with both. 32 inch 6K (218ppi).

 

[Brother Cavil]

It feels like every Apple upgrade is so minor and the price is so unreasonable. Nothing gets me excited anymore. Let’s hope the new MacBook Pro with touchscreen and OLED will be the first thing to excite me.

Same here. Everything feels minimal effort iterative at this point. I still prefer Apple and the Apple ecosystem over the other options, but I haven't been remotely excited about anything they've released in quite a while. These monitor "upgrades" take it to a new level, though.

 

[saboteur]

I am looking for any alternative as well.

Also curious, any update on processor upgrade on the Studio Display?

They don't mention the processor anywhere, so I'm pretty sure they drowgraded and dropped the A13.

 

[ErneX]

They don't mention the processor anywhere, so I'm pretty sure they drowgraded and dropped the A13.

I doubt it, they used it for the camera and other things. It’s still there imo.

 

[fathergll]

Charging $1600 for a 60Hz LCD in the year 2026 is diabolical work. 🤣

Well it's not good certainly but I still think the 27" XDR Mini LED is more diabolical at that price. You can buy two Studio Displays for cheaper.

 

[hagar]

it’s obvious Apple doesn’t want to sell displays. So I won’t buy one.



I don’t understand this. Why does Apple push people to third party screens? It’s what people see, what’s on desks.

 

[MrGimper]

I bought 2x Koorui 27” 4K 160hz Mini-LED screens, a pair of AudioEngine A2+ speakers, an AudioEngine S6 subwoofer and a thunderbolt dock, all for cheaper than 1x Studio Display.

 

[Ishimura]

Charging $1600 for a 60Hz LCD in the year 2026 is diabolical work. 🤣

Apple 60hz is smoother than their competitors. There is simply no comparison.

Tim Cook just keeps hitting the home runs.

 

[Ishimura]

I bought 2x Koorui 27” 4K 160hz Mini-LED screens, a pair of AudioEngine A2+ speakers, an AudioEngine S6 subwoofer and a thunderbolt dock, all for cheaper than 1x Studio Display.

May I ask the model number for the monitor? I’m researching.

 

[spritle]

General computing public: there’s no market for a $1,599 60Hz 27” monitor in 2026

Tim Apple: hold my beer …

 

[MrGimper]

May I ask the model number for the monitor? I’m researching.

S2741LM. Very good.

 

[abowlby]

Well it's not good certainly but I still think the 27" XDR Mini LED is more diabolical at that price. You can buy two Studio Displays for cheaper.

I guess there are varying schools of thought on this, but for me, the display tech is the window into the software. So would I rather have OLED or micro-LED over an extra port? Yes. Would I rather have 120Hz+ over an extra port? Yes.

Therefore, because the XDR has also lost the plot in terms of value, I opted for another brand of display. To be clear, it was costlier than Apple's offering here, but there is significantly more return on the investment. The Apple Displays, in my opinion, are ensconced in "shill purchase" territory - which is a realm I elect not to traverse.

 

[MacFarmer]

This is just ridiculous. I never thought I will say this, but china, please rip the design 1:1, just add 2026 year display tech inside.