CES 2023: Samsung's Latest Monitors Include an Apple Studio Display Rival, Updated M8 Smart Monitor

[kiranmk2]

Most comments seem to be about the 27" 5K display (it's always nice to have a Retina competitor to Apple's option), but I'm more interested in the potential of the 8k2k 57" display. This display itself is a beast (I think it's the equivalent of two 32" 4k screens in one monitor), especially at 240 Hz over DP2.1. I'm hoping this opens the door of possibility to a 34" 21:9 6720x2880 display (which would be a retina 34" ultrawide).

 

[tstafford]

Lots of Samsung displays, including the M8 if I recall correctly, don’t have VESA mounting points at all. Apple’s Studio Display _does_ at least have a VESA option (which I am currently using).

That's correct but there are options (Etsy believe it or not) to VESA mount the M8.

 

[JaredJenkinsDesign]

Depending on the price, this could really be a solid alternative to the Studio Display for those who just want a 218 PPI screen. Obviously we don't know the full details but on paper, it looks promising. It might not have speakers, a glossy screen, as good build quality or as bright of a screen (we don't know the nits yet) but for most people, it shouldn't be a dealbreaker.

Just hoping Samsung can deliver on quality control and we won't have any issues like ghosting from those who used LG's 27" 5K monitor.

 

[PauloSera]

Looks amazing. Hopefully can compete on price and be a realistic alternative.

It's already a realistic alternative regardless of price because it is already better than the Studio Display.

 

[theorist9]

The report says it will be matte display. I know that costs more on ASD, but honestly I prefer the gloss.

Do other folks care about that?

I do. Since I can control the reflections in my room I also prefer a glossy screen, since that gives sharper text.

However, the strength of my preference depends on how strong the matte finish is. I find a light matte finish is OK since, while it can make text slightly less sharp than on a glossy screen, the difference is subtle. Both my Dell P2715Q and 2014 MBP have what I consider to be light matte finishes. Hopefully the Samsung is like that as well.

By constrast, the matte finish on the ASD is quite strong. This gives it outstanding anti-reflection properties, but its downsides are too much for me:

(1) It's strong enough that the decrease in text shapness is noticeable. Compare, for instance, the glossy and matte ASD's the next time you're at an Apple Store.

(2) More importantly, heavy matte finishes create a "snowfield" effect, where the white background looks like a sparkling snowfield, which I find very distracting. [I don't see that effect on my Dell or MBP.]

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

The viewfinity S9 is very much a welcome addition to the 5k monitor space. Thus providing more competition.

Unlike the ASD it will not have a unibody aluminium case, therefore should be cheaper on that account alone.

But the devil will be in the detail.

 

[ader42]

It’s nice that there’s an alternative for folks now, but I’d rather pay the extra for Apple design to be honest (no webcam on top and no odd sized bezels).

 

[gugy]

Nice, I might consider a dual set up if the price is right. I’m hopeful for a 32” version.

 

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

Glad to read this even though I would never buy Samsung..
hopefully this will pressure LG to make a modern 27 5K and maybe higher for 32inch.

Retina display introduced in iPhone 4 changed the phone industry standard, it took SO long for consumer screens to follow the lead since retain iMac

 

[dawnrazor]

If Samsung are sensible they will price the S9 to be slightly cheaper than the LG 5K Ultrafine - this still won’t be a cheap monitor but it’ll be cheaper than the Apple and that’s all that will matter to Samsung…

 

[fathergll]

Surprised to see all the positive comments about this 5K display.

Based on the standards set here earlier last year, if it isn't 5K MiniLED ProMotion 120Hz for just $999 it's garbage 8 year old display tech that shouldn't even be sold. Glad there's competition in the space as well though. 5K > 4K.

Nah it makes sense why there would be positive comments.

The issue wasn't that Apple was selling 8 year old display tech. The issue was that they they took older display tech and bundled it with a bunch of things(A13 chip, 64 gb storage, webcam, speakers) put it on a non adjustable stand, no removable cord, no physical buttons and charged an arm and leg for it and people had no good alternatives(LG 5K is junk).

While the current Studio Display can work for some people even with the price it's still a ridiculous idea that Apple's own marketing has this display as a mutli monitor workhorse when in fact the below setup would run you close to $5,000 for displays alone which is insane for a three 27"monitor setup(Apple is upselling on the redundant webcams, speakers that you don't need...etc)

Hopefully Samsung can give a decent alternative in this range.

 

[AndiG]

Finally someone fights Apples crippled displays.
Vesa mount, stand, 5k, DisplayPort, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C, with Power Delivery charging support up to 96W!
No $300 upgrade for ‘nano-texture glass’. No Apple cloth.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/42685...onitor-is-coming-after-apple-s-studio-display

 

[tornado99]

This isn't the first non LG/Apple 5K monitor. About 5? years ago Dell, Iiyama, and some small American company all sold repackaged versions of the LG 5K panel. Prices were never below about $900 even back then. Sadly all were discontinued after a year or two.

for example

Iiyama ProLite XB2779QQS review: An iMac-style 5K monitor at a tempting price | Expert Reviews

This low-cost 5K monitor looks stunning, though its IPS panel isn’t picture-perfect

www.expertreviews.co.uk

 

[enc0re]

Wonderful news. If nothing else, finally something for Windows users that’s HiDPI.

Let’s hope they do a 32” too!

 

[cult hero]

Honestly, I'm just thrilled to see more Thunderbolt/5K monitors. I'm still using my LG Ultrafine 5K and while, for the most part, it's excellent, it's now 6 years old—which is actually no big deal except these things start having ghosting issues after a few years.

5K 27" is my favorite size/resolution at the moment. But the lack of options/competition is... not great.

While I tend to love the look of Apple monitors, they're always overpriced and the ergonomics are crap. (At least the newer ones can just be VESA mounted without some goofy adapter, unless the LED and Thunderbolt displays.) For all the crap people gave LG about the "forehead", it actually had a decent adjustable stand and... VESA mounting.

 

[cult hero]

Not a chance.

I really feel like a lot of people here do not get Apple. When have they ever reactively slashed prices?

Hell, when they gave discounts on Thunderbolt 3/USB-C stuff for the first 6 months after the 2016 MacBook Pros were released that was... completely unheard of. (And why I bought two LG 5Ks at the time because... I figured it'd be a while before there were any 5Ks under a grand again.)

 

[DotCom2]

Waiting for hands-on reviews cuz as they say, the devil is in the details, but at this very moment it's all about the $PRICE!

 

[davemacdo]

Finally someone fights Apples crippled displays.
Vesa mount, stand, 5k, DisplayPort, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C, with Power Delivery charging support up to 96W!
No $300 upgrade for ‘nano-texture glass’. No Apple cloth.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/42685...onitor-is-coming-after-apple-s-studio-display

There’s no mention in any of the coverage I’ve seen of VESA, and most Samsung displays like this (such as the M8) don’t have VESA options. I would expect this to be the same. Sadly, that’s a dealbreaker for me.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I have the Mini LED Neo G9 and it's a amazing experience. The OLED version seems like a pretty good upgrade. Can't wait for reviews on it.

 

[gugy]

I really feel like a lot of people here do not get Apple. When have they ever reactively slashed prices?

They did back in the day when with the ACD 30" (Cinema Displays). I remember I bought two when the price dropped to $2500, I believed originally at launch it was $3500. Great displays. I still use them to this day.

 

[ignatius345]

No speakers or microphone, though, unless I’m mistaken. It will be interesting to see how they’re priced.

That would kill it for me, sadly. Not an issue if you're plugging in a MacBook, but could be an annoying omission if you have a Mini. I used to have a Mac Mini setup that had me plugging in a mic and speakers and I always hated the clutter.

 

[EugW]

I just wish Apple would throw people like me a bone and give us the scaled HiDPI resolution of 2304x1296. They offer it in macOS for 4K monitors, so why not 5K? It works fine (if you add it through third party apps), but it's just not included as an option in macOS for 5K monitors for some reason.

What's not mentioned in this MR article but is mentioned in the DP Review article is it's an IPS display. This comes as a relief since my experience with Samsung monitors has always been horrible TN display technology with its color and contrast shifting depending on viewing angle.

Many of the recent ones like the M8 are VA. However, IPS is typical AFAIK for true productivity and creative oriented monitors, even from Samsung. I'm glad it's true for this monitor too. In fact I wonder if they are using the same LG panel.

BTW, they are releasing a 4K M8 sibling too, which I presume will be VA, although I'm not sure.

The report says it will be matte display. I know that costs more on ASD, but honestly I prefer the gloss.

Do other folks care about that?

I prefer matte. However, it seems that on some monitors the matte display may reduce viewing angles. I guess it depends on how its implemented. I would not like matte as much when it has that effect.

Right now they haven't mentioned the display quality. Guessing it's a 500 nit model, the smart hub can apparently run some of the more common sVoD apps on it. Cost is another factor that swing opinions the opposite direction if priced close to Apple's.

It is listed to support HDR600. If it's truly HDR600, then it would need to hit 600 nits. However, brightness is not really an indicator of quality per se.

 

[entropys]

Don’t like detachable or sticking out the top. That’s why I stopped using FireWire iSight 😂

It makes sense if you have multiple displays. Why pay for a built in camera for each display? See also rotation to portrait.

 

[JamesHolden]

I’ve almost bought a Studio Display to replace my Thunderbolt Display several times, but I’ve held off for several reasons including price and the early webcam issues. Now I think I’ll wait a little longer and see what Samsung has to offer. At around $1K, I would have bought the Studio Display upon release. The old 27” iMac started at $1799, only $200 more than the Studio Display. And that included a Mac! It’s so obvious that Apple is grossly gouging their customers on the Studio Display.

 

[slooksterPSV]

Not going to lie, this looks impressive. I'm really curious about the pricing model of it overall. However, one thing just jabs me the wrong way; will the on-screen menu show ads like the Samsung TVs?? If it does, this is worthless. Since Samsung started injecting ads into their $2k+ TVs it seems like this would be the perfect opportunity to do the same with monitors.

That being said, when/where can I find an apples to Apple comparison of the displays?