macOS 26.1 Beta Hints at Pro Display XDR 2 With Center Stage Camera

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded the third beta of macOS 26.1 to developers for testing, and it hints at a potential Pro Display XDR 2 with a built-in camera.

As first reported by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall, and corroborated by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, the latest macOS Tahoe beta includes new "Pro Display XDR Camera" and "Pro Display XDR Desk View Camera" code strings, which suggests that Apple is planning to release a new version of the external monitor with a built-in Center Stage camera.

Center Stage is a feature that keeps you centered in the frame during video calls, even if you move around. Desk View, which requires a camera with Center Stage support, can show your face and an overhead view of your desk at the same time.

The current Pro Display XDR lacks a built-in camera — and speakers — despite starting at a steep $4,999 in the United States.

Released in December 2019, the Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch screen with 6K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 1,600 nits of brightness, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Infamously, the monitor's stand costs $999 extra.

Apple went on to release a 27-inch Studio Display with a Center Stage camera and speakers in March 2022. That monitor starts at $1,599, stand included.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that Apple is working on two new external monitors, so perhaps both the Pro Display XDR and the Studio Display will be updated.

It has been nearly six years since Apple released the Pro Display XDR, so there has been a long wait for a new model. It is unclear when Apple would announce the model with a camera, but macOS 26.1 will likely be released later this month, and the company is expected to announce at least a few new products as early as tomorrow.

Article Link: macOS 26.1 Beta Hints at Pro Display XDR 2 With Center Stage Camera

 

[mdelvecchio]

I have the Studio Display. I find Center Stage useless to an office warrior, since I’m always in front of it anyway and not walking around the room on calls. I’d much rather have a higher quality camera that is not super wide/cropping.

 

[Justin Cymbal]

A new XDR 2 display is nice but definitely out of the budget for most Apple users

Would be nice if Apple brought back the now discontinued 27” iMac 🖥️ to go along with the current 24” iMac:

Apple Discontinues 27-Inch iMac

Following the launch of the new Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple has discontinued the 27-inch iMac. The 27-inch iMac had remained in the iMac...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Apple-achian]

I encourage Apple to disregard cost concerns and go ham

 

[Black_Mage]

I'm content with my much cheaper 27" AOC MiniLED. 1440p is plenty for me.

 

[Levithescienceguy]

Would love to see the 48MP main camera lens from the iPhone 17 in a monitor! The monitor is thick enough to house it, let's make it happen!

 

[mansplains]

I’d like to see a more affordable 21.5” 4K panel, or a 24” 4.5K panel from the current iMac, similar to the ASD otherwise. It would be easier to fit two smaller monitors at a desk.

 

[novagamer]

90-120hz and I'm in.

Will sell whatever it takes, hopefully the antiglare isn't a thousand damn dollars this time though since their newer process is both cheaper and (imo) better.

If it has a camera I really hope they add speakers too, the Studio Display sound is surprisingly good especially for just general coding background music.

 

[BigJohno]

If there is evidence of a new display, I really feel like there could be new Mac Pro or something to go along with it.

 

[Hildy]

Still shocked you can no longer order 27” iMacs. Would rather see larger Studio Displays as I’ve moved the family to laptops and external displays. I’ll no longer buy iMacs for my use case, too many perfectly good end of life iMac book ends. Although with XDR I’m happy the pros finally have something new to write off as critical office hardware. 🙂

Would definitely applaud larger Apple external displays, I purchased a Samsung as a price point test and the lack of seamless usability ended that experiment going forwards.

My biggest wish is for Apple to fix the massive number of iOS26 bugs. Gross.

 

[Apple-achian]

90-120hz and I'm in.

Will sell whatever it takes, hopefully the antiglare isn't a thousand damn dollars this time though since their newer process is both cheaper and (imo) better.

If it has a camera I really hope they add speakers too, the Studio Display sound is surprisingly good especially for just general coding background music.

120hz should be a higher tier and 6K. With a high-res webcam. And a market-competitive price of 15k USD.

 

[FlyingPJ]

Better have 120Hz to be worth the money this will cost

 

[DHagan4755]

Your choice at checkout: $1,000 stand —OR— a MacBook Air M4 with center stage camera. What a deal!

 

[BNBMS]

Around 500 local dimming zones on XDR Pro Display is a joke especially since it's not really a mini-LED display. Hopefully, they put as many mini-LED as possible just like MBP and iPad Pro or even use Tandem OLED.

 

[R3k]

An Apple display is the missing piece of my setup, because they don't currently make one that I want.
Bring on the new models, the sooner this changes the better 👍

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

As I had discussed a few weeks ago, there are many things Apple could consider implementing in an XDR 2, including a camera. Nice to see that at least one of those suggestions is being considered, and I hope it won't be the only one. After six years, an incremental update to the XDR would be very disappointing. This professional monitor has serious potential.

 

[citysnaps]

A new XDR 2 display is nice but definitely out of the budget for most Apple users

Would be nice if Apple brought back the now discontinued 27” iMac 🖥️ to go along with the current 24” iMac:

Apple Discontinues 27-Inch iMac

Following the launch of the new Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple has discontinued the 27-inch iMac. The 27-inch iMac had remained in the iMac...

www.macrumors.com

The XDR and XDR 2 displays are not targeted towards most Apple users. They're for professionals (and serious users) who need the best color accuracy and uniformity for processing images and videos. It's not for gaming, general computing, etc.

 

[newyorksole]

let’s gooo. this hopefully means that an Apple Display 2 is inevitable because I imagine the Pro Display will still be extremely expensive.

would love an affordable 32”. we’ll see…

 

[krell100]

Hopefully a Studio Display 2 won't be too far away... the Pro Display is way outside my price range unfortunately.

 

[Lone Deranger]

Apple will add centre stage and another $250 on top of the current price.... and nothing else.... for the next 6 years.
Maybe a new polishing cloth in Sky Blue?

 

[con2apple]

It has been nearly six years since Apple released the Pro Display XDR, so there has been a long wait for a new model

I don't know about others, but I use my monitors for ten years or more.

Perhaps some people are already conditioned to annual "updates", but as a profit-oriented company, for monitors Apple know: it's not worth it.

 

[con2apple]

Hopefully a Studio Display 2 won't be too far away... the Pro Display is way outside my price range unfortunately.

Why does it need to be an Apple monitor?

 

[con2apple]

If there is evidence of a new display, I really feel like there could be new Mac Pro or something to go along with it.

And what would you do with it?
Seriously, because even Macworld doesn’t know it anymore

 

[adl1010]

Couldn’t care less about the camera and feel as if the target audience for this monitor won’t either. The current one is fine, think only promotion(120hz) would actually get people to upgrade.

 

[foobarbaz]

I don't know about others, but I use my monitors for ten years or more.

Perhaps some people are already conditioned to annual "updates", but as a profit-oriented company, for monitors Apple know: it's not worth it.

Perhaps some people have used their monitor for ten years, or currently don't have one and are reasonably waiting for an update instead of buying the 6 year old, clearly outdated model.