Pro Display XDR - Owners Thread

[ThomasPicard]

the display has continued to hold on to the top of the market.

Well - it is still the best 6K Display you can buy for your mac - so the need for Apple to make a new "better" model is not very high..

Other than the 5K Studio Display - there is much room for Apple to improve - much more units will be sold - so I think they will focus on that.

It's the same with the mac pro - a niche product - I am not sure if Apple will update these any soon - or even ever 🙄

 

[Pezimak]

The IPad Pro OLED screen crushes the Pro Display XDR, sorry but it just does, even the MacBook Pro Mini LED screen is better and supersedes it. If Apple doesn’t release a tandem OLED Pro Display XDR update it IMO isn’t with 1P let alone 6 grand, for when the MacBook Pro gets it’s rumoured tandem OLED screen again it will supersede any Mini LED display. If Apple do make a 32” 6K tandem OLED monitor with it’s design aesthetics its an instant buy, well after saving a lot of money, for me.

EDIT:
Disclaimer: I say that as someone who selfishly adores the deeper more rich colours on the iPads screen and as someone who is in no way a professional colourist, or photographer or videographer, or needs accurate calibrated colours for any work load. It's just in my eyes Apple and their supplier made one hell of a screen with my M4 iPad Pro, and the M5 iPad Pro now. Compared to my M3 Max 14" MacBook Pro screen in HDR it looks a looks much richer.

Their are 6K screens on the market now, even 8K 32" Mini LED from Asus that is cheaper the the Pro Display, I am not sure just adding a quantum dot filter as rumoured is enough, and it doesn't need speakers or a built in webcam. It just needs multiple inputs and a killer screen in an update.

 

[gugy]

Well - it is still the best 6K Display you can buy for your mac - so the need for Apple to make a new "better" model is not very high..

Other than the 5K Studio Display - there is much room for Apple to improve - much more units will be sold - so I think they will focus on that.

It's the same with the mac pro - a niche product - I am not sure if Apple will update these any soon - or even ever 🙄

After all these years, I have never understood why Apple hasn't lowered the price of the XDR and move way more units. The niche concept was OK in the beginning but now, I would buy two XDRs if it was half of the price and I am sure Apple would still make a huge profit.

 

[thosmatthews]

After all these years, I have never understood why Apple hasn't lowered the price of the XDR and move way more units. The niche concept was OK in the beginning but now, I would buy two XDRs if it was half of the price and I am sure Apple would still make a huge profit.

Apple used to do this. I think they did it with their all aluminium displays in the 00s. I guess inflation maybe plays a part, but also: Tim Cook.

 

[gugy]

Apple used to do this. I think they did it with their all aluminium displays in the 00s. I guess inflation maybe plays a part, but also: Tim Cook.

They did. I bought my two ACD 30" when they dropped in price, two years after they launched. It's been I think 6 years for the XDR and they still charge the same price tag. Lame.

 

[Mactagonist]

After all these years, I have never understood why Apple hasn't lowered the price of the XDR and move way more units. The niche concept was OK in the beginning but now, I would buy two XDRs if it was half of the price and I am sure Apple would still make a huge profit.

Apple always holds their price points. Whenever XDR2 come out Apple doesn’t want to create the impression they are “raising prices” from a discounted XDR1.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

The XDR is not a consumer product. It is, by design, a niche product for a very specific type of professional who is happy to pay the $6K for its feature set. Apple is not interested in “moving more units” at half the cost.

Therefor, “if they were cheaper, my roommate would buy two of these” is not a valid argument.

 

[- rob -]

Another question:

Is anyone using their XDR with a KVM / display switch? There seem to be two options people were using as of fall 2025. I topped the thread focused on it here. Please reply here or over there if you have feedback.

I wanted to follow up on this, thanks to @fpenta for the feedback:

Connecting multiple Macs to Pro Display XDR

Yes the usbc's on the back of the XDR do work when connected directly to the pc with the WSJEOG without using the switch. strange....

forums.macrumors.com

I have teseted the $60 Cable Matters USB4 switch with a Mac mini M4 + MacBook Air M2 through an OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock to a Pro Display XDR.

Display switching works reliably (including MBA clamshell as long as it’s kept awake with Amphetamine), and I was able to switch away for a few minutes mid-task and come back with everything fine.

Magic Keyboard/Trackpad only shared reliably when plugged into the XDR (not the dock). MBA doesn’t charge over the switch path; MagSafe works but takes a few seconds to kick in after switching.

Details are here

This stands in stark contrast with the $300 Sabrient TB4 KVM switch. I am curious if anyone is using that and knows of any advantages that has over the CM device.

 

[gugy]

Apple always holds their price points. Whenever XDR2 come out Apple doesn’t want to create the impression they are “raising prices” from a discounted XDR1.

Sure, I get that but hopefully there is a V2 coming and a price drop for the V1 or a new ASD 32". With the ACD they did drop the prices two years after launch. I remember well because I bought two. the original price was $3,300 and then I paid $2k two years later in 2006.

 

[thosmatthews]

Also the 30” ACD was very much like the XDR in the day, barely for the average consumer with its ‘dual dual link’!

In the UK where I am however, with the difference in inflation, £4,599 today is about £3,400 in real terms purchasing power in 2020. So I suppose it’s a better deal today in ways than it was 2019/2020. Kinda.

 

[etc]

Also the 30” ACD was very much like the XDR in the day, barely for the average consumer with its ‘dual dual link’!

In the UK where I am however, with the difference in inflation, £4,599 today is about £3,400 in real terms purchasing power in 2020. So I suppose it’s a better deal today in ways than it was 2019/2020. Kinda.

Yep, it can be cheaper but it depends on the country and currency.

For example in Poland it costs 24000 PLN standard, no stand. This price is fixed and the same in any store and it's the same even today. I've found it for 500 PLN less so I bought it in Nov 2022 for 23,5k PLN + 1k PLN for VESA adapter. That was only 5.2k USD back then.

But today 24,5k PLN is $6850 with current rates, so...

 

[- rob -]

Well, well, well.

No pro refresh, yet. (?)

Speculation? Seems like a misstep to craft the stand for one generation, but it happens.

Comments on what is available?

 

[ThomasPicard]

RIP Pro Display XDR 🙄

Last chance - WWDC - if they bring a new Mac Pro - than maybe also a new Pro XDR..

 

[fpenta]

RIP Pro Display XDR 🙄

Last chance - WWDC - if they bring a new Mac Pro - than maybe also a new Pro XDR..

So glad I bought mine refurbished last year

 

[ascender]

Well, well, well.

No pro refresh, yet. (?)

Speculation? Seems like a misstep to craft the stand for one generation, but it happens.

Comments on what is available?

I think that's the end of the Pro Display XDR given the specs of the ASD XDR and the fact they've marked the Pro Display XDR as retired now.

I don't really know where it would fit into their current lineup unless they had announced a 27" and 32" version of the Apple Studio Display XDR yesterday.

 

[etc]

I think that's the end of the Pro Display XDR given the specs of the ASD XDR and the fact they've marked the Pro Display XDR as retired now.

I don't really know where it would fit into their current lineup unless they had announced a 27" and 32" version of the Apple Studio Display XDR yesterday.

I guess it can be announced in September according to their new approach of 2 events per year.

 

[ascender]

I guess it can be announced in September according to their new approach of 2 events per year.

Absolutely. I'm just not sure what it would offer in terms of spec over the new ASD XDR?

 

[etc]

Absolutely. I'm just not sure what it would offer in terms of spec over the new ASD XDR?

Spec is the same but 32" and thinner bezels with "pro" design whatever that means. They just need to find a good panel supplier with mini-LEDs. 120Hz can be tricky here btw

 

[ascender]

Spec is the same but 32" and thinner bezels with "pro" design whatever that means. They just need to find a good panel supplier with mini-LEDs. 120Hz can be tricky here btw

Yes, I guess it might come down to the available panels, although I also think they've maybe just decided that given how many 5K 27" monitors they sell, why do a 32".

I lose track of the specific details, combinations, limitations of available resolution, hidpi, macOS scaling etc which all come together to ultimately limit what panels look great with Macs these days.

 

[cambookpro]

RIP Pro Display XDR 🙄

Last chance - WWDC - if they bring a new Mac Pro - than maybe also a new Pro XDR..

The Newsroom post says the Studio XDR is a direct replacement, so I don’t think a Pro Display is coming:

Studio Display XDR replaces Pro Display XDR and starts at £2999

A shame there’s no option bigger than 27” now - I think a non-XDR 32” 6K screen that was priced in between the two would have been a good option.

 

[daveedjackson]

What a surprise, Apple just "forgetting" their prosumers. Although having said that as someone taking Apple to court for breaching consumer rights laws in the UK as the display was coming out of the factory with issues, and them refusing a repair for a fault they are aware of - I can hardly blame them. Another product apple launched and continued to sell with known issues.

 

[mcvaughan]

I’ll hold onto my PD XDR until it dies!

 

[thosmatthews]

What a surprise, Apple just "forgetting" their prosumers. Although having said that as someone taking Apple to court for breaching consumer rights laws in the UK as the display was coming out of the factory with issues, and them refusing a repair for a fault they are aware of - I can hardly blame them. Another product apple launched and continued to sell with known issues.

Do you have more info on this? I ordered a PDXDR in 2023 and had to have three replacements because of a variety of quality issues.

 

[ascender]

If they are selling as many 27" 5K screens as that recent article suggests, maybe they just don't think it worthwhile making a 32" XDR now. Although as we all said, the cost of the XDR definitely reduced the potential market for a 32" Apple display.

I did think they might have added a 32" ASD option - with the mini-LED screen being 32" only. Its a shame they didn't, but I am surprised by how many different companies I go to where they seem to favour multiple 27" screens over 32" ones and ultrawides.

 

[innerproduct]

the studio display xdr can be viewed through different lenses:
a) what the studio display should have been from the get go to match the quality of the MBP displays already available at that time (2022)
b) The actual best display on the market for 27" retina quality + HDR + color accuracy (assumed, we need to see measurements but quite plausible )
c) another indication that apple do not care for "true" hard core pro audience

To me it is:

Not exactly want I wanted but the best alternative on the market I quite likely to be a customer.

What it is not:
an actual replacement of the Pro Display XDR. A replacement should have been the same tech at 6K or a a 36" Pro Display XDR at 8K.
Single 5K display is just not enough for most heavy work these days and multiple screens have their issues as we all know. Most coders I know that don't care about apples retina etc are on single slightly curved ultra wides.

I guess it is not totally unthinkable that apple will release such a display but I guess that would need a shift in mentality where there might be a true replacement of the MacPro as well. Maybe the rush for apple studios as local AI machines have got their attention and business rationale for bringing out a true beast.
We'll see.