Samsung's New 32-Inch 'M8' Display vs. Apple's Studio Display

[matthewadams]

Why are the vast majority of reviews on YouTube so good, including for picture quality (if the panel is as bad as you say)?

I've been wondering the exact same thing.
There are some that are more critical about the panel though but most reviews have been focussing more on the smart features.

Don't get me wrong, its a good monitor. But my standards to a good screen are high as well and the annoying slight tapering off of brightness at the bottom was too weird for me personally given my previous monitors had equal lighting all around (and probably IPS panels vs. VA).

It's definitely noticable in some reviews where the bottom edge looks like it has a darkish haze over it as opposed to the top. I could also assume it doesnt bother many folks, especially when you dont hide the dock and never go real full screen. But since I do and most of my work tools are using white backgrounds/are text based, its enough to warrant a return for me.

 

[ErikGrim]

The default resolution setting on the 13” MacBook Pro and 13” MacBook Air is (“Looks Like”) 1440x900. Their native screen resolution is 2560x1600.

I guess you’d better tell Apple then that they don’t know what they’re doing.

That is correct. Apple obviously had to compromise with those monitors.

 

[ErikGrim]

Explain why scaling is garbage (I’m interested), e.g. for using Office applications, viewing the finder, Teams, Safari, standard stuff?

Blurred text and elements, uneven lines, and a performance hit to boot. I guess if you don't notice any of those, then your definition of garbage might vary.

 

[dpace32]

Looks like these are now n sale for $539 at Samsung https://bit.ly/3vWn9cI using promo code JENNSAMSUNG (PINK only)

 

[nquinn]

Looks like these are now n sale for $539 at Samsung https://bit.ly/3vWn9cI using promo code JENNSAMSUNG (PINK only)

Only 4k monitor. People, please stop comparing 4k monitors to 5k monitors. They are not apples:apples.

 

[bingeciren]

Got my M8 today. I've seen and examined the Studio Display at an Apple store as well, so I'm familiar with it.

M8 is a reasonable monitor that is perfectly adequate for non professional use. The difference in picture quality, vibrancy of colours, contrast etc. on the Apple Studio Display compared to M8 is like day and night. Never mind the 4-5 K difference, never mind the pixel density, but when you look at the Studio Display all you can say is WOW, and the M8 is yea, it will do the job.

Studio Display cost nearly twice as much, but it's not for no reason. I don't care what the Youtubers say when they compare the two. It's like comparing a Mercedes to a Hyundai. No offence to Hyundai or the M8, they are good for their price and functionality but they are leagues apart.

As for me, I'm not complaining what I paid for the M8. It has interesting features, and fulfils my needs. It is actually a smart TV which also works as a monitor.

 

[EugW]

Got my M8 today. I've seen and examined the Studio Display at an Apple store as well, so I'm familiar with it.

M8 is a reasonable monitor that is perfectly adequate for non professional use. The difference in picture quality, vibrancy of colours, contrast etc. on the Apple Studio Display compared to M8 is like day and night. Never mind the 4-5 K difference, never mind the pixel density, but when you look at the Studio Display all you can say is WOW, and the M8 is yea, it will do the job.

Studio Display cost nearly twice as much, but it's not for no reason. I don't care what the Youtubers say when they compare the two. It's like comparing a Mercedes to a Hyundai. No offence to Hyundai or the M8, they are good for their price and functionality but they are leagues apart.

As for me, I'm not complaining what I paid for the M8. It has interesting features, and fulfils my needs. It is actually a smart TV which also works as a monitor.

How are the viewing angles?

 

[bingeciren]

How are the viewing angles?

Straight ahead it's ok. Any other angle it loses its contrast and brightness. Luckily I sit dead in front of it.

 

[EugW]

Straight ahead it's ok. Any other angle it loses its contrast and brightness. Luckily I sit dead in front of it.

Thx. That seems to be a consistent assessment of the monitor, which I guess isn't surprising considering it's VA.

I can sometimes accept VA viewing angles for a (secondary) TV where I'm sitting straight on, but for my needs I don't think I'd be happy with that for a daily use monitor, esp. in a dual monitor setup since often the monitors won't necessarily be right in front of me.

 

[bingeciren]

Thx. That seems to be a consistent assessment of the monitor, which I guess isn't surprising considering it's VA.

I can accept VA viewing angles for a secondary TV where I'm sitting straight on, but for my needs I don't think I'd be happy with that for a monitor, esp. in a dual monitor setup since often the monitors won't necessarily be right in front of me.

That's exactly correct. I tilt the monitor to compensate for this when I sit at an angle.

Something else about this monitor: Airplay on this Samsung device has a major flaw. It connects but then does not update. I tried with different IOS devices and the result is the same. On the other hand, it projects my iPad Mini 6 as soon as I connect it using the USB-C input port. This is an expected behaviour with a Samsung Tablet or a phone but I was surprised that it worked with an Apple device too.

 

[matthewadams]

Straight ahead it's ok. Any other angle it loses its contrast and brightness. Luckily I sit dead in front of it.

I found that even dead ahead they are slightly visible, something that didnt happen to me on my IPS monitor.
Coming from IPS it felt like a big enough downgrade all the smart features couldnt make up for.
Suppose that one's on me because I haven't done any panel research in a decade and forgot about all this when I ordered the monitor. Figured this is a non-issue in 2022 but suppose it still is.

 

[bingeciren]

I found that even dead ahead they are slightly visible, something that didnt happen to me on my IPS monitor.
Coming from IPS it felt like a big enough downgrade all the smart features couldnt make up for.
Suppose that one's on me because I haven't done any panel research in a decade and forgot about all this when I ordered the monitor. Figured this is a non-issue in 2022 but suppose it still is.

Unfortunately that's the case. I'm not complaining that much because I didn't have great expectations about this monitor to begin with. I was using a 32" 1080P Samsung Smart TV before as a monitor/TV combination, so M8 with it's better pixel ratio and a newer Tizen OS was an improvement for me.

I like the 32" size for one thing, and it's nice to have the Smart TV features, but in honesty, I still have my eyes on the Studio Display despite being smaller in size. Once you see the Studio Display in person, it is hard to dismiss the clarity of the image on it.

 

[Someirishguy]

I don’t know what to do now. Studio Display is more than I need (primarily MS office, creating reports with lots of photos / figures) and more than I want to spend on a monitor.

I was moving towards the Dell U2723QE

Dell UltraSharp 27 Inch 4K USB-C Hub Monitor (U2723QE) : Computer Monitors | Dell UK

View the Dell UltraSharp 27 Inch 4K USB-C Hub Monitor (U2723QE) with IPS Black technology or view all Dell computer monitors at Dell.com.

www.dell.com

And, as my study has a seating area, I was also going to use the Dell as a TV sometimes (streaming from MacBook Pro and it’s speakers).

But the M8 seemed to tick both boxes well, so I’d settled on that.

Now I’m not so sure. Any thoughts given the use case?

 

[matthewadams]

Now I’m not so sure. Any thoughts given the use case?

I'd say it really boils down to how important image quality is for you.
The key selling point for this monitor seem to be design and smart capabilities. If you take this away you have a less than mediocre panel with abysmal HDR support.

There are monitors that deliver more bang for the buck at that level.

Looks like RTings finally took the monitor into the lab for a thorough test but the results are currently still behind a pay wall:

Samsung Smart Monitor M80B S32BM80 Review

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 S32BM80 is a 32-inch, 4k smart monitor. Part of Samsung's Smart Monitor lineup that includes the Samsung Smart Monitor M7 S43BM70, i...

www.rtings.com

Worth checking their site for better monitors at the given price range.

 

[Someirishguy]

My priorities are (i) easy on the eyes (looking at MS Word etc. all day) and (ii) screen real estate (at least two documents side by side). Colour accuracy isn’t a priority and I’ll be sitting far enough back that 4K (rather than 5k) will be fine (regarding DPI). Non-uniformity of contrast/brightness would bother me I think.

As I understand the M8 has an version of True Tone and has some eye care stuff - does anybody know if these work well?

Being able to swap over to TV mode is quite appealing to me (but I guess I can stream on any monitor - but in a less convenient way). My wife and I can retire to the study if the kids are running amuck in the living room.

 

[theorist9]

So I went to the Apple store today, and got to spend some time with the 16" MBP's 254 ppi display. Not a lot of time, so this is preliminary, but my main reaction was: Man, this is beautifully sharp!

Seeing the 254 ppi display reinforced my ambivalence about 220 ppi without subpixel text rendering—it's just not quite sharp enough for me. I immediately felt *relaxed* reading text on the 254 ppi display—it didn't have the subtle blurred edges I notice with the 220 ppi monitor. I actually prefer reading subpixel rendered text at 160 ppi (on my 27" 4k) to reading text at 220 ppi without it. I guess that's not surprising, because subpixel text rendering effectively triples the resolution in the horizontal direction.

So here's my preliminary assessment:

Good: 220 ppi, no subpixel text rendering (iMac, Studio Display, and Pro Display XDR).
Better: 160 ppi, with subpixel text rendering, which makes it effectively ~480 ppi horizontally & 160 ppi vertically (27" 4k display running High Sierra or earlier).
Best: 254 ppi, even without subpixel text rendering (14" and 16" AS MacBook Pro's)

Interestingly, if Apple does a 32" 7k display (as some have rumored), that would be 218 ppi x 7/6 = 254 ppi! So that's my new fantasy display.

 

[matthewadams]

The full review is out:

Samsung Smart Monitor M80B S32BM80 Review

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 S32BM80 is a 32-inch, 4k smart monitor. Part of Samsung's Smart Monitor lineup that includes the Samsung Smart Monitor M7 S43BM70, i...

www.rtings.com

As expected the viewing angles don't get a great rating.
Gray uniformity is pretty obvious here too, esp the bottom edge part which can be annoying when working full-screen on documents.

Also notable is the lack of HDR Support for MacBooks in the review.

 

[Someirishguy]

The full review is out:

Samsung Smart Monitor M80B S32BM80 Review

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 S32BM80 is a 32-inch, 4k smart monitor. Part of Samsung's Smart Monitor lineup that includes the Samsung Smart Monitor M7 S43BM70, i...

www.rtings.com

As expected the viewing angles don't get a great rating.
Gray uniformity is pretty obvious here too, esp the bottom edge part which can be annoying when working full-screen on documents.

Also notable is the lack of HDR Support for MacBooks in the review.
View attachment 2006781View attachment 2006782

Great website - I’ll bookmark that.

The M8 actually scores fairly well in the two areas I’m interested, office and media consumption, and beats the Studio Display overal (mixed usage). Other than the viewing angle, which might be a bit annoying but I’ll usually be sitting in front of it, I think I’m moving back to the M8 ?

 

[Farfste]

Samsung recently introduced the M8, a new 32-inch 4K display that's priced at $700, making it less than half as expensive as the Studio Display from Apple. We picked up one of the displays and thought we'd compare it to the Studio Display in our latest YouTube video to see how it performs and whether you can save some money by going with a cheaper option.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

In addition to serving as a display, the M8 also doubles as a 4K TV, featuring Tizen OS, built-in apps and an app store, a remote control, built-in Apple AirPlay support, and a 1080p webcam, all of which sounds great.

With a 4K resolution, the display looks great, but unsurprisingly, it's not quite as good as the 5K Studio Display, which definitely has the better screen. The Studio Display is sharper, more vibrant, and offers more accurate color, so it's definitely a better choice for those who are doing professional work.

As for design, the M8 looks to be inspired by the Studio Display and the 24-inch iMac, with Samsung offering it in white, blue, pink, and green aluminum. It looks good, and it's going to match your Apple devices because it's clearly an Apple-like aesthetic. The Samsung display is larger than the Studio Display at 32 inches instead of 27 inches, and out of the box, it's tilt and height adjustable, a feature that requires an upgrade on the Studio Display. There is no VESA mount option, though.

The Studio Display wins out when it comes to the speakers and microphone, and it features 4 USB-C ports, while the Samsung monitor has a couple USB-C ports and a micro HDMI port. The add-on camera attaches magnetically on the M8, and though the Studio Display offers Center Stage for FaceTime and other video apps, the M8 has a similar feature.

All in all, if you're looking for affordability and versatility, the M8 is worth the $700 because it also doubles as a TV, but if you want premium quality for professional work, the Studio Display is the better choice.

Article Link: Samsung's New 32-Inch 'M8' Display vs. Apple's Studio Display

Hello,

I bought this monitor after watching your review. How did you get the mac to work with the camera that came with the M8? I am having no luck at all.

 

[bhdragon]

Hello,

I bought this monitor after watching your review. How did you get the mac to work with the camera that came with the M8? I am having no luck at all.

I did as well...Samsung support no help. Stumbled onto a Samsung response to a review that said you need to use the usbc cable not the hdmi. Zoom web meeting is another problem...finally resolved the video...but no audio. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[sentiblue]

After a month of ownership of the M8, I have to say it's a major disappointment.

While the 4K resolution lives up to its task, the monitor itself is a disaster!

- It has its own screensaver and it makes its own decision to activate the screensaver even if I was actively using the monitor.
- It also makes its own decision when to power down due to inactivity, despite the fact that I was actively using the computer
- Over night it will power off of course.. but in the morning when I wake up the laptop, it WILL NOT turn itself on. I either have to use the remote or reach behind the damn thing to power it on.

What's more pathetic is that I made multiple attempts to call/email to return the monitor, I keep running into walls.

 

[Someirishguy]

Any positive experiences out there?

 

[matthewadams]

Little follow-up. Got the Gigabyte M32U after returning the Samsung M8, and what can I say. It's perfect*
The 144Hz Refresh Rate makes a difference in feel and the HDR mode seems good enough, everything works fine over the USB-C connection. The IPS Panel looks great.
The Samsung one wouldn't even let me do HDR via USB-C and if I did it via HDMI, everything was off color-wise.

*not so perfect: had to return the first unit due to a dead pixel.

 

[Someirishguy]

I think I’m going to get the M8

I’ve read a bunch of reviews, that seem legit, saying the panel is good straight on and better that most other computer monitors for tv in a dark room.

I need it for office work sitting in front of it, and watching tv in the evening from the couch. Seems custom made… I can even AirPlay photos to it

 

[bluespark]

Still haven't seen this thing in person, but from reading this thread it sounds like Samsung would have a true hit on its hands if it made a premium version of this display with:

-- a brighter panel that has better side-to-side uniformity
-- better webcam/microphone
-- more power for USB-C charging
-- no ability for screensavers or auto-sleep functionality to engage while using this as a computer.

As is, I'm really torn. The Apple Studio Display looks great, but I would really use the TV functionality, and wouldn't mind a few more inches of space.