Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Two More Studio Display 2 Upgrades Leaked in New Report
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Billy_Bob
macrumors regular
With every Apple display now containing an A-series CPU, and with a low-end Mac laptop about to be released with an A-series CPU, it would be interesting if future Apple displays could switch between standalone use as a low-end iMac or as a display connected to a higher-end laptop or desktop Mac.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
Apple has no interest in that.
That's good for consumers and allows them to buy less stuff.
This is "Number Go Up" Apple, brought to you by Tim Cook.
Big_D
macrumors 6502a
I am looking at replacing my current 44” 4K display, my work has changed and a smaller display would be better.
No chance of an Apple display at work, I got a 5K Asus ProArt last week and it is great, but no Apple… I’m looking for a similar change at home and have been putting it off for a few weeks.
If the new display comes next week, I’ll probably buy it, if it doesn’t, I’ll switch to a high quality 5K display from a third party - I’m not buying an old, non-HDR model that is about to be replaced, especially not at Apple prices!
ikramerica
macrumors 68020
verniesgarden
macrumors 65816
iamgalt
macrumors 6502a
That's USB-C to HDMI, not HDMI to USB-C. They are not the same. Direction matters unfortunately.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
It’s easy to get caught up in the refresh rate arms race, but the Studio Display isn't a gaming monitor -- it’s a 5K production tool (or maybe higher resolution in the newer one(s) coming out). Driving 14.7 million pixels is a massive bandwidth load compared to a 1080p or 1440p gaming screen.
For example, a 1440p monitor is about 3.7 MP (mega/million pixels), 4K is about 8.3 MP, 5K is about 14.7 MP, and 6K is about 20.4 MP.
In other words, 4K is 2.25X the pixels of 1440p, 5K is 1.78X the pixels of 4K, and 6K is 1.38X the pixels of 5K. That means a 6K monitor has 5.5X the pixels of a 1440p one (and 5K is almost 4X the pixels of 1440p)! It takes a lot of bandwidth to drive that many pixels smoothly at 60 Hz and more so at 120 Hz.
Even 4K gaming monitors struggle to hit ultra-high rates (240 Hz+) without using Display Stream Compression, which degrades image quality subtly. That doesn't matter for gaming and consumer production, but creative professionals are generally not going to use monitors like that.
Apple also prioritizes 'Retina' pixel density (218 PPI) and color accuracy because their target audience is designers and editors, not competitive gamers. For them, text clarity and color-matching matter more than hitting 240 Hz. Again, to make everything run fluidly at 5K (27") or 6K (32") requires high bandwidth. Thunderbolt 5 can finally drive something like a 6K monitor at 120 Hz with room to spare.
To be fair in a comparison, please provide links to gaming monitors that have the color accuracy, brightness, viewing angles, and other features for people working in photography, graphic design, or video that match productivity monitors like the Studio Display. How many of them have Thunderbolt connectivity and nice plug-and-play connectivity with Macs?
If you want a gaming monitor, the good news is you can buy one. I have one attached to my Mac Mini. If you want a monitor geared towards creative professionals (I also have one attached to my Mac Mini), buy one of those. It's important though to understand what the monitors do and do not do. Buy what you need if the Studio Display is not for you.
Last edited:
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
High refresh rates (above 90) are needed for production purposes now and certainly in the future, which matters given how infrequently they update their monitors.
Apple Knowledge Navigator
macrumors 601
My guess is:
Studio Display (current model, with 90hz RR) - Slightly cheaper, $999?
Studio Display XDR (all enhancements) - $1,499
Both still 27-inches. Apple likely knows that the current model is still a fantastic display for most people, but needs to offer better value at the current price range.
I imagine the Pro Display XDR will get an update around WWDC, but with a new enclosure that's cheaper to manufacture than the 3D 'honeycomb' tooling from the Mac Pro. OLED seems like a given at that higher price, too.
Studio Display (current model, with 90hz RR) - Slightly cheaper, $999?
Studio Display XDR (all enhancements) - $1,499
Both still 27-inches. Apple likely knows that the current model is still a fantastic display for most people, but needs to offer better value at the current price range.
I imagine the Pro Display XDR will get an update around WWDC, but with a new enclosure that's cheaper to manufacture than the 3D 'honeycomb' tooling from the Mac Pro. OLED seems like a given at that higher price, too.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
I'll take the over on the prices.
Not because it will make sense, but because "Apple".
Tagbert
macrumors 604
The back of the Prod Display is expensive. Would prefer not to have that. 😉
That all makes sense. 32 inch at 90hz and 27 inch at 120hz. Not penny pinching but due to the increased resolution. 6k and 5k.
Big_D
macrumors 6502a
Except you have bandwidth limits. You have to push a lot of pixels around around and the difference between 90 and 120Hz between 52gbps and around 70gbps, which is pushing the limits of TB5 in normal mode, with little more for peripherals left over.
You are also limited to current generation Macs and the previous generation M4 Pro and Max processors, limiting the audience even more.
There is also the question of which M series processors could sustain 6K@120Hz, especially if we are talking moving images, let alone 3D acceleration.
I suspect that 6K or 8K @ 120 Hz will be something for TB6 or 7 and a future M series processor.
Last edited:
Veinticinco
macrumors 68020
Respectfully, I think you’re delusional here.
Both new SDs will be between 2000-3000 USD depending on tier, glass type and stand option.
A new XDR isn’t happening.
A19 Pro + improved speakers? Add a little storage and Bluetooth … and no reason this can’t be an actual AppleTV, even without a Mac hooked up.
Bandwidth is a non-issue. TB5 was designed for this use case by being able to go asymmetrical (120 Gbps / 40 Gbps). You could run 6K120 HDR uncompressed and have enough left over for (let's say) 4 USB4 ports on the back of the display.
If you were running all 4 USB ports at max bandwidth (what are the chances?), they would have to share and go down to USB 3.1 Gen 2 each. Still really impressive.
Veinticinco
macrumors 68020
And another thing, it’d be nice not to be forced into coughing up an extra 400 notes just to be able to adjust the height!
Alas, the Apple price gouging will continue.
Alas, the Apple price gouging will continue.
Same here. No HDR, I can wait. I won't mind keeping my Studio Display for a few more years. Though I suspect the rumors are true that the next one will have HDR.
I'll never go back to an LG display (though I still have three others for X-Plane). The one I had previous to the Studio Display was a great paper and ink waster when printing LR-processed photos. The calibration drifted too much/frequently wasting ink/paper on first prints and needing to be re-calibrated with my puck.
I've had my Studio Display since I purchased it in 2022 and set it up once using one of the built in profiles. And haven't had to futz with it once since then. First print from a LR processed image is *always* spot-on perfect. Zero drift over three years. It is that good. No need for a puck calibrator.
Last edited:
ASentientBot
macrumors 6502a
Excelent assessment overall.
"Also, which of those gaming monitors have the color accuracy and other features for people working in photography, graphic design, or video? How many of them have Thunderbolt connectivity?"
And your quote above is spot-on. See my previous post #71, above. My Studio Display hasn't drifted at all with respect to color accuracy since setting it up when I purchased it in 2022. A nice change coming from a large LG display that frequently drifted, wasting ink and paper when making first prints after processing in Lightroom.
Last edited:
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
Color accuracy is needed for sure.
But production needs are out there now, and certainly forward looking, for color accuracy as well as high resolution and high refresh rate.
This should be a wheelhouse for an Apple Display.
It will be unfortunate if they don't offer something in the refresh to cater to it.