iPad Pro Ultrawide monitor advice and recommendations, please?

[El_Capitan]

Hi everyone, I’m in a market to buy an ultrawide monitor. It would mainly be hooked up to my Mac but here’s the catch - I also want to be able to use it with my iPad Pro M2 12.9” in all of it’s full screen stage manager glory.

I want something on a smaller side - 29” up to 34” maximum as it’s supposed to be used at home. Main uses would be for Adobe apps but also XCode and lots of financial charts, news and such in Safari.

Have you got any tips, advice or recommendations about which models work with iPad Pros?

I find myself using my iPad more than my other Macs combined.

 

[Powerbooky]

Last year I got the LG 34WL850-W, which is very wide but not too big for a regular desk. Very spacious for Adobe and coding without much of the typical LCD artefacts. I wanted OLED, but I didn't have the budget at the time.
It's not curved since I keep monitor a bit further from my eyes (50-60 inches) than most people seem to do.

There are even wider monitors available, if you have the room the table.

The things that may want to check:

• What is the picture quality you look for? LCD IPS is very good nowadays, but if you look for the best picture quality including HDR, then OLED is the better choice (also more expensive).
• The resolution. Do you want 4K media to show at maximum resolution (vertically)? Or maybe Retina-like resolution for very smooth text display?
• Do you need more inputs? Mine does support two HDMI inputs and Thunderbolt/DP.
• Maybe internal speakers? Although internal speakers in most monitors from all common brands is far from superb, internal speakers makes the desk less cluttered with cables
• Do you want the monitor to support some hub functions? Like extra USB ports, Thunderbolt or even Ethernet support?
• Control options of the monitor from your Mac or iPad? My LG has a horrible "joystick" menu control which is a pain to use, but fortunately things like brightness can be controlled with the keyboard (Monitor Control extension for example)
• If possible, checkout multiple models in multiple stores. Take your iPad or Macbook along and ask the reseller to connect it to each monitor you like. Seeing your own work/pictures with your own eyes is always better than all the demo's shown at the store.
• If you care for colour accuracy out of the box, then avoid Samsung monitors. No matter how much DCI-P3/sRGB stickers they put on the box, factory calibration sucks at Samsung.

 

[NastyMatt]

My advice would be to go for 3440x1440 as it is closer to 4k so a higher resolution. Plus, look for something that can be used as a USB hub, this way you can plug everything into the monitor then (switch) one cable into Mac or iPad and you get your peripherals working with both.

I have curved - not for some sort of wrap around vision but to stop any reflections on the screen - so worth looking where you will place the monitor v light sources.

If I was buying right now - I would be looking for USB C pass through so it can charge what ever is plugged into it and I do like speakers in my monitors, purely for those odd occasions I want sound when not using headphones, which is rare hence why I don’t want additional external speakers.

I love 21x9 ratio, cannot see I would go back. Just far more real estate plus, watching films in 21x9 with no black bars is great too.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I somewhat bought into the 5K-or-bust hype so often slung to rule out just about all monitors not branded Apple around here. However, I opted to slightly stray off that by NOT buying an Apple monitor (no ultra-wides anyway).

My choice was Dell 5K2K 40" ultra wide... 6 inches bigger than your upper limit. Size wise, it is like twin iMac 27" screens jammed into a thin bezel around both. It has FOUR video inputs and a very useful hub with all of the popular ports and can thus readily share keyboard and mouse among computers that are connected. To it I have a Mac Studio and PC connected and even have the ability to split screen to have both running side-by-side (like I'm running macOS on one iMac and bootcamp PC on the other).

I love this monitor and would replace it tomorrow if it conked. Unfortunately, it is 6 inches bigger than your stated range but you might want to break out the tape measure and measure where you want it to go... then compare your space with the actual measurements. Unlike iMac 27", there is no big chin. You might find that this is a good option for what you want.

If it interests you, be sure to check a variety of retailers. Direct from Dell, it costs as much as the ASD with stand option. But there are better prices through other stores. I just saw a refurb on Amazon for substantially below ASD pricing with no stand option.

 

[Rafterman]

I had a couple of Samsung 34 inch Thunderbolt curved ultra wide screen monitors. They were solid performers, but they are very narrow vertically. I found getting a standard 32 inch 4K monitor to be much better in terms of real estate.

I got a Dell 32 4K UHD Gaming Monitor - G3223Q. 144hz, 3 ports (2 HDMI, one displayport). They also make a cheaper 60hz version. The extra height is much more comfortable IMO.

The 40 HobeSoundDarryl mentions above would be more tolerable height-wise, but 34 seems tiny to me now.

 

[El_Capitan]

Last year I got the LG 34WL850-W, which is very wide but not too big for a regular desk. Very spacious for Adobe and coding without much of the typical LCD artefacts. I wanted OLED, but I didn't have the budget at the time.
It's not curved since I keep monitor a bit further from my eyes (50-60 inches) than most people seem to do.

There are even wider monitors available, if you have the room the table.

The things that may want to check:

• What is the picture quality you look for? LCD IPS is very good nowadays, but if you look for the best picture quality including HDR, then OLED is the better choice (also more expensive).
• The resolution. Do you want 4K media to show at maximum resolution (vertically)? Or maybe Retina-like resolution for very smooth text display?
• Do you need more inputs? Mine does support two HDMI inputs and Thunderbolt/DP.
• Maybe internal speakers? Although internal speakers in most monitors from all common brands is far from superb, internal speakers makes the desk less cluttered with cables
• Do you want the monitor to support some hub functions? Like extra USB ports, Thunderbolt or even Ethernet support?
• Control options of the monitor from your Mac or iPad? My LG has a horrible "joystick" menu control which is a pain to use, but fortunately things like brightness can be controlled with the keyboard (Monitor Control extension for example)
• If possible, checkout multiple models in multiple stores. Take your iPad or Macbook along and ask the reseller to connect it to each monitor you like. Seeing your own work/pictures with your own eyes is always better than all the demo's shown at the store.
• If you care for colour accuracy out of the box, then avoid Samsung monitors. No matter how much DCI-P3/sRGB stickers they put on the box, factory calibration sucks at Samsung.

Thank you for this reply! Let me address some of the points you mentioned.Regarding the picture quality I’m not too picky. IPS panel should be good. Resolution would ideally be 1440 on the vertical side so I can get a few more lines for coding but it’s not the end of the world if it’s 1080 only.

Regarding the IO - I’m still not sure whether I would be using the monitor mainly with my Mac Mini or with my MacBook Air. If Mini then IO and power delivery through USBC won’t matter much.

Speakers? Oh, no. I have the external sound system plugged in constantly and I can connect to it wirelessly with my iPad if needed. I suppose as long as the monitor has the audio jack output I should be fine.

Color accuracy isn’t that important for me as I tend to just check the color values with a picker in Photoshop and I get the idea what I’m dealing with.

I wish I could test the monitor in stores but sadly, where I currently live, there’s no such option.

I appreciate you mentioning the monitor model you’re using. I am considering buying one of the LG models following the thought that since LG cooperates with Apple their monitors are probably better supported by Apple hardware. Have you connected your monitor ever to an iPad that fully supports external display use?

I mostly worry if once I buy the monitor I would discover that it only mirrors the iPad screen and doesn’t use it as a second display.

 

[El_Capitan]

My advice would be to go for 3440x1440 as it is closer to 4k so a higher resolution. Plus, look for something that can be used as a USB hub, this way you can plug everything into the monitor then (switch) one cable into Mac or iPad and you get your peripherals working with both.

I have curved - not for some sort of wrap around vision but to stop any reflections on the screen - so worth looking where you will place the monitor v light sources.

If I was buying right now - I would be looking for USB C pass through so it can charge what ever is plugged into it and I do like speakers in my monitors, purely for those odd occasions I want sound when not using headphones, which is rare hence why I don’t want additional external speakers.

I love 21x9 ratio, cannot see I would go back. Just far more real estate plus, watching films in 21x9 with no black bars is great too.

In my current living space I got the window facing east (so morning sun and all) right in front of me. It eliminates reflections but it can be blinding so sometimes I just close the curtains.

I hear you on the resolution, thank you. I believe that would be the optimal resolution for what I’m looking for.

 

[El_Capitan]

I somewhat bought into the 5K-or-bust hype so often slung to rule out just about all monitors not branded Apple around here. However, I opted to slightly stray off that by NOT buying an Apple monitor (no ultra-wides anyway).

My choice was Dell 5K2K 40" ultra wide... 6 inches bigger than your upper limit. Size wise, it is like twin iMac 27" screens jammed into a thin bezel around both. It has FOUR video inputs and a very useful hub with all of the popular ports and can thus readily share keyboard and mouse among computers that are connected. To it I have a Mac Studio and PC connected and even have the ability to split screen to have both running side-by-side (like I'm running macOS on one iMac and bootcamp PC on the other).

I love this monitor and would replace it tomorrow if it conked. Unfortunately, it is 6 inches bigger than your stated range but you might want to break out the tape measure and measure where you want it to go... then compare your space with the actual measurements. Unlike iMac 27", there is no big chin. You might find that this is a good option for what you want.

If it interests you, be sure to check a variety of retailers. Direct from Dell, it costs as much as the ASD with stand option. But there are better prices through other stores. I just saw a refurb on Amazon for substantially below ASD pricing with no stand option.

Thank you for your post! It’s a great suggestion and I will look into Dell‘s monitors but 40” simply won’t fit into the workspace available in this room.

 

[El_Capitan]

I had a couple of Samsung 34 inch Thunderbolt curved ultra wide screen monitors. They were solid performers, but they are very narrow vertically. I found getting a standard 32 inch 4K monitor to be much better in terms of real estate.

I got a Dell 32 4K UHD Gaming Monitor - G3223Q. 144hz, 3 ports (2 HDMI, one displayport). They also make a cheaper 60hz version. The extra height is much more comfortable IMO.

The 40 HobeSoundDarryl mentions above would be more tolerable height-wise, but 34 seems tiny to me now.

Yes, the height is a bit of a concern for me as well. I prefer to have 16:10 screens than 16:9 - I really don’t like that short vertical axis but in a case of an ultrawide it might be helpful to puse those tool palettes to the sides. That’s what I’m thinking.

I don’t really need to run two apps simultaneously in full screen, I just need a bit more screen real estate for tools, side notes, iMessage window occasionally… and of course it will come handy when reviewing financial charts and dats and video editing from time to time.

 

[Powerbooky]

I wish I could test the monitor in stores but sadly, where I currently live, there’s no such option.

I understand. Normally I call multiple stores to check if they want to make that extra step for their customers and if its worth the one hour drive. I don't like to buy these big (and expensive) devices online, because of all the hassle and time to send it back when something is wrong.

Have you connected your monitor ever to an iPad that fully supports external display use?

I mostly worry if once I buy the monitor I would discover that it only mirrors the iPad screen and doesn’t use it as a second display.

No I haven't, but can check with a 2019 iPad (lightning-HDMI adapter) and an iPad Pro (USB-C) tonight.


Side notes:
I did try the monitor with an Apple TV 4K (2017) on HDMI. The ATV still ran tvOS 15 at the time, so some issues might be resolved now with tvOS17. The ATV 4K couldn't switch properly to the right refresh rates, HDR didn't work and ignored the 21:9 aspect ratio.

 

[El_Capitan]

I understand. Normally I call multiple stores to check if they want to make that extra step for their customers and if its worth the one hour drive. I don't like to buy these big (and expensive) devices online, because of all the hassle and time to send it back when something is wrong.


No I haven't, but can check with a 2019 iPad (lightning-HDMI adapter) and an iPad Pro (USB-C) tonight.


Side notes:
I did try the monitor with an Apple TV 4K (2017) on HDMI. The ATV still ran tvOS 15 at the time, so some issues might be resolved now with tvOS17. The ATV 4K couldn't switch properly to the right refresh rates, HDR didn't work and ignored the 21:9 aspect ratio.

I appreciate the effort but it needs to be an iPad with either M1 or M2 processor in order to see whether the image will use the full screen or if it will only be mirrored.

I connected my iPad to the SHARP UA6800X 50" Smart TV but it only mirrored the image. I will need the monitor to act as a second display.

 

[NastyMatt]

I appreciate the effort but it needs to be an iPad with either M1 or M2 processor in order to see whether the image will use the full screen or if it will only be mirrored.

I connected my iPad to the SHARP UA6800X 50" Smart TV but it only mirrored the image. I will need the monitor to act as a second display.

Did you have stage manager enabled? You need that to extend as opposed to just mirroring. I have a very old UW monitor (Dell U3415W - 8 years old now) and if that extends (which it does as I tested it with a M1 IPP) I’d be amazed if anything younger did not.

I use mine with a Windows gaming rig and my MBA M1. Obviously no native software for the MBA for window snapping but I got around that with some third party software. I have a keyboard, mouse, headphones and webcam all plugged into the monitor, then USB/HDMI into the gaming rig, to use the MBA I simply plug the USB from the rig into a hub into the MBA and switch the input source and it all works. Unfortunately, the MBA won’t work in clamshell mode without power so have to have a hub for the MBA.

My thinking is if you get a monitor with USB C pass through you only need to plug the USB C cable into the MBA - it will carry data/video/power.. I could be dreaming tho! A bit off topic I know, but I really love UW monitors 😀

 

[El_Capitan]

Did you have stage manager enabled? You need that to extend as opposed to just mirroring. I have a very old UW monitor (Dell U3415W - 8 years old now) and if that extends (which it does as I tested it with a M1 IPP) I’d be amazed if anything younger did not.

I use mine with a Windows gaming rig and my MBA M1. Obviously no native software for the MBA for window snapping but I got around that with some third party software. I have a keyboard, mouse, headphones and webcam all plugged into the monitor, then USB/HDMI into the gaming rig, to use the MBA I simply plug the USB from the rig into a hub into the MBA and switch the input source and it all works. Unfortunately, the MBA won’t work in clamshell mode without power so have to have a hub for the MBA.

My thinking is if you get a monitor with USB C pass through you only need to plug the USB C cable into the MBA - it will carry data/video/power.. I could be dreaming tho! A bit off topic I know, but I really love UW monitors 😀

Yes, stage manager was enabled. Tried it all - turning it on and off, connecting the mouse and keyboard, then only the mouse and all. I expected it to work yet it didn’t. Perhaps 50” screen is too big to be supported or another theory of mine is that it might be due to the HDMI cable/adapter I’m using. I can swap those down the road but for now it isn’t necessary as I don’t intend to plug the iPad to this TV screen. I wanted to just test it, to have a sort of a “preview” what would it be like to use a second display with my iPad.

 

[El_Capitan]

Ok, so quick update on this in case anyone’s interested in connecting their iPads to an ultra wide monitor.

As I was constrained with the desk space and I also couldn’t find the perfect model that would work with all of my devices I ended up buying this cheap Lenovo monitor to test things out. Down the line I plan to upgrade to a larger monitor but for now this will do.

This monitor works really well with my iPad Pro M2 12.9” as you can see on the photo. It can handle multiple apps plus - it has an audio out so it plays music through my sound system. It’s connected only via an HDMI cable through a cheap adapter. I might buy a proper hub for it later on, we’ll see.

The vertical space is very limited but this allows me to use more apps side by side. I don’t do this much and when I do it’s usually Apple Music/Spotify playing and iMessage standing next to my main app.

I primarily use this monitor with my Macs as they are still much better for pro use. iPad is such a joy to use though so I’m happy having the option of using it this way too. I posted this from my iPad connected to this monitor. Photo was taken with my iPhone and as it synced automatically via iCloud, I was able to include it with this post without problems.

The monitor is Lenovo L29w-30. It has 2560x1080 and comes with one DP, one HDMI port and an audio jack.

Looking at my desk, a 34” ultra wide might fit but wouldn’t leave much space and it might be too large to view from up close. I may upgrade next year.

 

[NastyMatt]

Ok, so quick update on this in case anyone’s interested in connecting their iPads to an ultra wide monitor.

As I was constrained with the desk space and I also couldn’t find the perfect model that would work with all of my devices I ended up buying this cheap Lenovo monitor to test things out. Down the line I plan to upgrade to a larger monitor but for now this will do.

This monitor works really well with my iPad Pro M2 12.9” as you can see on the photo. It can handle multiple apps plus - it has an audio out so it plays music through my sound system. It’s connected only via an HDMI cable through a cheap adapter. I might buy a proper hub for it later on, we’ll see.

The vertical space is very limited but this allows me to use more apps side by side. I don’t do this much and when I do it’s usually Apple Music/Spotify playing and iMessage standing next to my main app.

I primarily use this monitor with my Macs as they are still much better for pro use. iPad is such a joy to use though so I’m happy having the option of using it this way too. I posted this from my iPad connected to this monitor. Photo was taken with my iPhone and as it synced automatically via iCloud, I was able to include it with this post without problems.

The monitor is Lenovo L29w-30. It has 2560x1080 and comes with one DP, one HDMI port and an audio jack.

Looking at my desk, a 34” ultra wide might fit but wouldn’t leave much space and it might be too large to view from up close. I may upgrade next year.

View attachment 2323969

Looks good.

I don’t think a 34” will cause you any problems, not sure where your eye line is but you obviously want your eye level with the middle of the screen so if it can raise higher you can store more under it maybe use a monitor arm or one of those small desk monitor risers.

Just me but I’d be tempted to get a hub and plug as much as possible into that to reduce cables on desk, you’ll get more space that way and it would be easier to manage. Or have your Mac Mini vertical like your MacBook:

Honestly you have WAAAY more desk space than me and I have a 34” monitor and I have no issues - remember the 34” resolution is higher so you’ll get more on screen. As for sitting close - mine again is closer to me than yours and I really like it that way, get more immersion in films and games, but I am not having to move my head to look around the screen when using it generally.