Was the Studio Display a flop?

[cateye]

Thing is, you get what you pay for. Apple doesn’t cut corners.

But enjoy using a Samsung Monitor with an Apple computer. I’m sure it won’t work as good and is as well integrated with Mac like an Apple Studio Display.

I have an ASD and enjoy it quite a bit. It was the product I wanted, with the features I wanted, at the price I was willing to pay (heavily discounted, of course. I don't pay list price for anything from Apple, ever). I also have a $200 throwaway HP business-class monitor I use as well. Obviously, the Studio Display is significantly better in every respect: Build quality, resolution, brightness, and so on. But they are identical in their ability to seamlessly connect and work with my MacBook Pro.

My wife uses a Dell 4K monitor with her MacBook Pro. She got it for the ultra-wide aspect ratio, which she likes and is useful to her as a software developer. Works great, trouble free. Very nice picture quality. She doesn't understand why I spent about double on my ASD, but she also doesn't really care. Wasn't her purchase.

I don't really care if not a single other person bought an ASD. I like mine, Apple will support it with warranty and software updates for a certain amount of time, it fulfills my needs. I also don't care if it was a "failure" for Apple because Apple's gluttonous profiteering is not really something I enjoy cheerleading for. End of story.

 

[ovbacon]

Not exactly. I don't consider 5 months to be way out of date. I have an expensive LG 4k monitor bought for a linux box a few months ago on recommendation (well made, great display, super value, wonderful for text... etc). Yes, the display is definitely high quality but the build is strictly Yugo class. The stand and keeper were designed by a janitor one night when he finished his mopping early - or so it appears. I use a block of wood underneath to keep the panel from constantly falling forward. The other Samsung 1080p manages to stay vertical, but only if I don't bump the table.

Display quality of any monitor nowadays is probably good across the board from any brand. The build quality is definitely not.

This is where someone gives that the problem is obviously not OEM monitors, but flimsy table makers.

Yes your opinion is outdated (or at least based on old or very limited experience) as I just indicated by giving you an example of two monitors I personally have that are very solidly build. You, and I quote, said: "practically all other non-Apple monitors that have stands barely sufficient to hold them up, but are tuned to wobble with every mouse click." So the fact that I bought two monitors this year that are solid and of good build and quality means that there are probably more..

I am not saying that the Apple monitors are not awesome but there are definitely a lot of good and solid monitors out there for way better prices.

 

[Zest28]

I have an ASD and enjoy it quite a bit. It was the product I wanted, with the features I wanted, at the price I was willing to pay. I also have a $129 throwaway HP business-class monitor I use as well. Obviously, the Studio Display is significantly better in every respect: Build quality, resolution, brightness, and so on. But they are identical in their ability to seamlessly connect and work with my MacBook Pro.

My wife uses a Dell 4K monitor with her MacBook Pro. She lives the ultra-wide aspect. Works great, trouble free. She doesn't understand why I spent so much on my ASD, but she also doesn't really care. Wasn't her purchase.

Well, check on MacRumors and see how many people complain about their external monitors.

Do you really want to risk alot of headaches to save $200?

I’m of the opinion that it is best to stay in the “Apple Ecosystem”.

If it was for a PC, then the Apple Studio Display doesn’t make any sense ofcourse.

 

[cateye]

Well, check on MacRumors and see how many people complain about their external monitors.

After nearly 30 years being involved in I.T. in one form another, my conclusion about most users and their complaints on MacRumors is PIBKAC. Yes, not everything works great with Macs for reasons that are sometime's Apple's fault and sometimes due to crappy products. No question. But holy cow, the problems people create for themselves around here due to not having a shred of understanding of what they're doing is astounding sometimes.

All the more reason to have a purchase method based on research and objective goals, including honestly judging your ability to deal with, and tolerance for, quirks and problems, in exchange for cost savings. "It just works" is certainly a hallmark of Apple products. But not exclusive to Apple products, nor guaranteed with Apple products.

 

[philstubbington]

I haven’t seen one positive review of the ASD. Was it a flop? Is it a good display? Is there any real alternative? Is this a great product or a quirky one?

Very pleased with my iiyama ProLite 32" 4K Ultra HD 10-Bit VA Monitor, the snappily named XB3288UHSU-B1. Only £360. For my use cases can’t see if the Studio Display would provide anything more than a bigger hole in my pocket!

 

[TechnoMonk]

Well, check on MacRumors and see how many people complain about their external monitors.

Do you really want to risk alot of headaches to save $200?

I’m of the opinion that it is best to stay in the “Apple Ecosystem”.

If it was for a PC, then the Apple Studio Display doesn’t make any sense ofcourse.

For me 27 is small, and 32 inch Apple display is out of my budget. I compromised with a LG 4K 43 inch OLED TV, it’s better than most monitors I tried at the store.

 

[jz0309]

What bothers me is that no reputable reviews have said that this is a great product that everyone should buy. In fact, I would not be bothered if they said “normal users should not get this, but power users definitely should if they can afford it and it is a real treat for them!”

I guess you didn't bother to look here: Apple Studio Display - Owners Thread
I take user reviews 100 times over any of those YouTubers ...
My ASD is fantastic btw ...

 

[dimme]

Happy with my ASD. For me 5K is the only way to go, but YMMV

 

[anthony13]

I’ve got two and love them. Absolutely no problems. They always work. I never have to reassign them like with third party monitors in the past. And the build quality is amazing. I don’t use the camera effects, so the web cam is just fine. It’s a 5k external display from apple. It’s what I asked for for years so I can’t complain.

 

[fehhkk]

I have one as my main and for my kind of use it's perfect because it has all I want built in: great speakers, webcam and VESA mount. Asides from 5K quality.

 

[ThomasJL]

I don’t know if it’s a flop in terms of sales, but it’s a bad design and overpriced.

The reason it’s a bad design is because it includes a built-in webcam and built-in speakers. Those should’ve been omitted so the price could be lower.

If people have enough money to spend on a relatively expensive monitor, then they likely have enough money to buy a far higher quality external webcam and external speakers than what’s built in to the display.

 

[hagjohn]

No issues with my ASD. I like it.

Most monitors suck in one way or another. The market is flooded with crappy specs.

 

[257Loner]

Apple’s only flops right now are their traditional human-machine interfacing tools, namely their keyboards and mouse. Their keyboards are shallow, even on their Pro notebooks, and the Magic Mouse is horrible in every way.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Apple’s only flops right now are their traditional human-machine interfacing tools, namely their keyboards and mouse. Their keyboards are shallow, even on their Pro notebooks, and the Magic Mouse is horrible in every way.

Apple makes up for the lame M.Mouse with the superb M.Trackpad. It has been 20 years since I have used a mouse, instead preferring Kensington Trackballs and Apple's trackpads.

 

[ChrisMacchio]

This is a very outdated opinion. I have a BenQ PD2705U (27" 4K) and a AOC U32P2CA (32" 4K) both have solid metal bases and are adjustable in every direction without having to dish out another boat load of cash. The BenQ sits right next to my iMac 5K and I prefer it when doing photo editing. I looked at getting the ASD but just couldn't justify that price...

The BenQ is not a bad alternative, but it’s still not 5K and not quite as native to the Apple ecosystem. I’d rather pay Apple’s ransom/tax and have peace of mind.

 

[dawnrazor]

Nice display.
Way WAY overpriced.

Thus... didn't sell all that well.

This…so I bought two…. I knew I had made a mistake when I bought the first one… nothing else would sit beside it and look any good… so I bought a second one. I regret nothing except the cost, but I got both with the education discount so that helped a bit… love them both, but the one on the right is my favourite… don’t tell the one the on left…

 

[JtheLemur]

Despite its shortcomings, I love mine, with the Nano coating and VESA mount.

Picture is perfect, speakers are freaking great, mics are solid. Tight OS integration.

It needs higher refresh, and frankly I’d love it if Apple managed to ship a 21:9 screen. -_-

 

[mpetrides]

I adore my Studio Display, purchased the very day they came out. I drove 3 hours each way to get it and could not be happier with my purchase. Yes, it cost a fortune but IMHO, it is well worth it. If my Studio Display went belly up tomorrow, I'd buy a replacement in a heartbeat (but hopefully won't have to because I have AppleCare+ on it).

The one thing I do wish it had was an HDMI input. It's really annoying that I either have to use my PS5 with a TV across the living room or get a second monitor to plug the PS 5 into. That said, I purchased the Studio Display because I wanted Apple's legendary monitor quality and the spectacular text clarity provided by the 5K display and resolution that works automagically with Apple devices without the fuzziness often associated with scaling. In those regards, this monitor is nearly perfect.

 

[Zest28]

I don’t know if it’s a flop in terms of sales, but it’s a bad design and overpriced.

The reason it’s a bad design is because it includes a built-in webcam and built-in speakers. Those should’ve been omitted so the price could be lower.

If people have enough money to spend on a relatively expensive monitor, then they likely have enough money to buy a far higher quality external webcam and external speakers than what’s built in to the display.

Does the iMac (Pro) have a webcam and speakers? That's why the Apple Studio Display have it, as it turns any Mac into an iMac or an iMac Pro.

So I guess you buy $400 Android smartphones instead of "overpriced" iPhones?

 

[257Loner]

Apple makes up for the lame M.Mouse with the superb M.Trackpad. It has been 20 years since I have used a mouse, instead preferring Kensington Trackballs and Apple's trackpads.

Apple's trackpads are good.

 

[ovbacon]

The BenQ is not a bad alternative, but it’s still not 5K and not quite as native to the Apple ecosystem. I’d rather pay Apple’s ransom/tax and have peace of mind.

This idea that non apple displays are not working well on Apple computers is nonsensical.... My displays work extremely well with my mini and my MBA. Again I was not saying that my display is 5K or even that it is as crisp as my iMac 5K. But I am using my mini with my BenQ for photo editing and I prefer it over the iMac.

I have heard video peeps preferring certain non apple displays for quality of image, of course those displays are also worth an arm and a leg but the point is that there are a lot of great monitors out there that are not Apple and that work amazingly well with Apple.

I'm at a complete loss at the peace of mind.... what peace of mind do you have with a display that is $2000 over what I have... I actually feel that if something happens to my $400-$600 monitor I'll be less distraught than having something happen to a display that is at least 3x the value of mine.

Again.... if I did not care about money I would get the XDR but then again I would also be driving a Rolls Royce and not a JEEP (wait, no I would still have a jeep also) .

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

It’s excellent. Category leader. There is nothing better. You cannot get as good of a screen, brightness, and the camera speakers and mic, and macOS integration in anything else. It stands alone at the top.

 

[TechnoMonk]

This idea that non apple displays are not working well on Apple computers is nonsensical.... My displays work extremely well with my mini and my MBA. Again I was not saying that my display is 5K or even that it is as crisp as my iMac 5K. But I am using my mini with my BenQ for photo editing and I prefer it over the iMac.

I have heard video peeps preferring certain non apple displays for quality of image, of course those displays are also worth an arm and a leg but the point is that there are a lot of great monitors out there that are not Apple and that work amazingly well with Apple.

I'm at a complete loss at the peace of mind.... what peace of mind do you have with a display that is $2000 over what I have... I actually feel that if something happens to my $400-$600 monitor I'll be less distraught than having something happen to a display that is at least 3x the value of mine.

Again.... if I did not care about money I would get the XDR but then again I would also be driving a Rolls Royce and not a JEEP (wait, no I would still have a jeep also) .

This is hilarious. Jeep is literally unreliable, overpriced junk. I knew some jeep fans who were always underwater, expensive repairs, but it was more emotional.

 

[daneoni]

There are positive reviews on Youtube. It just most content creators basically churned out the impulse "its overpriced and under specd" videos.

But others soon realised that if you want colour accuracy for creative work you don't have a lot of options.

Especially now that Samsung has unveiled the ViewFinity S9 which everyone was banking on, and priced it similarly. People are now realising that Apple hasn't really overpriced the ASD at all.

If you want a 5K display you're going to drop 1k+ whether you like it or not. And it won't be OLED, Mini LED, nor will it have high refresh rate. Also if you don't want to deal with subpar scaling then your choices narrow considerably.

 

[salamanderjuice]

Yes your opinion is outdated (or at least based on old or very limited experience) as I just indicated by giving you an example of two monitors I personally have that are very solidly build. You, and I quote, said: "practically all other non-Apple monitors that have stands barely sufficient to hold them up, but are tuned to wobble with every mouse click." So the fact that I bought two monitors this year that are solid and of good build and quality means that there are probably more..

I am not saying that the Apple monitors are not awesome but there are definitely a lot of good and solid monitors out there for way better prices.

Yeah. I'm not sure I've ever used a monitor "that wobbles with every mouse click". And if the stand is truly awful most monitors support VESA Arms/stands so you can pick up something better if it really bother you.

Part of the reason it reviewed so poorly is that it's barely better than the LG 5K available before it for more money, and about as much money as iMac 5K that included an entire computer. Had it come out at $1000 I bet it would have been much better received. It also IMO is just missing features. One input on a monitor is ridiculous in this day and age and a monitor that price should include a height adjustable stand in the box. Not an extra $400.