Would you buy the rumored new Studio Display?

[Pezimak]

I’ve seen prophecies about MacBooks Pro with M5 chips, one in January and another in June with Mac Pro. I’m currently using a 14-inch MacBook Pro with Excel, and I need a 27-inch or 5K display for work. All the 4K options are either poor in terms of scaling or have a matte finish. The 5K options are limited to ASD with glossy screen, and there’s a potential BenQ release in February with a refresh rate of 70Hz and a price of $1300, which is quite unusual.

There are other 5K monitors on the market already, and I think 4 or 5 were announced at CES the other week. So Apple does not have exclusivity on it.

 

[Traverse]

Honestly, probably. It's my window into my main machine and I regret not getting the adjustable stand. If it had my dream specs of 6K 32" with mini-LED and (optional) promotion I would be all in. If it's just a better 27" 5K panel then I'll wait for some kind of sale.

 

[maflynn]

You're paying a premium for the apple logo. While the quality and fit and finish are premium, its going to cost a lot

 

[dmr727]

You're paying a premium for the apple logo. While the quality and fit and finish are premium, its going to cost a lot

I'm normally happy to pay more for a better fit and finish, but for something I rarely ever touch, I just need it to merely look nice on my desk. I love the way the Apple displays look, but so far I haven't been able to get over the single input and price differential over competing displays. 😕

I'm curious about the upcoming models, however.

 

[ascender]

You're paying a premium for the apple logo. While the quality and fit and finish are premium, its going to cost a lot

Particularly when there's an ever-expanding list of non-Apple options at a variety of sizes and high resolutions.

 

[maflynn]

Particularly when there's an ever-expanding list of non-Apple options at a variety of sizes and high resolutions.

Yep, I got a BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX last year for 1/2 the price of a studio display. While it is "only" 4k, I'm so happy with it. Its has more cross platform compatibility, i.e., I use it for windows and macos, and offers superior performance in various aspects over the current studio display.

 

[Meedoss]

That’s one ugly monitor

 

[MacGizmo]

Yep, I got a BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX last year for 1/2 the price of a studio display. While it is "only" 4k, I'm so happy with it. Its has more cross platform compatibility, i.e., I use it for windows and macos, and offers superior performance in various aspects over the current studio display.

I liked everything I read on the site about that BenQ model. Particularly nice brightness (actually higher than the ASD, which is unheard of). But then I got to the PPI and it was like a pin poking the balloon. The PPI listed is actually worse than almost any display I've come across (in this genre of displays).

 

[maflynn]

The PPI listed is actually worse than almost any display I've come across (in this genre of displays).

Really, how so? What 4k 32" monitors have a higher pixel density?

 

[Ifti]

Not enough in it for me to change my current Studio Display, which I've had for less than a year or so. Just not enough in it in terms of 'upgrades' for me to spend that much. Other than the fan that never seems to turn off when the monitor goes to 'sleep', I'm very happy with my current unit.

 

[kasakka]

Let's look at the current Studio Display.

Pros:

• 5120x2880 resolution.
• Easy Thunderbolt connection.
• Thunderbolt hub built-in.

Cons:

• Single input.
• Pixel response times that are barely good enough for 60 Hz.
• No HDR support.
• Hideously expensive.

So assuming the rumors are true, the Studio Display 2 is supposed to have:

• Proper HDR support with a mini-LED backlight.
• 5K @ 120 Hz.
• Better built-in camera.
• Thunderbolt 5 support.

Those are all nice things, but pixel response time and input options remain a mystery. For example the Macbook Pro displays are great as HDR displays - but literally the worst motion performance of any display on the market. It is not good enough for 30 Hz let alone 120 Hz.

So depending on who makes the new display, it could work out alright or it will be a blurry mess like the MBP screens.

Similarly keeping the single input is the exact kind of dumb **** I expect Apple to pull. Want to hook up two Macs and switch between them? Nah, can't do that. Daisy chaining support? Unlikely.

The new display is likely to be absurdly expensive too.

 

[the future]

Really, how so? What 4k 32" monitors have a higher pixel density?

Well if displays are both 32“ and 4K, the ppi is obviously going to be identical. It‘s just way below the 27“ 5K Studio Display as well as the numerous 32“ 6K displays being released right now.

If you personally are fine with 140 PPI, good for you (and your wallet), but for many folks that resolution just doesn‘t cut it anymore.