Apple's new Studio Displays
Apple updated both of their monitors today, replacing the Studio Display with a new model that's very similar to the old one, and they've discontinued the Pro Display XDR in favor of the new Studio Display XDR.
Studio Display
Starting with the updated Studio Display, honestly, I'm incredibly disappointed. I continue to think the Studio Display is for people who care about everything in a computer monitor besides the display itself. In the newsroom post and the new marketing page, Apple boasts about the new camera, better mics, better speakers, and Thunderbolt 5 ports. When comparing the new and old spec pages, there seems to be literally no difference, which leads me to believe we are once again stuck with the same panel Apple has been shipping for over a decade.
There are people who really value physical design, and that's fine, but if you want a great monitor that looks better than this (yes, even at 5K), there are other options, all of which cost a good deal less.
Studio Display XDR
Compared to the $6,000 Pro Display XDR Apple was selling before, this is a steal at $3,300. And truthfully, it looks like a great monitor. 5K 120Hz mini-LED with 2,304 local dimming zones is undeniably a compelling combo. One interesting thing from the press release is that while it's a 120Hz display with variable refresh rates, they don't call it ProMotion like they do on their MacBook Pros and iPhones:
Studio Display XDR features a 120Hz refresh rate, enabling smooth, ultra-responsive motion. Adaptive Sync supports a continuously variable refresh rate between 47Hz to 120Hz, making gaming more fluid with faster frame delivery and lower display latency.
Anyway, this monitor looks really great, but the price is still astronomical. I paid 1/3 of that last year for a 32" OLED with 1,300 nits of peak brightness, although admittedly only at 4K resolution. Admittedly, Apple's monitor is going to be more reliable than the cheaper 5K models out there, and the brightness in particular seems properly high end here, so I get why some people would go for this. And hey, it's nearly half the price of the old XDR and it comes with a stand!
I think what bums me out about Apple's display lineup is that they are only serving the absolute highest end of the market, they have no truly "consumer" displays. I'm sure they think about the normal Studio Display as that, but it's really in another league compared to what any normal person spends on a monitor. I'll say it again to be super clear, my monitor is way higher end than what most people would buy…I'm considered someone who went overkill on their display…and mine cost $600 less than Apple's "consumer" model.
