Apple’s Stale Mac Displays
Apple sells two external displays, including the Pro Display XDR and the Studio Display, but neither has received hardware upgrades in years. In fact, the Pro Display XDR is nearly five years old, having been released all the way back in December 2019.
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In December 2022, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple was working on an updated version of the Pro Display XDR with an Apple silicon chip, something the current model lacks. In the Studio Display, an A13 Bionic chip powers features such as Center Stage camera framing, spatial audio, and Siri voice commands. However, there have not been any recent rumors about a new Pro Display XDR, so it’s unclear what Apple’s current plans are.
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There have been on-again, off-again rumors about Apple planning a new 27-inch external display with mini-LED backlighting, which would allow for increased brightness and higher contrast ratio. In April 2023, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the display was slated for mass production in 2024 or early 2025.
This is not surprising, since Apple has historically taken a long time to update its displays. I don’t think the panels necessarily need to be updated. But it’s disappointing because the Studio Display has well documented camera problems and power issues. I had high hopes that, coming from Apple, it would be reliable as a USB hub, but I end up directly connecting as many storage devices as possible to the meager ports on my MacBook Pro.
Also, it would be nice to have a mid-range display in the lineup. You can get an M3 iMac with a built-in 4.5K display for $1,299, yet the Studio Display by itself starts at $1,599. It’s still hard to find good third-party Retina displays. Why can’t Apple sell an iMac-less panel for a reasonable price?
Previously:
- Best Mac Monitors and Displays 2024
- Studio Display Firmware 17 Beta 6
- High-Pitched Buzzing Sound With Studio Display
- Studio Display Audio Issues
- Studio Display 15.5 Firmware Beta
- Studio Display
- Mac Pro 2019
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The ultimate paradox of Apple displays is that, judged solely on their own merits, they are terribly flawed — as you so rightly point out. (The Studio Display’s camera system is indeed hot garbage…) However, when compared to third-party options, they somehow always come out on top by virtue of offering a more integrated experience with a marginally better picture…
I think Apple knows this and feels in no hurry to either update the lineup or fix the very real bugs you mention, which they probably see as acceptable trade-offs. Having achieved perfect compatibility with macOS and outstanding picture quality, they know everything else can more or less fall by the wayside.
Plus, with such gimmicks as Continuity Camera, do they even have a financial incentive to fix the flaws when they can sell you the Studio Display and the accessories to use as an external camera? I have heard of people buying new iPhones just for this purpose…
The best purchase Studio Display users can make is a CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt Dock, which provides all the ports and convenience that the Studio Display promises but fails to deliver — admittedly at an eye-wateringly high price.
I see Apple sells a Belkin competitor on the Apple Store, which, knowing Belkin’s position as the one company officially licensed, allowed, and permitted to fix Apple’s fuck-ups, probably means Apple is very aware of these hub problems.
Honestly the studio display camera issues are overblown. Clear case of reviewers who spend all day with different web cameras getting too deep for consumers
For the price, the camera is a massive upgrade for users who mainly want it for FaceTime/Zoom. Seem with the display not being black enough. It offers lots of extra USB-Cs.
The specs of the display are aligned with pretty normal core audience of Apple customers who want elevated design, easy to use and explainable feature set at a premium price. If you want pro feature, they have a pro display and there are even more niche competitors
@Julian Upgrade compared with what? It’s worse than the cameras that are built into Macs. More USB-C ports would be great, but the main problem is that they aren’t fully reliable.
