Joe Rossignol
It's been nearly three years since Apple released the Studio Display. Below, we round up the rumors surrounding the potential next-generation model.
Apple released the Studio Display in March 2022 alongside the Mac Studio. The standalone display features a 27-inch 5K LCD screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 600 nits of brightness, a built-in camera and speakers, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. In the US, the Studio Display still starts at $1,599.
There have been on-and-off rumors that Apple is planning a new 27-inch external display with a mini-LED backlight that would offer increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio than the current Studio Display. In April 2023, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the display was scheduled to enter mass production in 2024 or early 2025. However, it is unclear if this will remain Apple's plan.
In November 2024, an anonymous listener to Relay FM's tech podcast “Upgrade” claimed that Apple was developing 90Hz display technology that could be used for the next Studio Display. This higher refresh rate would make content like video and scrolling text smoother on the eyes, but 90Hz falls short of the 120Hz refresh rate that ProMotion-enabled iPhones and Macs can achieve. Still, it would be an improvement.
It's not clear to us whether the anonymous tipster has a proven track record when it comes to Apple rumors.
That's all we have for now on the Studio Display rumors. Considering Apple's more expensive Pro Display XDR was released in 2019 and hasn't received any hardware updates yet, it's possible that the Studio Display could also go without updates for at least a few more years. Hopefully, Apple will unveil something sooner, though.
Related reviews: Apple Pro Display XDR, Apple Studio DisplayRelated forum: Mac Accessories[ 132 comments ]
