The Studio Display, introduced in March 2022, is Apple’s first monitor since the 2019 Pro Display XDR, and the first lower-priced display option since the 2016 discontinuation of the Thunderbolt Display.
Priced starting at $1,599, the Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K retina display with a resolution of 5120 x 2880 at 218 pixels per inch, aka the same resolution as the now discontinued 27-inch iMac. It supports up to 600 nits brightness so it’s not as bright as the Pro Display XDR, and it offers P3 Wide color for vivid, true to life colors and True Tone to match the white balance of the display to the lighting in the room.
The Studio Display is engineered with glass that has extremely low reflectivity, but there is a $300 upgrade for nano-texture glass that minimizes glare in workspaces with bright lighting.
Design wise, the Studio Display features slim black bezels all the way around, along with an iMac-style aluminum stand with 30 degrees of adjustable tilt (−5° to +25°). The stand is included in the price of the display, but for an extra $400, there is a tilt-and height adjustable stand that offers the same tilt but also 105mm of height adjustability, and a VESA mount adapter option that lets the display be used in portrait or landscape orientation.
The Studio Display measures in at 18.8 inches tall, 24.5 inches wide, and 6.6 inches deep. It weighs 13.9 pounds. The tilt and height adjustable stand adds three extra pounds and a bit more depth and height, while the VESA mount version is less tall and lighter weight because of the lack of an included stand.
At the back of the display, there is one Thunderbolt 3 port that supports 96W charging, enough to power all of Apple’s laptops, and three additional 10Gb/s USB-C ports for connecting peripherals. It connects to a Mac using a single Thunderbolt cable, which is included.
Compared to the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display is unique because it has a built-in A13 Bionic chip to power the camera and audio systems. It is equipped with a 12-megapixel Æ’/2.4 Ultra Wide camera that has a 122-degree field of view. The Ultra Wide camera facilitates Center Stage, a feature that is designed to keep you centered in the frame as you move around during video calls.
The A13 Bionic supports Spatial Audio for cinematic sound and it has a built-in Hey Siri feature, adding it to desktop Macs that do not normally have Siri functionality. It also powers the high-fidelity six-speaker sound system, which is equipped with four force-cancelling woofers and two high-performance tweeters. To go along with the speakers, there is a three-microphone array for high-quality audio.
The Studio Display is compatible with Mac Studio, 2016 or later MacBook Pro models, 2018 or later MacBook Air models, 2018 or later Mac mini models, 2019 or later Mac Pro models, and 2017 or later iMac models, including iMac Pro. It also works with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third-generation or later), all 11-inch iPad Pro models, and the fifth-generation iPad Air.
Apple is selling the Studio Display for $1,599, with nano-texture glass and upgraded stand available as add-ons. The display is available for order now and will launch on March 18.
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