Apple unveils Studio Display
New 27–inch 5K display with built–in camera and audio
TO ACCOMPANY THE new Mac Studio, Apple has introduced a matching monitor, the Studio Display, priced at $1,599. It has a 27–inch 5K Retina screen (5,120 x 2,880 pixels at 218ppi), with 600 nits brightness, P3 Wide Color, and support for 1 billion colors. True Tone technology automatically adjusts the display’s color temperature as the ambient light changes for a more natural viewing experience. A range of reference modes is available to ensure color accuracy.
The “all-screen” design has narrow borders and an all–aluminum enclosure. The display can tilt between -5° and +25° on the built–in stand, and build–to–order options include a tilt– and height–adjustable stand ($400) with counterbalancing arm that makes the display feel weightless as it is adjusted. A VESA mount adapter is also available, which supports landscape or portrait orientation for even more flexibility.
Apple says the display has an anti–reflective coating that provides “incredibly low” reflectivity, but for workspaces with bright light sources, including sunlight, there’s the option of nano-texture glass ($300). This, first introduced on Apple’s Pro Display XDR, scatters light to further minimize glare while delivering outstanding image quality with no reduction in contrast and sharpness.
Connectivity is via a Thunderbolt 3 (USB–C) port, which also supports 96W host charging, meaning that the Studio Display can fast–charge a 14–inch MacBook Pro. Apple says up to three Studio Displays can be connected to one MacBook Pro, creating a powerful edit bay or animation workspace. There are three additional downstream USB–C ports, which support up to 10Gb/sec, making it easy to connect high– speed peripherals, storage, and networking right into the display.
The Studio Display also boasts what Apple is calling “the best combination of camera and audio ever in a desktop display.” It has an advanced 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, the Apple technology that automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around or come into shot.
There’s a high–fidelity six–speaker sound system, with support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos. For audio recording and video calling, the Studio Display has a “studio– quality” three–mic array with high signal–to–noise ratio and directional beamforming. There is even support for “Hey Siri” built in, with an A13 Bionic chip (and, it turns out, iOS) inside to drive these features.
Apple says all this makes the Studio Display “the ultimate video conferencing display,” and the intention is clearly to ensure that users who choose Mac Studio with Studio Display do not miss out on any of the functionality they would have gotten if they had opted for a MacBook instead.
To complement the design of Studio Display, there’s a new silver– and–black color option for the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (a $199 separate purchase), Magic Trackpad ($149), and Magic Mouse ($99).