Is Apple’s new Studio Display a good buy? Let’s get into it.
Outside of the ultra high-end Cinema Display XDR, Apple hasn’t sold an Apple-branded display at a price point that was in reach for normal consumers since the 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display was discontinued in 2016, and it’s been one of those products that a segment of Apple’s customers had been asking for ever since. Now the long-rumored new Studio Display is here, and since its release people have been debating about whether or not its feature set and price point make it a good buy. At $1600 (starting) it’s vastly more attainable than the $5000 Cinema Display XDR, but it’s still a pricy item.
Let’s talk pricing first. The aforementioned Apple Thunderbolt Display retailed for $999 in 2016, which would be almost $1200 in 2022 when adjusting for inflation. The nearest comparable display for sale today is the LG UltraFine 27-inch display. In fact, the panel in the Studio Display is almost identical to the one in the LG, which in turn was the same panel Apple sold in the 27-inch iMac. The LG display is $1300. Apple was never going to undercut the LG in price, so it was reasonable to expect Apple’s display to be more expensive. But is Apple’s display worth the $300 premium over LG’s offering?
The Studio Display’s actual display panel only differs from the LG’s in that it has 100 higher nits of brightness, but for everyday use that’s going be only marginally different. The Studio Display has better built-in microphones, better built-in speakers, and Apple’s auto-panning Center Stage camera. (Curiously every reviewer has noticed that the quality of the Studio Display’s webcam is poorer than expected. Apple says this will be improved with a future software update, but this will bear watching.) Perhaps most crucially, the Studio Display has a much more solid stand than the LG (which is notoriously wobbly), and an aluminum frame design featuring Apple’s design language and style, versus the more pedestrian plastic housing on the LG.
Do those things bring an extra $300 in value to the Studio Display? Arguably yes. Apple clearly sees a market for a panel of this class in an Apple-designed housing with a unique level of speaker and camera quality. There also aren’t many options in the 5k display space. It’s basically just Apple and LG making them, and even the LG was made with Apple’s input. There are a lot of 4K displays on the market, and those will suit the needs of most users. 5k is particularly useful for video editors who can have a full 4k image to work with while still having room for all of their tool palettes around the preview window.
The reality is most schools aren’t going to spend this kind of money on a display, nor are most companies when Dell makes a whole range of “good enough” displays at various sizes, resolutions, and price points. This is going to be a niche display aimed at those who a) need the features the panel size and specs offer and b) specifically want the design and extra features that Apple alone will bring to market.
I do wish Apple would sell a 4k Studio Display at $999 though. I think they’d actually move quite a few of those and placate a lot of the concerns that the Studio Display is too expensive. On the other end of the price spectrum, there’s a hole in Apple’s lineup between the Studio Display and Cinema Display that would be filled by a $2500 display that is mini-LED with ProMotion. If I’m betting, I’m going to put my money on the latter coming to market way before a lower-end display will.
I’m not buying a Studio Display, but there’s definitely a market for it. Are you in it? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
P.S. there was another product years ago that also bore the name Apple Studio Display (actually there were several), and this 17-inch CRT variant from 2000-2001. My college bought one of these when I was a student, and it’s genuinely one of my favorite Apple product designs of all time. Just look at this thing!