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These are probably not the 4K Thunderbolt 2 displays you’re looking for

7AolyTf

Concept image: http://i.imgur.com/7AolyTf.png

There are some suggestions around that a couple of new 4K display panels from AUO could form the basis of an Apple Thunderbolt 2 Display.

The speculation has been prompted by a Reddit post noting that these are the first Embedded DisplayPort 4K screens, so would work out of the box via Thunderbolt 2. This much is true, but AUO doesn’t have a reputation as top-tier manufacturer, and as I argued last month, it would be odd for Apple not to have revealed its plans for a 4K display at the time the company announced the Mac Pro.

So while the idea is not impossible, put us firmly in the skeptical camp.

Via MR

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Comments

  1. What is 9TO5 best guess on launch of new displays?

      • Pierre Calixte - 10 years ago

        Not saying you’re wrong but Fall 2014 seems a bit far in the future for a piece of tech that should be on store shelves now. I mean how hard is it to build 4k displays. Many brands have them in stores already.

      • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

        Apple has rarely been first to the market with anything, preferring to create its own version when it is ready. I’m only guessing on dates, but anything between the Mac Pro and next year’s MacBooks would seem a bit random.

      • Pierre Calixte - 10 years ago

        Ah yes…waiting for tech to get really cheap so they can make a product they can overcharge you for is the Apple way. lol

      • NQZ (@surgesoda) - 10 years ago

        There are a few things to consider, Pierre.

        1.) In order to run 4K at 60Hz, you need to use Multi Stream Display port (Display port 1.2).
        2.) MST Display port is not implemented as of yet in OS X on Mavericks. It’s expected that when the new mac pro gets released, there will be an update, but that is just speculation. So all 4K displays on OS X right now run at 30 Hz, which is horrid.
        3.) HDMI 2.0 is required to run 4K @ 60Hz. HDMI 1.X runs 4K @ 30Hz or 24Hz. Both awful. The HDMI 2.0 standard was just ratified at the end of september I believe. So no macs have it — all their HDMI ports are 1.X. Not even PC GPUs have HDMI 2.0 support yet. No TVs are currently shipping that have HDMI 2.0 support yet either…that’s why no one was pushing 4K TVs on Black Friday. No point in buying one if you can’t hook it up to anything right?
        4.) Just to re-iterate — running 4K @ 30 Hz is terrible. There is noticeable mouse lag. Forget about web browsing and watching videos; it will be awful. That’s why it will not be until Fall 2014 until HDMI 2.0 starts shipping with Broadwell when Apple releases a 4K display.

        For the early adopters, go with either a new mac pro or a 15″ retina, and pray that Apple pushes out an update to enable MST DP for now.

  2. Gregg Mojica - 10 years ago

    I think its quite possible…

  3. I wouldn’t rule out a silent release on/around WWDC, no? Of course, I have no clue what I’m talking about.

  4. NQZ (@surgesoda) - 10 years ago

    Not to mention even the 2013 15″ Retinas do NOT support 4K displays at 60HZ when running on Mavericks! You have to run windows on those laptops to get proper 4K support. Apple still doesn’t have 4K working on OS X!! Displays that are 60Hz run at 30HZ because of Apple’s lack of support.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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