Report: Apple working on new external display for Macs that can double as a smart home display in low-power mode

In the latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman writes that he understands Apple is working on a new Mac external display option that can double up as a smart home display when idle.

Apple is also working on other monitor options, likely aimed as direct successors to the Pro Display XDR and Apple Studio Display.

The smart display would run using an iOS device chip, but that doesn’t come as much surprise given the Studio Display works in the same way (running off an A13 chip internally). But on the Studio Display, the smarts of the software merely extend to the camera and speaker system with features like Center Stage and Spatial Audio.

Being able to double-up as a smart home device in an idle low-power mode is a much more ambitious and interesting affair.

Perhaps, we’ve already seen a glimpse of the smart display software. Many have commented that the UI of the iPhone’s new StandBy feature in iOS 17 could be naturally applicable to a dedicated hardware device.

However, Gurman does not expect the new smart monitor to release until next year “at the earliest.”