There are more Thunderbolt monitors than ever and while Apple offers two options, its displays at $1,600-$5,000+ won’t be the right fit for everyone. Luckily, there are more affordable, solid choices from LG, BenQ, and Samsung. Below, we’ll cover the best Thunderbolt monitors for Mac as well as what you get with a Thunderbolt monitor vs a USB-C monitor.
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Samsung knows how to make great displays, as evidenced by Apple contracting with them so often for products like the iPhone, iPad, and more. I’ve been testing the 32-inch Samsung ViewFinity S8 (S80UD) for the last month. Here’s what you should know about the budget-friendly monitor, including all the ways it’s impressed me.
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I have been a BenQ loyalist for years now. They offer some of the best displays for Mac and iPad users at reasonable prices. Spending over $1,600 for a studio display has never been in the cards for me. BenQ gets you 99% of the features, build quality, and function for a fraction of that price. BenQ is doubling down on this by introducing its first budget-friendly focused monitor, which is made specifically for Mac users. Again, for the price, I was very impressed by everything you get. Here is my hands-on look.
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A year and a half after Apple launched its Studio Display, Samsung released a direct competitor with its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor. With many of the same features as Studio Display plus some beyond, it’s an interesting alternative. Follow along for how Studio Display vs Samsung ViewFinity S9 stack up.
Update 8/20: The Samsung ViewFinity S9 is 48% off for a limited time. And the Apple Studio Display is currently 19% off.
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We’ve seen some impressive new Thunderbolt and USB-C monitors launch over the last year to compete with Apple’s Studio Display and Pro Display XDR. However, most monitors aimed at Mac users don’t support the MacBook Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, even Apple’s displays. Now the Spectrum One arrived from Dough that offers an enticing 27-inch, 4K monitor with 144Hz refresh, USB-C with 100W power, an allegedly advanced glossy finish, and more.
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Philips is out with a new Creator Series 4K display that looks to offer a range of valuable features at an affordable $500 price. Coming with this 27-inch 4K monitor is USB-C with 96W passthrough, DCI-P3 support, an IPS Black panel, KVM switch, an I/O hub, and more.
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After teasing its Apple Studio Display competitor in January and releasing the full specs and price details in July, the ViewFinity S9 5K monitor is now available. Here’s what makes it an interesting Apple Studio Display alternative.
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Back at CES 2023 in January, Samsung teased its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor. Now details for the product that will go head-to-head with Apple’s Studio Display have been revealed including full specs, price, and an August release date.
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Samsung has announced that its popular Smart Monitor M8 is getting an update for 2023. The latest version of the display will come in 32- and 27-inch options with an updated version of the super slim design we saw first arrive in 2022. Handy features like USB-C, AirPlay, and built-in webcam remain while new features include HDR 10+ support, portrait orientation, and more.
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Dell announced its new UltraSharp 32 6K Monitor back in January at CES, now the external display is available with a compelling feature set for $2,000 less than Apple’s 32-inch Pro Display XDR. Read on for all the details.
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BenQ has released its latest displays today. The two new 27-inch Ergo Arm Designer Monitors and 32-inch version feature a 4K resolution, USB-C connectivity with up to 90W pass-through power, 95% DCI P3 color space, a built-in flexible mounting arm, and more at affordable price points.
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Want to improve flexibility with your Mac (or PC) external display, create more desk space, or just dial in your setup? A VESA monitor arm is a simple way to do all that with great options from under $50. Read along for a look at the best monitor arms for Mac from simple to high-end.
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Dell has unveiled a lineup of new monitors today at CES. Headlining the new products is the 32-inch 6K UltraSharp Monitor with powerful 140W charging for laptops, impressive I/O hub, 4K webcam, 99% DCI-P3 colorspace, and more.
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Thinking about gifting someone – or yourself – a monitor for their Mac? Whether you’re looking for a modern display at an affordable price or something in the prosumer realm, here are the top Mac monitor gifts with 4K resolutions, USB-C/Thunderbolt, and more.
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After unveiling its new USB-C UltraSharp 32 4K Conference Monitor that features a built-in 4K HDR Sony webcam at CES back in January, Dell has opened preorders today. The new monitor offers a number of features that may make it a compelling alternative to Apple’s Studio Display.
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If you want an Apple-branded monitor with true mini-LED backlighting, it’s unclear how long you might have to wait. But a Porsche mini-LED monitor is coming in June, and you can pre-order one now.
The monitor offers a USB-C connection, which should make it suitable for Macs, but you probably won’t want to buy one – and not just because of the price …
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While most ultra wide monitors on the market with Thunderbolt 3 go for well over a thousand dollars, Samsung offers an interesting option with a 34-inch curved display, Thunderbolt 3, and a more affordable price. The CJ791 doesn’t bring a 4K resolution to the table, but it does come in at $800 with a compelling overall package. Read on for our full review of this ultra wide Thunderbolt 3 monitor that works well with the MacBook Pro and other MacBooks.
Today at its “Your New Normal” event at IFA 2017, Samsung highlighted the world’s largest QLED gaming monitor (which it showed off back in June). While the new monitor is geared to gaming, this new monster could be an awesome addition to a variety of setups.
Many of us were deeply disappointed when Apple appeared to be exiting the display business last summer.
Not just because we want matching aesthetics and the reassurance you get with an all-Apple setup, but also because there was no obvious third-party replacement. All Apple said at the time was that ‘there are a number of great third-party options available for Mac users,’ but without pointing to anything in particular.
When the company finally did make an official recommendation in the form of the LG UltraFine 4K and 5K monitors, it wasn’t exactly a great one. Not only are the monitors extremely un-Apple-like in their grey plastic cases, but a serious technical fault first identified by us led to the temporary withdrawal of the product until LG fixed the Wi-Fi interference problem. All in all, it was a mess.
The good news is that this mess has likely played a role in Apple doing a U-turn and making plans to get back into the display business …
Whilst Apple is touting the LG 5K UltraFine as the best choice for pro Mac owners today, Dell is launching a ‘5K’ display of its own … $5K that is. Leapfrogging the market, the UltraSharp UP3218K is the ‘world’s first’ 8K consumer monitor with an insane 7680×4320 resolution.
With a screen size of 31.5 inches, the IPS panel touts a 279 PPI pixel density easily exceeding the Retina bar for desktop computer displays (the 5K iMac has 217 PPI). Available to order now from Dell.com, it’s an amazing monitor (if you can ignore the hefty price tag).
LG has confirmed that the 5K UltraFine monitor Apple recommends for use with the new MacBook Pro models has been delayed. A company representative told us that LG does not yet have a confirmed date for availability.
LG originally said ‘early December,’ while Apple was more cautious on its website, simply stating ‘December.’ As we noted last week, Apple is already leaving things rather late to allow people to take advantage of its introductory pricing …
If you own a MacBook Pro with Retina Display and desire extra screen real estate, then a 4K monitor can be a good investment, especially as the price of such monitors continue to dwindle.
Why should you consider a 4K display instead of a cheaper monitor with lesser resolution? It all boils down to clarity.
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If you have a 12-inch MacBook and are looking for an external monitor for it, Lenovo and Acer have each announced the neatest solutions yet, with a choice of 24-, 25- and 27-inch USB-C monitors.
Lenovo’s ThinkVision X24 Pro is the most basic, with a 1920×1080 resolution starting at $399, with availability in May. Acer’s H7 series monitors offer 2560×1440 resolution in 25- and 27-inch variants, and you’ll be able to get your hands on one of those next month, starting at $499.99.
Finally, Lenovo’s ThinkVision X1 is a 27-inch model offering 3840×2160 resolution, again from May, priced at $799 …
