Pro Display XDR

While Apple released the Studio Display just under a year ago, the company is also rumored to be working on a higher-end external display with mini-LED backlighting. Once rumored for June 2022, this display has suffered repeated delays, and it’s currently unclear when (or if) it will actually launch…

Apple’s two-year transition to its own silicon is finally over, except for one product: the Mac Pro. Another one that isn’t part of the Mac silicon transition but users are eager to know where it’s heading next is the Pro Display XDR.

Both of these products were introduced by Apple during WWDC19 and were aimed at the most demanding customers. Here’s a roundup of Apple’s plans for the next Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR.

Almost six years since its Thunderbolt display was discontinued, Apple has officially re-entered the consumer external display market with the all-new Studio Display. With a starting price of $1,599, let’s take an in-depth look at the Apple Studio Display vs LG UltraFine and Pro Display XDR.

Apple has given no sign that it is working on a new version of the Pro Display XDR, which was introduced in 2019. However, rumors suggest that there are new external displays from Apple under development. 9to5Mac has now heard from sources familiar with the matter that the company has been working on a new “Apple Studio Display” with higher resolution than the Pro Display XDR.

In his first Power On newsletter of 2022, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman gives a tidbit about Apple’s development of a new external display. According to the journalist, the next external monitor, which is different from the Pro Display XDR sucessor, is “destined to be about half the price” of Apple’s professional display.

There aren’t too many Pro Display XDR competitors at present, but LG has offered one of the few – and is about to add another …

The top end of the pro monitor market comprises reference monitors costing tens of thousands of dollars. Alongside these, Apple’s Pro Display XDR looks comparatively affordable at $5k, and only a handful of other companies compete in this middle ground …

Back in July, 9to5Mac reported that Apple was testing a new external display with a dedicated A13 chip and Neural Engine. Now, a leaker is also corroborating that the company seems to be working on an improved 32-inch Pro Display XDR with custom silicon.

Apple’s Pro Display XDR has been available for quite some time now, but there are still no rumors about an updated version of its high-priced display in the near term. However, 9to5Mac has now learned from sources familiar with the matter that Apple is internally testing a new external display with a dedicated A13 chip and also Neural Engine.

With WWDC 2021 coming up on Monday, it’s been two years since Apple announced the Pro Display XDR — an amazing but expensive external monitor aimed at professional users who need things like high resolution, extreme brightness, and wide color gamut. But what about regular Mac users? They also deserve to have a great external monitor, and Apple should think about this.

The M1 12.9-inch iPad Pro reviews were out on Wednesday. With the new mini-LED display being praised by all reviewers, travel photographer Austin Mann also put the iPad to test and compared it to the Pro Display XDR, the most advanced monitor Apple sells today.

Apple’s marketing for the Pro Display XDR recently went under review by the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK. After looking into several complaints, the authority asked Apple to drop the term “Far beyond HDR,” clarify its P3 wide color range, and also questioned the display’s 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Now Apple has updated its website in the UK.

A new patent filing from Apple shows how the company is working on developing a dual monitor stand for the Pro Display XDR. The current Pro Stand is an elegant yet expensive accessory for the Pro Display XDR, and this patent filing shows how Apple might take things up a notch.

Apple today released another firmware update for its Pro Display XDR, which improves the stability of the external display and also adds some new features. This time, Display Firmware 4.2.30 adds in-field recalibration options to Macs with Pro Display XDR.

Next to the new battery health management and FaceTime adjustments, macOS Catalina 10.15.5 includes a new update for Pro Display XDR owners to be able to fine-tune the calibration of the display by adjusting white point and luminance values to match in-house display calibration targets.

The new fine-tune calibration option joins the previously released ability to establish custom user reference mode presets.
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Apple’s Pro Display XDR has been announced as one of the “Displays of the Year” by The Society for Information Display. These awards are presented to the displays with the “most significant technological advances and/or outstanding features.”

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The Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR reviews continue to flow in. The latest review comes from The Verge, and it offers a detailed look at Apple’s latest Pro-grade hardware in the real world.

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Apple has made two incredibly thorough white papers available today covering the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR. These “Technology Overview” documents highlight the inner workings of both of Apple’s newest pro-grade pieces of hardware.

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One of the comparisons Apple made when it unveiled the Pro Display XDR at WWDC last year was to more expensive, reference grade pro monitors. PCMag has now published its full review of Apple’s $4,999 Pro Display XDR, offering a direct comparison to those more expensive reference grade displays.

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The Pro Display XDR landed on my desktop a few days ago, and I’ve spent enough time with it to gather some early first thoughts about Apple’s high-end monitor. As a former 27-inch Thunderbolt Display owner, I’ve been pining for a modern replacement for it for years, but is this the answer?

Watch our unboxing and overview as I consider the Pro Display XDR top features in our hands-on video walkthrough.
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