- Apple’s next-gen Studio Display is official and still starts at $1,599
- It sticks with a 27-inch screen, but upgrades the camera, ports, and audio
- It’s joined by the new high-end Studio Display XDR, replacing the Pro Display XDR
It’s hard to believe, but Apple’s Studio Display first hit the market back in March 2022. It marked a return to a consumer monitor from the Cupertino-based tech giant, which had previously made several Cinema Displays. Now, though, Apple is ready to usher in its next-generation Studio Display, and the upgrades look pretty solid, albeit they don’t change much with the screen itself.
The new Studio Display still boasts a 27-inch 5K Retina display with support for P3 wide color, up to 600 nits of brightness, and more than 14 million pixels, all wrapped in a sleek silver aluminum frame. Apple didn’t upgrade the refresh rate here, though, as the Studio Display still tops out at 60Hz.
Here’s what is new: the 12-megapixel Center Stage camera now supports Desk View and offers an improved audio experience. Sound flows through a six-speaker system with four force-canceling woofers and two tweeters, which Apple says deliver 30% more bass than the first generation. There are still four ports on the back: two USB-C ports that can handle power delivery up to 96W and two new Thunderbolt 5 ports.
The Studio Display still starts at $1,599 with a tilt-adjustable stand. But Apple has also introduced the Studio Display XDR, which replaces the Pro Display XDR. The Studio Display XDR is significantly more expensive — starting at $3,299 — but features a 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display with a mini-LED backlight and over 2,000 dimming zones. It boasts a 120Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync to automatically adjust based on the content shown. Brightness reaches up to 1,000 nits in SDR and up to 2,000 nits in HDR, all while supporting a wider color gamut.
Just like the regular Studio Display, the Studio Display XDR also gets the upgraded 12-megapixel camera, enhanced audio system, and Thunderbolt 5 ports. We’ll have much more to say soon, but for now, Apple’s Studio Display and Studio Display XDR go up for preorder on March 4, 2026, and begin shipping on March 11, 2026.
The Studio Display gets Thunderbolt 5, a better camera, and deeper bass
Apple’s updates to the core Studio Display really don’t change much with the actual display itself. Rather, the focus here is three-fold: updating the 12-megapixel CenterStage camera, tossing in two Thunderbolt 5 Ports, and improving the already pretty great audio system.
That being said, if you were holding out hope for a ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, that isn’t a part of the second-generation Studio Display. Luckily, though, Apple’s keeping the existing starting price for the Studio Display at $1,599. The screen here is still the 27-inch 5K Retina display that will deliver punchy, vibrant, and accurate colors at 60Hz and supports Wide Color. It’s all wrapped in a premium build and offers great plug-and-play capabilities with any Mac.
This is a breaking story — we’ll update it with more official information very soon…
Studio Display XDR looks like a powerhouse
Now, while it replaces the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display XDR looks like a powerhouse, albeit an expensive one, with many of the features folks were hopeful for in the regular Studio Display.
The Studio Display XDR is also a 27-inch monitor, but it offers 2,000 local dimming zones from an advanced mini LED backlight with higher peak brightness for SDR and HDR content, as well as an adaptive ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate that will automatically adjust based on what content is on the screen, ranging between 47Hz and 120Hz.
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jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
