Apple 27-inch mini LED display expected in early 2023

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware
Supply chain rumors suggest Apple will launch a new 27-inch display with mini LED backlighting in the first quarter of 2023.

A new Studio Display-sized monitor with mini LED backlighting could be announced in 2023
A new Studio Display-sized monitor with mini LED backlighting could be announced in 2023


Rumors of a pro-level 27-inch display have circulated since Apple revealed the more "affordable" Studio Display. It lacks HDR, ProMotion, and mini LED backlighting found in Apple's MacBook Pros and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants analyst Ross Young, Apple will reveal a 27-inch mini LED display in early 2023. This information was shared with his super followers on Twitter, so the tweet is only visible to paying members.

Apple already sells the high-end Pro Display XDR with a 6K display, but it also lacks the latest pro-grade features found in other Apple products. That display is meant more for professionals who need expensive reference monitors where color accuracy is the most important detail.

For those who prioritize display refresh rates and optimized backlighting, there could be a new third monitor on its way. A 27-inch mini LED backlit display would target the market between Apple's other current monitors.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,278member
    I would hope that such a display would replace the Studio Display at the same price point,  along with an improved camera and height-adjustable built in (not an added extra). 

    I'm the kind of person who would love to have an Apple display, and I'm willing to pay a premium price for premium features, but the Studio Display they shipped last year fell too short of my expectations for features, given the price. 
    lkruppentropyswatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 19
    Stabitha_ChristieStabitha_Christie Posts: 439member
    The Studio Display and XDR Display lack ProMotion because Thunderbolt 3 doesn't have the bandwidth to do both 5k+ and 120 Hz refresh rate. You either have to do below 5k or lower the refresh rate. Given that, this new display is likely not going to sit between the Studio and XDR and have ProMotion 
    lkruppentropysnetroxFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 19
    StationGreyStationGrey Posts: 35member
    Like many others, I suspect, I'd like a Studio Display but haven't bought one because it's overpriced and not technically up-to-date enough (resolution aside).

    I'd very much like a higher-spec version, but making it even more expensive just won't work. Replacing the current one at the same price would be tempting, but it's hard enough to justify spending 3x the amount of a 4k display on a 5k one. There's no way I'd contemplate spending even more than that. £/$1500 is already beyond the upper limit for a 27" 5k monitor, I'm afraid.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 19
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,849member
    Like many others, I suspect, I'd like a Studio Display but haven't bought one because it's overpriced and not technically up-to-date enough (resolution aside).

    I'd very much like a higher-spec version, but making it even more expensive just won't work. Replacing the current one at the same price would be tempting, but it's hard enough to justify spending 3x the amount of a 4k display on a 5k one. There's no way I'd contemplate spending even more than that. £/$1500 is already beyond the upper limit for a 27" 5k monitor, I'm afraid.
    Then you are doomed to a low end 4k monitor which is an even older tech monitor, the price won’t be dropping not in these inflationary times. 
    edited October 2022 baconstang
  • Reply 5 of 19
    StationGreyStationGrey Posts: 35member
    danox said:
    StationGrey said:
    Like many others, I suspect, I'd like a Studio Display but haven't bought one because it's overpriced and not technically up-to-date enough (resolution aside).

    I'd very much like a higher-spec version, but making it even more expensive just won't work. Replacing the current one at the same price would be tempting, but it's hard enough to justify spending 3x the amount of a 4k display on a 5k one. There's no way I'd contemplate spending even more than that. £/$1500 is already beyond the upper limit for a 27" 5k monitor, I'm afraid.
    Then you are doomed to a low end 4k monitor which is an even older tech monitor, the price won’t be dropping not in this inflationary times. 
    Well, not really... I currently have a 5k iMac. I just begrudge paying 2 or 3 times what it's worth just to have virtually the same monitor component on its own.

    And you mean 'high-end 4k monitor'. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 19
    ApplePoorApplePoor Posts: 286member
    Got a pair of the new March 2022 Studio Displays along with my maxed out Mac Studio main computer. This is a light years jump from my two 2013 27" Apple Thunderbolt displays and 2013 MacPro (trash can) with 128GB of ram and a 2TB SSD. No complaints here.
    chadbagblastdoorFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 19
    chadbagchadbag Posts: 2,000member
    ApplePoor said:
    Got a pair of the new March 2022 Studio Displays along with my maxed out Mac Studio main computer. This is a light years jump from my two 2013 27" Apple Thunderbolt displays and 2013 MacPro (trash can) with 128GB of ram and a 2TB SSD. No complaints here.
    I think your screen name is apt. 
    warren21watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 19
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,958member
    If Apple doesn’t want our money, we will limp along with our old big screen iMacs until they offer an all-in-one replacement. We are not downsizing no matter how cool the little screen newest model is. 
    baconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 19
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,849member
    danox said:
    Like many others, I suspect, I'd like a Studio Display but haven't bought one because it's overpriced and not technically up-to-date enough (resolution aside).

    I'd very much like a higher-spec version, but making it even more expensive just won't work. Replacing the current one at the same price would be tempting, but it's hard enough to justify spending 3x the amount of a 4k display on a 5k one. There's no way I'd contemplate spending even more than that. £/$1500 is already beyond the upper limit for a 27" 5k monitor, I'm afraid.
    Then you are doomed to a low end 4k monitor which is an even older tech monitor, the price won’t be dropping not in this inflationary times. 
    Well, not really... I currently have a 5k iMac. I just begrudge paying 2 or 3 times what it's worth just to have virtually the same monitor component on its own.

    And you mean 'high-end 4k monitor'. 
    4k is lower quality most of the PC world uses it like VHS tape recorders back in the day, a low cost solution, you didn’t think Apple would choose the low road.

    Apple also cares about font quality which is displayed better on 5k than 4k. Apple cares the greater PC world does not.

    https://www.digitalphotopro.com/gear/more-gear/hi-tech-studio-4k-vs-5k/

    https://www.technochops.com/monitors/4359/4k-vs-5k-monitor/#What_Does_5K_Resolution_Mean
    edited October 2022 baconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 19
    thttht Posts: 5,443member
    Stabitha_Christie said:
    The Studio Display and XDR Display lack ProMotion because Thunderbolt 3 doesn't have the bandwidth to do both 5k+ and 120 Hz refresh rate. You either have to do below 5k or lower the refresh rate. Given that, this new display is likely not going to sit between the Studio and XDR and have ProMotion 
    Yup. If Apple can implement Thunderbolt 5 before Intel does, a 5K to 6K 120 Hz Apple monitor will be possible, and 8K 60 Hz possibly though there'd be nothing left for a builtin dock. Early 2023 might be possible. It's the best solution for a single cable high DPI monitor with builtin dock, cameras, etc.

    The TB4 solutions will be unsavory, like compression or multi-cable, and Apple isn't going to revert to ADC style cabling anymore, and compression doesn't sound good. A multi-cable DP2.0 and TB5 could be interesting, but Apple isn't going to do it.

    And yes, $3k for miniLED 5K 120 Hz. Sandwiched in between a notional XDR at 6K 120 Hz at $5k.
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 19
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,146member
    I've long asked about simply bumping the 27" Thunderbolt display to 4k with usb C for $999, and offering two 40" monitors @ 4K (110dpi) & 8k 'retina' for professionals...
    Would the former work both more broadly and economically vs 5k, yet still 'retina' scale to the 110dpi of the WYSIWYG 27" Thunderbolt displays if wanted ?
    I've always viewed the 5k option as being helpful to see full 4k video with room for menus, however that seems a specialized application.
    Then there is the gpu question, which again has me asking if an eGPU is potentially faster (6900XT?) than even the Studio Ultra, and of course upgradable moving forward... 

    Do such custom resolutions contribute to debugging burden? I ask if support costs are a rationale to lock down everything 'onboard' as well... Since moving to Monterey (multiple attempts needed) I am still experiencing issues with many basic aspects of macOS from email to contacts to music to APFS to even announcing the time, despite being out of 'beta' for roughly a year @ v12.6. Additionally my main vertical apps are also still not native for ARM, with one still only supported for Intel... Should Apple slow down given the increasing complexity of 'innovation'...?
  • Reply 12 of 19
    HrebHreb Posts: 82member
    Will Apple get into the adaptive sync game on external monitors at long last in 2023?
  • Reply 13 of 19
    thttht Posts: 5,443member
    Hreb said:
    Will Apple get into the adaptive sync game on external monitors at long last in 2023?
    If you asked yourself whether Apple will have a good FPS gaming library for macOS 2023, the answer would be no, and therefore no for a refresh rate syncing monitor.

    Moreover, Apple's Mac design goals are in opposition of gaming monitors. Apple wants high PPI monitors, where they've settled on 220 PPI. 27" means 5K, 32" means 6K. They should be moving to 250 PPI to match the MBP14/16 PPI, so more pressure for more pixels. At those resolutions, there isn't enough bandwidth in cables to push more than 60 Hz.

    Having 120 Hz, 240 Hz monitors means they would have to drop resolutions to 2K or 4K. They really can't differentiate their products at those resolutions as anybody will undercut them at those resolutions. 5K and 6K? Very OEMs will even consider making a display with those resolutions. Much easier for them to sell.

    Which circles back to macOS not having a competitive gaming library with which to sell a display...
    watto_cobradanoxFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 14 of 19
    maciekskontaktmaciekskontakt Posts: 1,169member
    Way too small for those resolutions. Mini?  They should go with 32 inch standard for 4K and bigger resolutions.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,362member
    danox said:
    danox said:
    Like many others, I suspect, I'd like a Studio Display but haven't bought one because it's overpriced and not technically up-to-date enough (resolution aside).

    I'd very much like a higher-spec version, but making it even more expensive just won't work. Replacing the current one at the same price would be tempting, but it's hard enough to justify spending 3x the amount of a 4k display on a 5k one. There's no way I'd contemplate spending even more than that. £/$1500 is already beyond the upper limit for a 27" 5k monitor, I'm afraid.
    Then you are doomed to a low end 4k monitor which is an even older tech monitor, the price won’t be dropping not in this inflationary times. 
    Well, not really... I currently have a 5k iMac. I just begrudge paying 2 or 3 times what it's worth just to have virtually the same monitor component on its own.

    And you mean 'high-end 4k monitor'. 
    4k is lower quality most of the PC world uses it like VHS tape recorders back in the day, a low cost solution, you didn’t think Apple would choose the low road.

    Apple also cares about font quality which is displayed better on 5k than 4k. Apple cares the greater PC world does not.

    https://www.digitalphotopro.com/gear/more-gear/hi-tech-studio-4k-vs-5k/

    https://www.technochops.com/monitors/4359/4k-vs-5k-monitor/#What_Does_5K_Resolution_Mean
    I definitely don’t draw as hard of a line between 4K vs 5K as you do, but 5K is undoubtedly head & shoulders better than 4K on a 27 inch monitor. I have both attached to my Mac Studio and while the 4K monitor is very nice and a great second monitor, the 5K Studio Display is obviously crisper and clearer. My wife, who is a total techno-nube even asked me why I didn’t get two 5K monitors after seeing them side by side. 

    Actually, the reason why I use a 4K monitor as my second monitor is because I also use my 4K monitor as the video outlet from my 4K compatible 5.1 AV receiver. It’s the hub for my cable TV, Apple TV, and a Windows PC. The 4K monitor supports picture-in-picture and my primary audio player is the Apple TV so I can still use the 4K monitor to extend my Mac desktop while playing music or watching a video in the PIP from Apple TV or cable. 

    When I need to do Windows stuff I do it on the 4K monitor or Remote Desktop from the Mac. I also don’t run the Mac Studio through the AV receiver. The Studio Display’s built in speakers are more than good enough for the type of audio the Mac provides. 

    My main display is a Studio Display. It exceeds my expectations as a primary monitor but for my setup, with 5.1 audio and AV receiver support required, it made no sense to use a Studio Display as a secondary monitor. I didn’t need a second webcam, additional speakers, or higher resolution capabilities than what my receiver, cable, Apple TV, and PC supports. 

    For my setup it didn’t come down to deciding between 5K and 4K.  It came down to meeting a combination of requirements as optimally as possible. The 5K display is definitely superior to the 4K, but the 4K is more than adequate for extending my Mac desktop on a second screen when I need more workspace. 

    Finally, one thing that really made a huge difference for me was putting both of my monitors on VESA arms. Besides freeing up desktop space, having the ability to flip one or both monitors over to portrait orientation makes a big difference. If you have a setup that can accommodate a VESA monitor arm, it seems like a much more flexible approach than ponying up the cash for Apple’s height adjustable monitor stand which is still very limited in terms of adjustability. 

    danoxFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 16 of 19
    HrebHreb Posts: 82member
    tht said:
    Hreb said:
    Will Apple get into the adaptive sync game on external monitors at long last in 2023?
    If you asked yourself whether Apple will have a good FPS gaming library for macOS 2023, the answer would be no, and therefore no for a refresh rate syncing monitor.

    Moreover, Apple's Mac design goals are in opposition of gaming monitors. Apple wants high PPI monitors, where they've settled on 220 PPI. 27" means 5K, 32" means 6K. They should be moving to 250 PPI to match the MBP14/16 PPI, so more pressure for more pixels. At those resolutions, there isn't enough bandwidth in cables to push more than 60 Hz.

    Having 120 Hz, 240 Hz monitors means they would have to drop resolutions to 2K or 4K. They really can't differentiate their products at those resolutions as anybody will undercut them at those resolutions. 5K and 6K? Very OEMs will even consider making a display with those resolutions. Much easier for them to sell.

    Which circles back to macOS not having a competitive gaming library with which to sell a display...
    All true!  But display link bandwidth will continue to increase over time.  And there may be value in having adaptive sync even if the max refresh rate is still 60Hz.

    For my own use, in the 27" form factor, going from 4K@60Hz to 4K@120 Hz is a much bigger improvement than going from 160 ppi to 220 ppi.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,357member
    No doubt the upcoming monitor will be much improved over my old 27" Apple display. Be that as it may I'm not at all interested in getting rid of it for a new 27" display. This one is good enough that I won't consider a replacement until Apple makes an ≥ 30" 4K/60Hz display.

    120Hz refresh rate would be fun to play with. I'd like to shoot 120Hz video and play it back at 120Hz, simple stuff like that. But that and other spec upgrades aren't enough to get me to buy another 27" display.
    danox
  • Reply 18 of 19
    Luthers95ReesesLuthers95Reeses Posts: 5member
    blastdoor said:
    I would hope that such a display would replace the Studio Display at the same price point,  along with an improved camera and height-adjustable built in (not an added extra). 
    LOL….That’s not going to happen
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