Apple might be set to release a new Pro Display XDR this year and at a fraction of the cost, according to the latest report. Mac computers are not the lowest-priced options on the market, but Apple's only monitor, the Pro Display XDR, has an even more startling price, making it more expensive than every one of its MacBook laptops and Mac desktop computers except for one.
Apple's Pro Display XDR was the first to receive a mini-LED backlit screen and it's an impressive monitor, with a 32-inch display and 6K resolution. Most impressive is the 1,600 nits of peak brightness, one-million to one contrast ratio, and 10-bit color. That is the benefit of mini-LED technology, extreme brightness along with deep blacks and wide color gamut. While micro-LED technology will beat this once it becomes widespread enough to lower prices, mini-LED is generally recognized as the best practical solution for display technology.
Apple rarely releases new monitors and they do tend to be at the upper range in pricing, with the Pro Display XDR costing just as much as an entry-level Mac Pro if purchased along with a stand. $6,000 for a top-quality Apple monitor to go along with a $6,000 Mac Pro. If mounting on a wall or a third-party stand, the Pro Display XDR costs only $5,000. However, predictions from Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman, suggest that a new Pro Display XDR is coming in 2022 that might slash the price in half. An updated Pro Display XDR, presumably using newer technology than the 2019 model, might be priced much more affordably at $2,500.
A Pro Display XDR For All?
While $2,500 is still very expensive for a monitor, this would be cutting-edge technology and designed to last for several years whereas computers might be upgraded more frequently. A 2021 MacBook Pro is within this price range, matching the heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem.
The M1 Mac desktops, MacBook laptops, and iPad Pro powerful M1 Pro and M1 Max processors, can handle up to three 6K displays and one 4K monitor at the same time. With that impressive graphics processing power, an 8K display wouldn't present a challenge and Apple could upgrade the Pro Display XDR with higher resolution and more mini-LEDs with greater brightness, making this a very enticing offer. It's only a rumor, but a new display does seem likely given that two years have ed since Apple released a monitor and the company's Mac computers now boast much greater graphics performance to power such a display.
Source: Bloomberg