Next year could be huge for Apple fans because, aside from more powerful Macs, the tech giant could also introduce new external displays. And the next version of the Pro Display XDR could be one of them.
The report comes from the latest Power On newsletter by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, stating that Apple has been developing “multiple” external monitors. No details about the next Pro Display XDR were mentioned, but earlier reports might provide some clues.
9To5Mac reported last March — a few days before Studio Display officially launched — that Apple had been working on a new monitor with 7K resolution. At the time, it seemed like the information was pertaining to the Studio Display. But it now appears to be about a different external monitor since the Studio Display only offers 5K resolution (5120 x 2880).
With this more recent report, it now seems possible that the external monitor with 7K resolution could be the purported Pro Display XDR successor. The existing high-end display has a 32-inch IPS LCD with Retina 6K resolution (6016 x 3384) at 218 ppi. Its prices start at $4,999 for the standard glass variant and $5,999 for the nano-texture glass option.
Apple unveiled the existing Pro Display XDR with the third-generation Mac Pro in 2019. But that might not be the case for the successors of both products. Gurman said Apple has made more progress in the development of the new Mac Pro, which is expected to include a new M2 Ultra chip. So it could be launched before Apple’s next high-end external monitor.
Meanwhile, the other display Apple could be working on is a new version of the Studio Display. Analyst Ross Young said last March that he was expecting Apple to introduce a 27-inch monitor with a mini-LED display, which he dubbed “Studio Display Pro.”
He then reported in May that the Studio Display Pro was delayed due to October after the Shanghai-based Quanta, which was supposedly manufacturing the monitor, was affected by a COVID-19 lockdown. Young once again updated the timeline for the Studio Display Pro in October, saying that design changes have further pushed its launch window. The monitor is now anticipated to be released sometime in the first quarter of 2023.
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