We all know that Apple’s external monitors are extremely beautiful to look at…and extremely expensive to purchase. The latter could be even more the case if the latest Bloomberg Power On newsletter from Mark Gurman is any indication.
According to the uncannily-accurate Apple analyst, Cupertino is working on several new monitors—including a replacement for the Pro Display XDR that was launched together with the 2019 Mac Pro—that will all include Apple-designed chips. This, Gurman said, will help the displays “rely less on resources from the attached computer.”
Of course, this won’t be the first time an Apple external monitor will come with Apple Silicon. The Studio Display, introduced alongside the Mac Studio earlier this year, featured an A13 Bionic (and, inexplicably, 64GB of internal storage) from the iPhone 11, in order to drive drive image processing for the 12MP webcam as well as the Centre Stage and spatial audio functions. This raises the possibility of the next Pro Display XDR incorporating a camera.
Other details include a 7K resolution for the Pro Display XDR replacement, up from the 6K resolution of the current model. The latter pushes out 6016×3384 pixels (218ppi) through a 32-inch display, meaning that the new model will either have greater pixel density or a physically larger panel.
Unfortunately, you might have to wait a while for the new displays—according to Gurman, they may only debut after the next-generation Mac Pro, as that computer is further along in development. The improvements also mean you should brace yourself for even higher prices compared to the original Pro Display XDR, which retails at a whopping RM19,999 without the necessary RM4,499 stand.
