GoKawiilThere's a category of halo Apple products that seem to exist primarily as a flex. It's niche. It's hyper-specific. It does something no other product in its class can do, at a price almost no individual could justify. Think the Mac Pro or the Vision Pro.
The Pro Display XDR was one such product when it launched in 2019. The sticker shock was unbelievable, and at the time, it was delivering HDR capability at a level no other monitor in its price range could. Now that the Pro Display XDR isn't alone in that regard, Apple has launched the Studio Display XDR—a monitor with more modest claims about its unique status. Hence, the $1,700 price drop from the original Pro Display XDR.
The Studio Display XDR still does a few things that no other monitor can, but the competition has somehow made this an even more niche monitor than it used to be.
Disappointment Is Real
The speculation about the sequel to the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display were running rampant leading up to the days of the launch. Some said both monitors would be Mini-LED, and others said Apple would use updated chips inside. After all, it had been six and a half years since the Pro Display XDR, and surely Apple would be back to raise the bar again. Meanwhile, it had been three years since the Studio Display, which was highly criticized for its price and lack of features at the time. Apple would learn from its lessons and give the people what they want.
No one out there guessed that the new base Studio Display would be nearly identical to the first version outside the upgraded webcam and still be sold at the same price of $1,599. Even worse, no one would have predicted that the the Studio Display XDR would be smaller and lower resolution than the original.
It measures 27 inches instead of 32, and has a 5K resolution instead of 6K. For some people, it's going to be hard to accept a 27-inch version of this monitor, no matter what. For those people, I'd suggest you check out the LG Ultrafine 6K that I tested late last year. It's much cheaper, and even with a 60 Hz refresh rate, it'll scratch your itch for a large, super-sharp, premium monitor.