Between 2016 and 2022, Apple left the Mac community waiting for quality external displays. After discontinuing the Thunderbolt Display, the company relied on LG, which offered a lackluster monitor that felt more like a PC-grade product, if you were searching for a standalone 27-inch display with 5K Retina resolution. Eventually, Apple launched the high-end 32-inch 6K Pro Display XDR, yet its price point was comparable to that of several Mac mini computers combined.
Fast forward three years after the introduction of the Apple Studio Display, and it appears Apple is contemplating a significant upgrade soon.
This speculation originates from Ross Young, head of Display Supply Chain Consultants. His sources indicate that Apple is planning to modernize the 27-inch 5K Apple Studio Display with an advanced backlighting technology.
The existing Apple Studio Display employs LED backlighting similar to that found in the iMac and LG UltraFine display. Young anticipates that the upcoming revision will transition to MiniLED, which promises better contrast and more uniform backlighting.
You might draw a parallel here between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro when comparing backlighting technologies.
However, there are currently no rumors suggesting an upgrade to a more advanced refresh rate.
Apple already incorporates variable refresh rates into the displays of its Pro-model iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Pro devices, achieving refresh rates of up to 120 times per second. In contrast, the Apple Studio Display, like the LG 5K Display that was released nearly a decade ago, has a refresh rate capped at 60 times.
This refresh rate aspect is crucial for users who favor smoother animations, ultimately resulting in a more responsive and less sluggish computing experience.
For now, Young predicts a MiniLED standalone display with a 27-inch size and 5K resolution, notably not an all-in-one computer. Is there a chance we will see something termed as the Studio Display 2025 at the recently announced Apple event? While it remains a possibility, such speculation hasn’t surfaced until now, barring an unusual rumor in 2022 that a new model was on the horizon, long after the Studio Display was launched.
