Apple unveiled the Pro Display XDR in 2019, priced at $4,999, excluding a stand, with an optional Pro Stand available for an additional $999. Despite numerous advancements in display technology over the years, Apple has maintained the status quo with this model. Nevertheless, a few insights suggest potential future enhancements.
Apple Silicon Chip
In 2022, Apple launched the Studio Display, which stood out due to its integration of the A13 Bionic chip. This enabled features like Center Stage and spatial audio, enhancing user experience significantly.
Conversely, the Pro Display XDR, released three years earlier, lacks an Apple Silicon chipset. However, a Bloomberg report from 2022 hinted that this omission will be addressed in an upcoming model:
Apple is working on several new external monitors, including an update to the Pro Display XDR that debuted alongside the Intel Mac Pro in 2019. It seems likely that the next high-end display will be released after the Mac Pro, as the computer’s development is more advanced than that of the monitor.
These new monitors, like the Studio Display that accompanied the Mac Studio, will incorporate Apple silicon, allowing them to utilize fewer resources from the connected computer.
If this two-year-old rumor proves accurate—especially given Gurman’s mention of the display’s slow progress—we might anticipate some form of Apple Silicon in the Pro Display XDR 2.
This upgrade could enable the Pro Display XDR to feature an integrated camera and speakers, which are currently not included.
Quantum Dot Display
Display analyst Ross Young has indicated that Apple plans to implement quantum-dot films in the next iteration of the Pro Display XDR, similar to the latest M4 MacBook Pro:
With Apple now using [quantum dot] films in the MacBook Pro, it will be intriguing to see if these films replace KSF films and KSF phosphors in other Apple devices. KSF films are part of the previous MiniLED MacBook Pros and the Pro Display XDR. We expect the next version of the Pro Display to adopt these innovations.
It remains uncertain whether this means that the new Pro Display XDR will feature mini-LED, as it currently employs a premium IPS panel with local-dimming zones. Details regarding refresh rates are also lacking, though consumers would likely appreciate a 120Hz display, especially considering that MacBooks have boasted this feature for over three years, and the Pro Display XDR commands a price exceeding $5,000.
Additional Rumors
In 2023, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that Apple is set to unveil a 27-inch miniLED display by 2025. While this likely does not pertain to the Pro Display XDR, which measures 32 inches, it is worth mentioning as Kuo describes it as a “high-end monitor.” This upcoming display is rumored to be thinner with narrower bezels.
Furthermore, past reports from DMN suggest that Apple is developing a display boasting a 7K resolution, making it a plausible option for a future Pro Display XDR.
Release Date
Display analyst Ross Young informed DMN that he anticipates the Pro Display XDR 2 to debut in late 2025 or early 2026, though solid details are yet to emerge.
Recently, in the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman noted that the next-generation Pro Display XDR is not a priority for Apple:
What does this mean for the Pro Display XDR? Creating a new version of a $5,000 product (without the stand) is a lesser priority for Apple. This monitor is out of reach for most consumers, and Apple has encountered difficulties with high-end products like the $3,500 Vision Pro.
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