Studio Display XDR review – MacRumors
With the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR set to be unveiled on Wednesday, the press has begun publishing their reviews of the new display options.
In accordance with The VergeThe Studio Display is the same panel as the previous model, but with an improved camera, speakers, and ports. The brightness is the same, and there seem to be no other changes in the quality of the display.
The Studio Display XDR is a very exciting update, as it replaces the $5,000 Pro Display XDR. The Verge says that the display is a “great improvement” over the previous model thanks to the mini-LED backlight, although at this price, it is only suitable for professionals because there are affordable options for general use. Images and text are “crisp and clear,” with little light bleeding thanks to dimming controls, though light bleeding is worse than OLED technology, and viewing angles aren’t as wide.
The presets are accurate, and the Studio Display XDR was able to maintain a maximum brightness of up to 2,000 nits. “It’s too bright for a standard desk to sit on.” The built-in speakers are loud enough to listen to music, watch videos, and take calls, and the 12-megapixel camera provides clear video.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee said the Studio Display XDR is “better in every way” than the Pro Display XDR because it’s brighter with improved contrast and less glare, and it has an extra Thunderbolt port.
Since the Studio Display XDR has a 120Hz refresh rate, it pairs better with the MacBook Pro with the same refresh rate. “This is almost perfect” for the display to be used with the MacBook Pro. Brownlee said Apple doesn’t appear to be targeting professionals with the Studio Displays XDR since it’s a small market, with the display acting as a mixed-use product.
There are no displays to compare the Studio Display XDR to because no other company makes 27-inch 5K mini-LED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate.
PetaPixel said the Studio Display XDR’s build quality is “impressive,” but the site wasn’t a fan of the bundled power cable, sharp edges on the stand, or the thick bezels around the display.
The Studio Display XDR was color accurate at all presets at all brightness levels, but the display was able to achieve gamut coverage of up to 86 percent with Adobe RGB profiles. PetaPixel also saw a “slightly higher than acceptable deviation” in the upper right corner of the XDR, but most human eyes won’t be able to see the difference.
HDR content looked amazing with no “stutter or judder” and limited haloing, but contrast and black levels were not up to par with OLED because mini-LED is still LED. PetaPixel pointed out that few companies make displays that are very bright, compatible with HDR, extremely accurate in color, and supported by Thunderbolt 5. The closest match is the Asus ProArt OLED display.
More reviews are below:
The Studio Display and Studio Display XDR were launched on Wednesday. Pricing on the Studio Display starts at $1,599, while pricing on the Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299.
