Before last week’s Peek Performance event, one of the third-party products Apple sold on its site was the 5K LG UltraFine monitor. Priced at $1,300, it wasn’t exactly cheap, but it would set you back considerably less than the only official Apple branded option at the time: the $4,999 Pro Display XDR.
But now you’ll have to buy it from elsewhere if you want one. With the arrival of Apple’s own ‘entry-level’ monitor in the form of the Studio Display, the company no longer sells the LG option on its official site. It’s out of stock on LG’s website too, but if you really want one there’s plenty of availability on Ebay.
There are certainly good reasons to do this, rather than opting for the new and shiny Studio Display. Price for one thing, with the Studio Display starting at $1,599. That extra cost seems funneled towards build quality and extras rather than the panel itself which, on paper, appears to be broadly the same as what’s in the discarded LG model (and the recently discontinued 27-inch iMac).
But there are differences. The Studio Display is apparently capable of getting 100nits brighter at 600nits, and the extras aren’t to be sneezed at, either. It includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide webcam capable of Center Stage, meaning it’ll keep the focus on you for conference calls. It also packs a six-speaker array consisting of four woofers and two tweeters, alongside a “studio quality” microphone array.
Whether those extras are important to you is another matter (especially when some simply won’t work for Windows users), but the added value is definitely there. And it doesn’t look like Apple is planning on offering anything cheaper any time soon — unless the earlier rumor of a 24-inch model comes to fruition.
Indeed what’s more likely is that a Studio Display Pro will emerge offering mini-LED technology. Display analyst Ross Young says that a large mini-LED panel is in the works, and while he did previously believe this to be a refresh of the 27-inch iMac, as Apple sources have claimed that no larger iMacs are planned, he’s revisited what the inclusion of a processor and camera could mean.
Still expecting a 27” MiniLED display from Apple in June. Guess it might be a Studio Display Pro…Have confirmed it with multiple companies in their supply chain…March 10, 2022
How much this theoretical product would add to the price remains to be seen, but given the only current Apple products with mini-LED tech — the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 14/16-inch MacBook Pros — start at $1,099 and $1,999 respectively, we’d recommend you start saving now if you’re keen.
