Could a last-second addition be in the works for Apple's March 8 Peek Performance event? That seems to be the implication with a late-breaking rumor claiming that we could see a new Apple display during tomorrow's big product reveal.
The display in question is supposedly the Apple Studio Display, a lower-cost version of the mega-bucks-costing Pro Display XDR that Apple launched a little more than two years ago. This 27-inch monitor would feature 7K resolution — higher than the Pro Display XDR's 6K resolution — but it would feature larger bezels.
We've heard stirrings of a new Apple monitor before. Back in January, reports surfaced that Apple was working on a new monitor that would cost half the price of the Pro Display XDR. And just last week, reports of a Mac Studio that would serve as a middle option between the Mac Pro and Mac mini emerged that also brought more details about the Apple Studio Display.
Two developments have happened since then that have raised expectations the new monitor could appear as soon as tomorrow. For starters, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has tweeted that a 27-inch display is coming this year. (That's the same tweet where Kuo predicts the iMac Pro won't ship until 2023.) Also, leaker Luke Miani claimed in a video that an Apple Studio display would launch at the March 8 event, likely as part of a Mac Studio unveiling.
According to Miani, the Apple Studio Display would be a shrunken down version of the Pro Display XDR, with a similarly smaller price tag. The stand is more likely to be similar to what the iMac uses and there will reportedly be cooling holes on the back of the display like there are on the Pro Display. That's likely because this isn't expected to be a mini-LED monitor.
An Apple Display Studio would be a solid complement to an updated Mac mini, which many expect to see at the Apple event this week. The Mac mini 2022 is likely to feature a new chipset — either the M1 Pro, M1 Max or even the M2. That latter Apple silicon entry has yet to be introduced. An updated Mac mini could also be smaller and offer more ports.
If they do appear, Apple desktop and display news will likely just be one part of whatever gets announced by Apple at tomorrow's Peek Performance event. A new iPhone SE model for 2022 with 5G compatibility is also expected, as is an updated iPad Air.
We'll be live blogging the March 8 Apple event as it gets underway at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. You can also watch a live stream of the March 8 Apple event to see all the news for yourself.
