176: Apple Has Been Quiet About Displays and That Might Be Ending

Dec 12, 2025

Apple's exciting plans for a next-gen Studio Display and Pro Display XDR are front and center. The new Studio Display is expected to sport mini-LED tech and an A19 chip, enhancing features like Center Stage and Spatial Audio. With a higher refresh rate possible, it aims to catch up with MacBook Pro displays. The hosts debate whether users will upgrade and discuss the need for more budget-friendly options. Plus, there's speculation about updates to the Pro Display XDR, including potential OLED and quantum-dot enhancements. It's a tech enthusiast's dream!

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INSIGHT

Studio Display Is Behind MacBook Pro

The Studio Display is overdue for modern panel tech like mini‑LED and ProMotion to match MacBook Pros.
Mismatched refresh rates make cursor movement feel noticeably different between devices.

ADVICE

Keep An Entry‑Level Monitor Option

Do not discontinue the current Studio Display without offering a lower‑cost LCD alternative.
Keep an affordable sub‑$1,000 option for education and Mac mini users if possible.

INSIGHT

Display Chips Power Camera and Audio

The A‑series chip in displays handles camera, audio, and features like Center Stage and Hey Siri locally.
Apple likely moves to A19 to replace aging A13 production rather than to add radical new user features.

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's plans to refresh the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR.

Apple's next-generation Studio Display is widely expected to feature the same 27-inch screen size as the current model, but with mini-LED technology instead of LCD. This upgrade would result in increased brightness and a higher contrast ratio compared to the current model, bringing it in line with the MacBook Pro, which has touted mini-LED since 2021.

Leaked Apple code suggests that the new Studio Display will also feature an A19 chip. The Studio Display's chip supports features like Center Stage, Spatial Audio, and "Hey Siri" commands. The current Studio Display contains the A13 Bionic, a chip that started out in the iPhone 11 lineup back in 2019. The new model could also feature ProMotion for a refresh rate up to 120Hz, just like the ‌MacBook Pro‌, along with HDR.

Apple released the Studio Display in March 2022, alongside the first Mac Studio. The standalone display features a 27-inch LCD screen with a 5K resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, up to 600 nits brightness, a built-in camera and speakers, a single Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. In the U.S., the monitor starts at $1,599.

Reports suggest that the next-generation Studio Display will come out in early 2026, when we're also expecting new Macs with the M5 chip.

Apple has been rumored to be working on an updated version of the display since 2022, adding an Apple silicon chip. As a result, the Pro Display XDR is likely to gain speakers, microphones, Hey ‌Siri‌ support, and a camera with Center Stage, just like the Studio Display. Further parity with upcoming Studio Display features such as mini-LED and ProMotion is also possible.

At the very least, the new monitor is expected to feature the same quantum-dot display technology adopted by the MacBook Pro. The latest quantum-dot display films have equal to better color gamut support, and offer improved motion performance, compared to the KSF phosphor film that Apple uses for the existing Pro Display XDR and previous ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. This means the new Pro Display XDR should have improved color accuracy and faster response times compared to the current model.

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