Studio Display Outputs At 1440p Resolution When Connected to 4th-Gen iPad Air and iPad Mini 6

Apple's new 5K Studio Display supports the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third-generation or later), and the new fifth-generation iPad Air, but it isn't officially compatible with the fourth-generation iPad Air or the new iPad mini because the USB-C ports on these devices can't achieve the required data throughput to output in the native resolution.
apple studio display blue

That has led some users to wonder what happens, if anything, when a fourth-generation iPad Air or iPad mini 6 is connected to the Studio Display. Apple has now confirmed to MacRumors that these two devices output to the 5K-capable display in a downscaled 1440p resolution. Suffice to say, other older, non-supported iPads with USB-C aren't capable of driving the Studio Display at 5K either.

Apple's new Studio Display is compatible with a range of Macs, according to Apple, including the following:

  • Mac Studio (2022)

  • 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019 or later)

  • 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021)

  • 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016 or later)

  • 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016 or later)

  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • Mac mini (2018 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2019 or later)
  • 24-inch iMac (2021)
  • 27-inch iMac (2017 or later)
  • 21.5-inch iMac (2017 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017)

Customers can order the Studio Display starting now through Apple's online store, with availability starting March 18, although delivery dates for both the new Mac Studio and its accompanying Studio Display have begun to slip well into April.

In the U.S., the Studio Display is priced at $1,599 with a tilt-adjustable stand and at $1,999 with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand. The monitor can also be configured with nano-texture glass and/or a VESA mount adapter.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...

Top Rated Comments

Pakaku Avatar
44 months ago

Why does anyone hook a laptop to a bigger display? To get more screen RE and/or to get more done. There are those who use iPads as their computer. Even the biggest iPad Pro offers a relatively tiny screen. Hook one to a bigger screen much like linking a laptop for the same general purpose.
Hooking it up for more desktop real-estate is a good reason, yet last I checked, the iPad doesn't get any extra real-estate and just mirrors its screen. Not comparable to a laptop in the slightest.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Haiku_Oezu Avatar
44 months ago

I would legitimately consider buying one with the stand to connect to my 2021 12.9 iPad Pro, but because the iPadOS only outputs a mirror image of the iPad display, it’s wasteful. I use my iPad Pro all day everyday and study quite a bit at home and would love the large screen size. I wonder, however, is it not more sensible to get a base iMac 24” at that point.
Technically iPadOS does support using a monitor as a second display, but it’s app to the apps themselves to support this so it only works with a handful of them (last time I checked)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sebosz Avatar
44 months ago
Why would anyone want to mirror iPadOS on Studio Display?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PeteBurgh Avatar
44 months ago
I really hope that Apple specifically mentioning iPad compatibility for the Studio Display is a harbinger of better external display support in iPadOS. But I feel like I've become Captain Ahab hunting the white whale on this - iPads have had the technical capability to use external displays for ages now, without any sign of better software support.

It's become like the iPad Pro people hoping for Final Cut Pro (and other Pro apps) on the iPad - it makes a certain amount of a sense, but is this actually Apple's vision for the iPad? Do they really envisage the iPad as a Viticci's modular computer ('https://www.macstories.net/stories/modular-computer/'), or do they still imagine it as a much simpler device?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
44 months ago

Why would anyone want to mirror iPadOS on Studio Display?
Why does anyone hook a laptop to a bigger display? To get more screen RE and/or to get more done. There are those who use iPads as their computer. Even the biggest iPad Pro offers a relatively tiny screen. Hook one to a bigger screen much like linking a laptop for the same general purpose.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mkoesel Avatar
44 months ago
It’s good to have confirmation that it’s merely a bandwidth concern rather than the devices not being able to produce the proper signal or being explicitly blocked by the display somehow.

Theoretcally these two older USB-C iPads should be able to output @ 4K/30Hz to this display as well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)