iFixit Teardown: Studio Display Features iMac-Like Internal Setup

Apple earlier in March released the Studio Display, its first standalone display since the Pro Display XDR. iFixit today disassembled the Studio Display in a video teardown to give us a look at the internals.


The inside of the Studio Display may be confusing at first because it has an internal setup that's not too dissimilar from a computer like the Intel iMac, thanks to the inclusion of an A13 chip, speakers, and fans. Several iFixit staff members were shown an opened up ‌iMac‌ and a Studio Display and asked to determine which was which, and many of them got it wrong.

The Studio Display opens up with an ‌iMac‌ opening tool, so it's easy to get to the components inside. iFixit last week gave a quick look at the Studio Display in its Mac Studio teardown, and confirmed at that time that the Studio Display Camera is essentially identical to the iPhone 11 camera.

There's no internal indicator of why the Studio Display camera has been experiencing quality issues, and Apple has promised a software fix that's coming in the future.

The Studio Display is using the exact same display as the 5K ‌iMac‌, and there's an internal power supply, which iFixit says is an impressive feat of engineering. The internal power supply makes the Studio Display different from the ‌iMac‌ because it requires massive fans for heat dissipation, plus it requires a ~50 percent thicker chassis.

The speakers are "impressive for a display," and are glued down, which will make the speaker hardware difficult to remove. According to iFixit, the Studio Display's build in general is an "impressive testament to Apple's ability to solve problems."

iFixit has not yet shared a full written teardown of the Mac Studio or the Studio Display, so there could still be a few additional tidbits to discover when the complete teardowns are available in the future.

Related Forum: Mac Accessories

Popular Stories

Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
fortnite apple featured

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Friday May 9, 2025 9:57 am PDT by
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020. Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been...
airpods pro purple

Apple's Camera Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Could Launch as Soon as 2027

Thursday May 8, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple is working on versions of the AirPods and Apple Watch that incorporate a camera, and the devices could be ready to launch sometime around 2027, reports Bloomberg. Apple has developed a chip codenamed "Nevis" that will be used for its camera-equipped Apple Watch, while a chip codenamed "Glennie" will be incorporated into the AirPods. Apple is aiming to have the chips ready "by around...

Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
41 months ago

Why not just make it an iMac.
Better yet a 27” iMac that could also be used as a 27” 5K display if needed.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sracer Avatar
41 months ago

Better yet a 27” iMac that could also be used as a 27” 5K display if needed.
This.

My old 2013 21' iMac had its internal hard drive fail (1TB spinner) but I was able to repurpose it as my Plex server by adding an external SSD. (the thing runs an order of magnitude faster than when it was new) And I bought a 2nd iMac in 2017 to replace it as my desktop system... but I use that older iMac as a 2nd monitor via "target display mode".

I love how that older iMac is serving two functions simultaneously (Plex server AND 2nd display).



Attachment Image
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vercordio Avatar
41 months ago
All of that power for… what exactly?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
41 months ago

All of that power for… what exactly?
$1,599 :)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jaro65 Avatar
41 months ago
Why not just make it an iMac.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
41 months ago
The ASD, at some point, was clearly an iMac 27" design

This is such overkill on the guts and the chassis for what the released product is.

Apple doesn't do overkill like this.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)