Apple Studio Display Successor Now Expected Early Next Year

Apple plans to release a next-generation Studio Display or equivalent replacement external monitor as soon as early next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In his latest report on Apple's product roadmap for 2026, Gurman said the company is planning to launch its first new Mac external monitor since debuting the Apple Studio Display in 2022.

The new version, internally code-named J427, "is currently slated for early 2026," alongside Macs with M5 chips, said Gurman.

Gurman in February reported that Apple was "ramping up" work on a new Studio Display that "should arrive by 2026," so his latest wording offers a more definite launch window.

Notably, Gurman in his latest report refrains from referring to the product as a new Studio Display. Whether that means the replacement external monitor could be named differently is unclear.

For what it's worth, Gurman in March reported that Apple is working on a second new monitor code-named J527. At the time, Gurman suggested that either Apple was developing two versions of the Studio Display and would choose one to launch, or it's a second model with a different screen size or set of specifications – perhaps a new Pro Display XDR. Apple's high-end monitor debuted alongside the Mac Pro in 2019, and it has not received an update since its launch.

Gurman has not revealed any new features or changes planned for Apple's Studio Display successor. However, display industry analyst Ross Young in January said Apple was developing a new 27-inch display with mini-LEDs that could launch in late 2025 or early 2026. Young believes this display could be a new Studio Display with mini-LED backlighting.

Mini-LED technology would provide benefits such as increased brightness and higher contrast ratio compared to the current Studio Display with LEDs.

Apple launched the Studio Display in March 2022 alongside the Mac Studio. It features a 5K resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 600 nits of brightness, built-in camera and speakers, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Pricing in the U.S. starts at $1,599.