Apple Studio Display XDR Hands-On: Better Than the Pro Display XDR in Almost Every Way

In almost every way. Other than what, for some of us, is a pretty important factor: the size.

I really don’t agree. There are lots of upgrades 100% but there are many downgrades.

1️⃣. The Studio Display XDR is 5K not 6K

That means it has less usable screen real estate for timelines and professional workflows. In real terms it’s 33% less pixels and 40% less active area for content.

2️⃣. The ProDisplay XDR is larger at 32”

That compares to 27” on the Studio Display XDR. It might not sound like much but the screen grab below from MKBHD’s review shows this really well. The Pro Display XDR also has much thinner bezels.

3️⃣. You can’t rotate the Studio Display XDR (with the included stand)**

While it does thankfully include a tilt and height adjustable stand at no added cost, the stand for the ProDisplay XDR allows the screen to be rotated to portrait and while still being tilt and height adjustable. Great for things like coding or seeing long reams of photos and footage for complex edits.

4️⃣. You can’t change the stand after purchase

**You technically can rotate the Studio Display XDR if you opt for the VESA mount adapter when you buy it. But you can’t later change the stand to the regular height and tilt adjustable stand. What you get is what you’ve got. The ProDisplay XDR stand can be swapped for a VESA adapter whenever you like.

5️⃣. The power cord on Studio Display XDR can’t be removed

The ProDisplay XDR has a removable power cord which might seem like a small thing. But it does make moving the display and changing your setup easier. Definitely not a deal breaker but worth noting.

But I’d also say….

6️⃣. I would love 120hz but honestly, for mouse navigation and editing photos and video, the difference doesn’t feel substantial on my MacBook Pro. I find it’s much more noticeable with touch input on smaller devices like an iPad or an iPhone. Gamers will benefit from 120hz much more but not many of them are buying a Studio Display XDR.

7️⃣. 1600 nits of maximum brightness vs 2000 isn’t much

It sounds like a big jump. But increases in brightness past 1600 nits start to become diminishing returns for most workflows. To the human eye that increase translates to about 8-9% brighter. But the display will only run at 2000 nits for certain HDR content. The ProDisplay XDR is plenty bright for reference editing.

8️⃣. Increased local dimming is welcome but not a game changer in most workflows

The Studio Display XDR has more than 4x the number of local dimming zones. You can definitely tell when you look at content with a black background while viewing in a dark/dimly lit room. Without question. But the vast majority of the time I’d wager most people aren’t working without at least some ambient lighting. Most workflows don’t involve editing against a completely black background.

The Studio Display XDR is fantastic in many respects but it’s not a 1:1 replacement for the ProDisplay XDR in my view.

Except for the size and the resolution it’s amazing. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Minor things like that…

I have two 4K LG monitors (32"). I cannot see my self going down to 27" 5K. I love my old intel 5K iMac, but my Mac Mini with two 32" 4K screens are better in almost every way, except resolution.

So while these are better in almost every way, I really wanted the 32" 6K refresh... it's the one thing I really wanted to be better than my current LGs.

I prefer a single (large) monitor, too. But I find the benefits of good HDR and 120hz too beneficial to ignore. I stare a screens so much that I find these worth it. So I’ve ordered two, and will just accept this as the cost doing business. So Apple correctly identified the logic chain of at least one person, and I don’t think I’m alone.

Assuming we get a M5 Ultra (or beyond) Mac Studio, Apple is getting quite a bit from me this year. But I do make money with this stuff, so it is worth it to me.

At the current price, if it was 6k/32" display instead of 5k/27" would be perfect