Apple Studio Display XDR
Apple Studio Display XDR
Game-changing for creative professionals thanks to the 120Hz Mini-LED panel and Thunderbolt 5, but there’s a catch
SCORE
PRICE
Standard glass, £2,499 (£2,999 inc VAT); Nano-texture glass, £2,749 (£3,299 inc VAT)
from apple.com
Amid the blaze of publicity surrounding the MacBook Neo (see issue 380, p48), it was easy to overlook Apple’s two new displays. Apple has simplified your choices between an updated Studio Display and – on review here – the Studio Display XDR. The 32in Apple Pro Display XDR is history.
Both Studio Display models are 27in displays with a 5K resolution, and they look almost identical when switched off. In fact, the aluminium design is incredibly similar to the original Studio Display (see issue 332, p62). Press the power switch and everything changes: the XDR’s mini-LED panel shines in every sense, delivering astonishing levels of brightness and far deeper blacks than either the original or new Studio Displays with their boring IPS panels.
ABOVE
The Studio Display XDR is a classy, high-quality monitor, but it’s not perfect
Both 2026 Studio Display models benefit from big connectivity upgrades. While Apple’s first Studio Display had a single Thunderbolt 3 port and three high-speed USB-C ports, the upstream port (for connecting your computer) now supports Thunderbolt 5. It can transfer data at up to 120Gbits/sec and also delivers more power: 140W of passthrough charging to a laptop versus 96W on the original. That’s enough to fast-charge a 16in MacBook Pro.