STUDIO DISPLAY XDR: THE RIGHT MAC DISPLAY AT THE WRONG PRICE

Apple finally made a nice modern computer monitor with nice modern features and specs.

- JASON CROSS

It's something that compares well with contemporary PC monitors in most respects: high and variable refresh rate, quality HDR, and wide color. The Pro Display XDR (fave.co/46qQYoE) wasn't it. The Studio Display (2022, fave.co/3E5nxXk4) wasn't it.

This is it. It even manages to outshine its contemporaries in some ways. It's a shame it won't be used by more than a handful of visual artists burning through VC startup money and YouTube influencers with cash to spare, because the Studio Display XDR is the kind of monitor you really need to get the full Mac experience. Unfortunately, the $3,300-plus price tag places it out of reach and out of touch.

The Studio Display has five rows of ventilation holes while the Studio Display XDR has nine.

DESIGN

You'd have a hard time spotting the difference between the new Studio Display XDR and the regular Studio Display. They are virtually identical and almost exactly the same as the original 2022 Studio Display. It's a 27-inch display, with relatively thick black bezels and a silver aluminum body that's about an inch thick. There are four USB-C ports on the back and speaker holes along the top and bottom.

Those perforations are the only visible difference between the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR when the power is off. The Studio Display has five rows of ventilation holes about halfway across the thickness of the display, while the XDR model has nine rows that nearly stretch all the way across.

The XDR can tilt and go up and down.