In defense of the “new” Studio Display

When Apple announced the “revision” to its Studio Display last week, I—among others—did a bit of a Spock eyebrow raise. That new tag was doing a lot of heavy lifting: aside from a revamped camera and the addition of Thunderbolt 51, the display is the same as the 2022 model, right down to the $1599 price tag and tilt-only stand.

Is this disappointing? From one point of view, sure. After all, it’s almost four years since the last model; are we to believe that the state of the art hasn’t changed at all? That point is, of course, somewhat belied by the addition of the Studio Display XDR to the lineup, though it has many of the same specs, such as size and resolution.

The argument to the contrary—and one that shouldn’t shock longtime Apple watchers, since it’s often their modus operandi—is that if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Compare a newly released M5 MacBook Air to the M2 model, also from 2022, and guess what: those displays didn’t change either. Honestly, you’re probably going to find more similarities between those models than differences.

Now, I concede this could all just be cognitive dissonance reduction doing its work. I’ve been using a 2022 Studio Display since around the time of its release, paired first with my MacBook, and later with an M2 Pro Mac mini.

Frankly, it’s great. Perhaps I’m basic, but I didn’t even shop around for displays: I was a longtime 27-inch iMac user before making the switch, and the panel on the Studio Display being essentially the same as in the iMac eased my transition. Granted, I don’t consider myself particularly exacting when it comes to the visual, and I’m certainly not doing any professional graphics or video work that relies on perfect reproduction. To wit, I definitely do not know the difference between sRGB and P3. But for everything I do, the Studio Display is, in the manner of Apple’s best technology, completely transparent.2 I was honestly surprised to see Nick Heer’s comment about sketchy firmware issues—I cannot remember the last time I touched anything on my Studio Display. Again, as per Apple’s most famous maxim: it just works.

So, as a happy owner of a Studio Display, I applaud Apple for not changing it3—I consider this a boon to my wallet and my mental health, since there’s no reason for me to crave an update I don’t need. I can remain confident that my Studio Display is just as good as this one, which Apple will probably keep selling for several years—because they are essentially the same. And I can continue to amortize the not inconsiderable cost I paid back in 2022 over the foreseeable future, making it an even better investment. Even if this Mac mini gets shuffled off my desk in the next couple years, the Studio Display will keep on trucking.

So, I’m okay with all of it: after all I’ve saved myself $1599. And, honestly, I’m going to need that—and probably then some—when that folding iPhone comes around this fall.

And, though Apple does not explicitly say, an A19 chip to drive it, replacing the old model’s A13 Bionic. ↩

And not in a illegibility way. ↩

The one thing I will ding them for? Not making the height-adjustable stand the default: I don’t feel like ergonomics should come at a premium. That said, I opted for a VESA mount model exactly because of this. ↩