Since the Studio Display landed last April, Apple has been rumored to be working on an even better 27-inch monitor for desktop Macs. The purported 27-inch screen is said to use mini-LED backlighting, giving it superior contrast and high dynamic range, and is said to have support for ProMotion, with variable refresh rates up to 120 Hz.

It was not clear how the new screen would be placed. It could have been a replacement for the Studio Display, which is already expensive enough to fit the role of a premium monitor with specs like HDR and variable refresh, or it could have been a new, more expensive product that falls between the current Studio Display sit. and the Pro Display XDR.

It’s a moot point, at least according to Ross Young from Display Supply Chain Consultants. In a tweet only for subscribers, he claims that Apple has “killed” the screen “for now”. The company was initially expected to release the new monitor in 2022, and reportedly even shipped some panels from suppliers, but never announced for unknown reasons.

It could be that the display business just isn’t doing well enough for Apple to warrant a new introduction just yet, or that the cost of making this new display made it less profitable than the Studio Display. Perhaps better technology will hit the market soon enough that is worth waiting for. Perhaps when testing the first batch of displays, Apple found enough issues to go back to the drawing board. Honestly, there are a dozen different possible reasons, and no one seems to have any insight into what they are.

We also don’t know if this will affect plans for a 27-inch iMac, which has been rumored to be in development for some time. Apple discontinued its larger iMac in March 2022 when the Studio Display debuted. Apple is not expected to update the iMac until 2024 when the M3 processor is available.

So if you need a display for your Mac and want to stick with Apple products, there are two options: either a Studio display that costs more than it should for the technology at $1,600 (and has annoyances like the complete absence of physical controls – even a power button), or the super high-end professional Pro Display XDR that needs an update alongside the Mac Pro.

Frankly, we think anyone buying a monitor for their Mac should check out our best Mac monitors guide and pick a quality third-party monitor that meets or exceeds the Studio Display for a fraction of the price.

TrendForce 2022 Mini LED New Backlight Display Trend Analysis
Publication Dates: April 30 and October 31, 2022
Language: Traditional Chinese/English
Format: PDF
Number of Pages: The two publications will total 120–130 pages

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