Apple’s rumored update to the Apple Studio Display may not arrive in 2025 after all, with a release in 2026 now expected for the premium Mac display.
On Thursday, a report claimed an update for the Apple Studio Display is in development, which could bring an improved miniLED backlight to the design. However, a few days later, another report states that the timeline is a bit longer than first offered.
According to Bloomberg’s “Power On” newsletter on Sunday, the claim of a new 27-inch Apple Studio Display is repeated. The new model is said to have a similar design to the 2022 original, and “roughly” the same size of screen.
This time, however, it is said that the device is being prototyped by Apple, in a very early stage of the design and production process. Codenamed J427, the report doesn’t offer any new specification details.
However, the new model will apparently be marketed as a companion item to the M5 MacBook Pro lineup.
While the Apple Studio Display is getting a refresh, the same can’t be said for the Pro Display XDR. It is reasoned that the $5,000 monitor is less of a priority due to it being far out of reach for most consumers, though Apple is still interested in the professional market.
Dueling schedules
Sundays report by Mark Gurman offers a timeline that is longer than that proposed by Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants. In Thursday’s report, Young said a release later in 2025 was on the cards for the model.
The late 2025 period is close enough to 2026 that a delay in production could result in a 2026 introduction rather than 2025.
Both Gurman and Young have good track records when it comes to Apple products on the horizon, however Young is a specialist in displays. Young also offered more detail about the potential display.
That includes a switch of the LED backlighting system for a miniLED version. The change can allow for the use of localized dimming, increasing the range of shades the display can output, approaching the levels of OLED panels.
Young also brought up that ProMotion could be introduced with the screen. Rather than the 60Hz screen the existing Apple Studio Display can output, a ProMotion version would infer there would be an adaptive refresh rate system, which could go as high as 120Hz.
