Apple Studio Display Review Roundup [Video]

Apple's new Studio Display launches tomorrow. Designed to pair with the Mac Studio, the new Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen, built-in camera and audio, and an A13 Bionic chip.

Here's a look at some early reviews of the Apple Studio Display. We've also rounded up early reviews of the Mac Studio.


The Verge
It’s rare that an Apple product is such a miss, but the Studio Display in its current state is a confounding miss. If the webcam actually delivered on the promise of iPhone- or iPad-quality video it would at least prompt a reasonable debate about whether having local dimming or HDR or variable refresh rate was worth it, but as it stands, you’re getting a less-than-state-of-the-art display and a bad webcam. If you are adamant about having a 5K display connected to your Mac, it might still be the best option. If not, I think you are much better off looking elsewhere.



TechRadar
If you have an Apple device already, then this is a nice addition that keeps your desk free from various cables. Using a single USB-C cable for hooking the monitor up to your device is certainly appealing. However, for older devices, or desktop PCs, which don’t have a USB-C port, then the Studio Display isn’t going to work – and you can certainly forget about plugging in a games console. While no one would buy the Studio Display for playing games on, it’s nice to have a monitor that can be used for multiple purposes. The Studio Display isn’t that kind of monitor.


Ars Technica
Apple isn't trying to compete with the rest of the display industry here because it doesn't really need to. People who would be happy with a Dell or HP or LG or Acer monitor are still more than welcome to buy one and connect it to their Mac, and macOS supports high-refresh-rate and variable-refresh-rate screens well in Monterey. But I do wish Apple had included a few more features that come standard with most $500-and-up consumer displays because Mac users could benefit from them, too.


Six Colors
Are there cheaper monitors? Sure. Are there bigger monitors? Yep. But the Studio Display is a perfect fit with modern Macs. There are undoubtedly new frontiers to be mined by Apple here—I would be surprised if there weren’t a high-dynamic-range version of this display in a year or two, for an elevated price—but a 5K display at 27 inches isn’t tired; it’s tried and true.

I can quibble about the $400 upsell on the adjustable stand and roll my eyes a bit at Apple’s overhyping the quality of its speakers and microphones. Still, the fact remains: If you’ve got a Mac and want a good external display for it, there’s finally an obvious answer. Welcome home, Apple Studio Display. Never leave again.



WSJ
You can understand why I anticipated that the Studio Display's webcam would be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). With a 12-megapixel camera and the A13 Bionic chip, it should be on par with the front-facing camera of an iPhone 11 Pro. Yet Apple's camera consistently produced grainy and washed-out images. There was so much missing detail in some of the shots that it reminded me of the camera on my old BlackBerry. On the plus side: No one could see my frizzy hair.