SAN JOSE, Calif.—Apple used its WWDC keynote presentation to announce its first new computer display product since the Apple Thunderbolt Display (which was introduced in 2011). It’s called the Pro Display XDR, and it looks to be a display unlike anything else on the market.
For the past several years, Apple has sold specialized displays from LG through its store to users who want a display that will play nice with Macs. But a few weeks ago, supply of some of those LG displays began to dry up (though one additional LG display did appear on the store recently), suggesting something new was coming.
“There’s no single display that gives our pro customers everything they ask for,” said Apple’s Colleen Novielli as she began introducing the Pro Display XDR during today’s keynote. “And HDR is frequently requested, but yet to be delivered with pro-level precision. Our goal was to make a display that expertly delivers every feature pros have asked for.”
Apple’s new display is a 32-inch LCD, 6016 x 3384, 6K retina display. For comparison and reference, that’s more than 40% larger than the iMac 5K display. And with the extra real-estate and modern tech, Apple strongly emphasized a stronger picture than ever before: the Pro Display XDR supports P3 and true 10-bit color (with reference modes built in) calibrated at the factory, has a super wide viewing angle, and offers 25 times better contrast than an LCD display according to the company. Users—most likely pros instead of normal consumers given the specs and price—can also add on Apple’s anti-reflexive coating; a matte option will be available otherwise.
Apple touted the fact that the Pro Display XDR is competing with reference monitors that normally cost $43,000 dollars. This new display will start at $4,999, with a nano-texture version available for $5,999. It will become available in the fall.
