Apple’s Studio Display Review: Is it worth the money?
Studio Display: Who is it for? Should you get one?
If you are looking to buy a new monitor, and you are in the Apple Ecosystem as well, then you must consider the display options by Apple.
While Apple provides us with two display options:
- Studio Display
- Pro Display XDR
The Pro Display XRD is too costly for the majority, making Studio Display the only viable option, to take into consideration while choosing the best display.
In this article we’ll discuss, the pros and cons of Studio Display, and should you get one for yourself. So, let’s begin.
What is Studio Display?
Studio Display is a 27-inch flat panel computer monitor developed and sold by Apple. It’s a standalone display, which comes with a 5K LCD Display with a built-in camera, and a six-speaker system.
The pricing starts from $1599 and can go up to $2299. The display comes with 2 glass choices:
- Standard Glass
- Nano-Texture Glass
The display comes with three different stand options to choose from:
- Tilt Adjustable Stand
- Tilt and height adjustable stand
- VESA mount adapter
NEGATIVES OF STUDIO DISPLAY:
1. Pricing
The Display doesn't come cheap, the starting price is $1599 and for that, you get a stand-alone display. As far as the stand is concerned, the tilt and height adjustable stand cost $400 in itself.
Note that, you are getting only the display, meaning, you need to buy other peripherals additionally. They might not look like a big expense but can add pretty quickly.
2. Built-in camera quality
The camera is getting heat, from the users, right from the launch, with users saying that the camera quality is just “awful’ and “astonishingly poor”.
3. The Display
While it’s safe to say, that the 5K Resolution display is one of its major attractions of it. But the 60Hdz refresh rate is not something pro users want. Additionally, the display is an LCD one, the black is not really black and is more like dark grey.
Additionally, Apple provides a nano texture display option, but that doesn’t come cheap! Apple charges a whopping $300 for just that nano display coating.
POSITIVES OF STUDIO DISPLAY:
1. The design
Apple follows minimalism across all its devices, and Studio Display is no exception. The display comes with a sleek and minimalist design and looks like Apple took it to the extreme as it only has 3 USB-C Ports, and one Thunderbolt 3 port.
2. Built Quality
The display comes with solid aluminum built. While the others come in plastic built, Studio Display comes with aluminum built making it one of the best displays in its category. To a point where it can be said that the display is “over-built”, as it’s not something you will be carrying along with you just like a laptop.
3. The Apple Connectivity
While it’s not a Studio Display-specific feature, this is something to take into consideration, the display comes from Apple and connects well to the entire Apple ecosystem, so if you are already in the Apple Ecosystem or planning to get in. You should give additional attention to the Studio Display as compared to others.
4. Bonus: The cloth
While it might not seem a valid point but the apple polishing cloth is a luxury product in itself. Which costs $19, if you decide to buy it separately.
THE SOUND PART:
What about the sound system? It’s also one of the attractions and can be a potential reason to consider Studio Display as the display comes with six speakers with Spatial Audio.
And, here’s TechRadar’s test on the sound system of the Studio
The spatial audio support was less impressive. We tried a few tracks in Dolby Atmos and didn’t really feel like the sound was coming from around us. Virtualized surround sound is always a challenge to get right, and can never compare to physical speaker setups, and that’s true with the Studio Display, unfortunately.
WHO SHOULD GET THE STUDIO DISPLAY?
The answer isn’t straightforward. Some people absolutely hate the display and some people absolutely love this display.
But, just like any other piece of tech. It got its pros and cons. You have to decide whether the cons are relevant to you, or not. For instance, the higher price solely can be a deal breaker for some, and some, might not even consider it to be a con.
So, all in all, if you need a 5K Display, you are a mac user and you benefit from the webcam and speaker system that comes with this display. There really isn't anything like it. So, going with it is a good decision.
CONCLUSION:
The Studio Display is clearly not for everyone. Neither the pros nor the cons overpower the other. Putting Studio Display in a weird position.
As far as the end decision is concerned, if the price is not a problem, the display “should not” disappoint you.
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