I do not understand the hate for the studio display

[PegLegDreg]

I recently purchased a Studio Display 2026. It works flawlessly with both my MacBook and iPad with zero configuration and looks and sounds great. It looks cool. I thought that was the whole reason people liked Apple (it just works).

Why are people so shocked by the price of this thing? Why is it that when it comes to monitors people suddenly start saying that the Apple experience does not matter and that it is far superior to use a Samsung monitor with a thumb nub on the back that you have to use to change any settings? Bit simplistic but I’m genuinely baffled by the response to this monitor’s release considering the audience it is targeted at.

 

[jabbr]

They use to sell you a nearly identical 5K panel + an entire computer and peripherals for just a few hundred dollars more (27" iMac)

It's also just a regular, low-contrast IPS display running @ 60Hz. I say this as someone who enjoys using one every day, but I'm not going to pretend this thing is a great value at retail price or makes sense for most people.

 

[FatLouie]

Overpriced monitor, overpriced stand, average features. The ASD is marketed and priced for the elite few...not the average Apple customer. Apple has single-handedly pushed its monitor business to other manufacturers.

 

[maflynn]

Why are people so shocked by the price of this thing?

I'm not shocked by the price, Apple has clearly shown what their priority is when they charged a 1,000 dollars for a monitor stand, and 700 dollars for wheels for your mac pro (may the MP rest in peace).

As monitors go, given the price there were better alternatives that cost a lot less then what Apple is charging.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they use an LG panel, so why not look for other monitors that use the same display panel.

 

[Hey Thomas]

I've had the Apple Studio Display since 2022, and I love it just the way it is. I wouldn't want anything else.

 

[PaulD-UK]

@maflynn “…they use an LG panel, so why not look for other monitors that use the same display panel.”

Apple get LG to build screen panels to their own specification and with their own higher standard of quality control.
So these panel’s don’t appear in other manufacturer’s products - not even LG themselves, except in the discontinued LG Ultrafine 5K, which was permitted with a different panel format, to be sold in Apple Stores up until Apple produced their own standalone display.

For LG’s new 5K/165-330 monitor they are using a BOE panel, to get the dual-mode.

 

[jz0309]

I recently purchased a Studio Display 2026. It works flawlessly with both my MacBook and iPad with zero configuration and looks and sounds great. It looks cool. I thought that was the whole reason people liked Apple (it just works).

Why are people so shocked by the price of this thing? Why is it that when it comes to monitors people suddenly start saying that the Apple experience does not matter and that it is far superior to use a Samsung monitor with a thumb nub on the back that you have to use to change any settings? Bit simplistic but I’m genuinely baffled by the response to this monitor’s release considering the audience it is targeted at.

if you are happy with it - that's all that matters.
I've had mine since later 2022 and am absolutely happy with it.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It’s a very nice monitor. It’s just pretty overpriced.

 

[Royksöpp]

I've had one since launch and I love it. You will not find another monitor as sharp, uniform, and color-accurate as the Studio Display. Only one other display is better, which is the XDR. As for the iMac comparison, that is simply untrue. I noticed better colors and contrast, plus it is 600 nits versus 500. Contrary to popular belief, they are not the same panel. The refresh rate is not as big of a deal as people make it out to be; at such a large scale, you will not be scrolling or moving around as fast as you would on a smaller display. Even when using a MacBook Pro, I don't notice it as much. Apple displays have always been expensive, that is nothing new. They are not for everyone, and that has always been the case.

 

[Gorlammi]

I recently purchased a Studio Display 2026. It works flawlessly with both my MacBook and iPad with zero configuration and looks and sounds great. It looks cool. I thought that was the whole reason people liked Apple (it just works).

Why are people so shocked by the price of this thing? Why is it that when it comes to monitors people suddenly start saying that the Apple experience does not matter and that it is far superior to use a Samsung monitor with a thumb nub on the back that you have to use to change any settings? Bit simplistic but I’m genuinely baffled by the response to this monitor’s release considering the audience it is targeted at.

Because it is ridiculously overpriced compared to what is on the market, offers NOTHING above the market offerings, and in some ways offers less (like not having a VESA mount by default, or a removable stand).

Unless you're buying the XDR model for specific needs, the standard model is an absolute sucker purchase.

 

[GDF]

Agree with OP - have a 2022 model and just got a 2026 nano model. Both great displays and would not buy anything else, as at least for me nothing else comes close.

 

[jabbr]

@Gorlammi I wouldn't say it's an absolute sucker purchase, especially now that you can get one on the apple refurb store for $1200. It depends on what you value.

It has many nice qualities: integration with macOS (brightness/volume) , instant wake, excellent sharpness with the best anti-reflective coating, color accurate and bright, good panel uniformity, enough power from built-in PSU to quick charge your macbook, and (imo) best looking design and build qualiity of any display on the market.

I just wish it had a higher contrast ratio... and now you can shell out for an XDR if you want that lol

 

[Gorlammi]

@Gorlammi I wouldn't say it's an absolute sucker purchase, especially now that you can get one on the apple refurb store for $1200. It depends on what you value.

It has many nice qualities: integration with macOS (brightness/volume) , instant wake, excellent sharpness with the best anti-reflective coating, color accurate and bright, good panel uniformity, enough power from built-in PSU to quick charge your macbook, and (imo) best looking design and build qualiity of any display on the market.

I just wish it had a higher contrast ratio... and now you can shell out for an XDR if you want that lol

I don't know who is going to buy a refurb display. The studio display starts at $1,600 and you either have no VESA option with a permanently attached stand...or you buy the VESA mount option at the same price (apparently forgoing the "free" stand). That kind of inflexibility is insane for a monitor at any price, let alone this price.

For $300 less, you can get a 32" 6K display from LG, which is a far better product overall.

 

[jabbr]

@Gorlammi the apple refurb store has identical (if not better) quality control

If you read through the reviews on that LG you’ll see numerous complaints about the matte coating (defeating the high PPI), poor uniformity, mid brightness. Poor uniformity is typical for those ips black panels and that alone would stop me from buying one.

As far as the stand goes, it’s a great stand in that there is zero wobble, unlike every other monitor stand I’ve ever used. You can also get it swapped for VESA at an Apple Store.

 

[Harddrive]

The other thing not mentioned surprisingly is the quality of the built in speakers compared to the competition for people with a crowded desk not wanting external speakers that should be a plus.

 

[jabbr]

@Harddrive this is true as well. I won’t call them great speakers in a general sense, but they are hands down the best sounding speakers you’ll find built into a monitor. If you don’t have dedicated speakers they are actually serviceable.