Apple is working on a new cinema monitor that will do double duty as both a Mac video monitor and a smart home display that is always on. The display design is rumored to be the basis of their next-generation Studio Display and Pro XDR Displays.
“I’m told Apple is working on multiple next-generation monitors, including a large-screen panel with an iOS device chip and software stack,” Gurman teased on Twitter. “The idea is that the screen could double as a Mac monitor and a smart home display with a low-power mode.“
Image Credit: Apple
The leak came from none other than Mark Gurman on Twitter as he teased the latest editor of Bloomberg’s Power On Newsletter. Gurman states that Apple is looking for a successor to both high-end displays with one design that could switch to a smart home hub while the computer is on standby mode.
The iPhone-designed chip, which is presumed to be newer than the existing A13 chip of the current 27-inch Studio Display will become active when a Mac shifts into standby mode.
Is Apple working on new monitors? https://t.co/8ckDBoM18Q
I’m told Apple is working on multiple next-generation monitors, including a large-screen panel with an iOS device chip and software stack. The idea is that the screen could double as a Mac monitor and a smart home display…
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) July 2, 2023
The current A13 chip in the Studio Display only controls the display’s camera and speaker features, so a newer, Apple Silicon-based processor could bring more processing power for the expanded capabilities including an always-on feature and full-screen control widgets. Apple has similar features being developed for IOS 17 and the iPhone.
Image Credit – Apple
Gurman says that while the Pro XDR Display has far more accurate colors for its original $6,000 price tag, it’s missing some of the newer features like a video camera and an A-Series chip which are hallmarks of the more affordable $1,500 Studio Display. A next-gen monitor that bridges the gap could be attractive.
Gurman goes on to state that using a SOC iOS chip to power independent smart features would be an evolutionary step for a high-performance monitor display that takes it beyond features such as Center Stage and Spatial Audio, both features that have been added in recent years.
Availability
Gurman does state, however, that the display is one of many next-generation designs that Apple is developing to replace the current Pro XDR and Studio Displays, and if made available, “won’t hit the market until sometime in 2024 at the earliest,“ Gurman surmised. I don’t believe a launch will occur until next year at the very earliest.”
But the question is, would such a feature benefit professionals whom those higher-end displays are designed for, or will they just be “fins” that represent pretty features that don’t aid in any existing workflow?
Then again, by the time it comes out, how many editors will be using an Apple Vision Pro headset instead? Only time will tell.
[Source: Mark Gurman, Twitter]
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