Apple Studio Display 2 tipped to launch this year with mini-LED backlight
According to the latest information from Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, Apple is planning to release a successor to the Studio Display (approx. $1,300 on Amazon) by late 2025. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman affirmed these rumours, stating that Apple’s next monitor will launch “by 2026”.
The next Apple Studio Display, known internally as model “J427”, will allegedly still be available only in the 27-inch size. Apple is also said to be combining an IPS panel made by LG Display with an Epistar mini-LED backlight. No further specs-related details have been revealed so far, and it remains unclear whether the monitor will finally support refresh rates above 60 Hz. However, examining the MacBook Pro and Apple Pro Display XDR indicates that a mini-LED backlight offers at least two significant advantages.
The first benefit is higher brightness. Whilst the current Studio Display can reach up to 600 nits, both the MacBook Pro and the Pro Display XDR have a full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits and a peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits. Second, a mini-LED backlight typically boasts hundreds or even thousands of dimming zones, allowing for deeper blacks and thus a higher contrast ratio.
The current Apple Studio Display was announced back in March 2022, featuring a resolution of 5,120 x 2,880 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The monitor connects to a Mac via Thunderbolt 3 and can charge laptops at up to 96 watts. Its highlight features include a 12 MP webcam, a high-quality speaker system with six drivers, microphones with support for “Hey Siri”, and an all-aluminium chassis.
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