The only new devices that Apple unveiled during WWDC 2019 were the Mac Pro (2019) and the Apple Pro Display XDR professional-grade monitor. While we’ve already explained the Apple Mac Pro (2019) in detail, let us now check out the Apple Pro Display XDR’s features and its somewhat insane pricing. It’s a 32-inch Retina 6K monitor with 10-bit color, HDR10, wide color gamut, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and an optional professional-grade stand that offers height and tilt adjustments.
The Apple Pro Display XDR monitor features an LED-backlit IPS LCD display with a resolution of 6016×3384 pixel (218ppi), 16:9 aspect ratio, and 60Hz refresh rate. That’s a whopping 20 million pixels! Such a high resolution can offer creative professionals in viewing their work at 1:1 scale or see the entire 4K video at 1:1 scale and have an entire video timeline below it at the same time. This display’s 10-bit screen panel features DCI-P3 wide color gamut, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and over a billion colors. There are 576 full-array local dimming zones. It comes in glossy and matt finishes, and the matt finished monitor uses a nano-texture glass etching process for less glare and low reflectivity. There are two ambient light sensors for offering True Tone adjustments. Each monitor is also expertly calibrated at the factory-level.
The XDR part in the monitor’s name stands for Extreme Dynamic Range, and Apple claims that its peak brightness is 1,600 nits and that it can sustain 1,000 nits of brightness indefinitely (SDR brightness is 500 nits). This is amazing work from Apple. To maintain such high screen brightness levels, Apple had to use an aluminum lattice pattern and a cooling fan on the Pro Display XDR’s back. Bezels are quite thin, too, at just 9mm. Apple also sells an optional Pro Stand that offers height and tilt adjustments, but it costs a whopping $999. If you have your own pro-grade monitor mount, you’ll be happy to know that you can mount the Apple Pro Display XDR on it using a USD 199 optional VESA mount.
Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Apple, said, “Pro Display XDR is the world’s best pro display and the perfect companion to the all-new Mac Pro. With Retina 6K resolution, gorgeous colour, extreme brightness and contrast ratio, and a highly functional design, Pro Display XDR delivers the most comprehensive set of features ever offered on any display at this price point.”
The Apple Pro Display XDR has one Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB Type-C ports. When you connect the Pro Display XDR to a compatible laptop, it can charge the host with a maximum power of 96W through the USB Power Delivery standard.
Apple Pro Display XDR Price, Variants
The glass panel variant of the Apple Pro Display XDR costs USD 4,999, while the glass-etched anti-reflective variant is priced at USD 5,999. Apple compared the pricing of its monitor with Sony’s USD 43,000 professional monitor and said that the latter’s offering doesn’t feature as many features as the Pro Display XDR.
The VESA Mount adapter costs USD 199, while the Pro Stand costs a whopping USD 999. At the price of that stand, you can buy a full-fledged 4K monitor with VESA HDR certification and more ports than the Apple Pro Display XDR.
