Apple hasn't offered consumer-facing external displays since Thunderbolt Display was discontinued in 2016. Apple did release the Pro Display XDR in 2019, but it's aimed at professionals and costs a whopping $4,999.
Fortunately, Apple is rumored to be working on two lower-priced external displays that are more suitable for the average user. A new version of the Pro Display XDR with Apple's silicon chip is also said to be in the works.
By 2022, we've collected everything we've heard so far about Apple's future display line.
Early rumors
In January 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported that Apple had begun developing a lower-priced external display to sell alongside the Pro Display XDR. Gurman said the display will be more consumer-oriented than professional and will have lower brightness and contrast compared to the Pro Display XDR.
In July 2021, 9to5Mac's Filipe Esposito reported that Apple was testing a new external display with the A13 chip, which he said could be a new Pro Display XDR. The report speculates that the chip could help the Mac achieve better performance when connected to a display and/or enable some dedicated features like AirPlay.
24-inch display
Earlier this week, Dylandkt, which often leaks accurate information, said LG was working on two new displays with the same specifications as the current 24-inch iMac and the upcoming 27-inch iMac.While he said the displays currently have unbranded casings, he believes they could eventually become stand-alone Apple-branded displays.
As with the 24-inch iMac, the standalone 24-inch display probably won't have mini led backlighting or promotional features, meaning the display won't add brightness to HDR content or a variable refresh rate of 120Hz for smoother scrolling.
Given that the 24-inch iMac starts at $1,299 in the U.S., a 24-inch stand-alone monitor without any computer-related components (like storage) will almost certainly cost less than $1,299, but the final price remains to be seen.
27-inch display
According to Dylandkt, Apple's larger 27-inch display will be based on a silicon version of the rumored 27-inch iMac.The leaker says the monitor appears to have a mini led backlight and a variable refresh rate of 120Hz, so it should have a promotional feature.
Earlier this week, display industry analyst Ross Young said Apple plans to release a 27-inch iMac with a mini LED display in the first half of 2022, so the rumors appear to be aimed at those products.
Since the upcoming 27-inch iMac hasn't been released yet, little is known about the 27-inch display, so we don't have full specs.
The current 27-inch iMac starts at $1,799 in the U.S.
New Pro monitor XDR
LG is also working on a 32-inch display, likely a new version of the Pro Display XDR, according to Dylandkt. The display appears to be equipped with an unspecified Apple silicon chip and will receive promotional support, the source said.
