Basically, nobody quite got this right (neither those saying fixed nor those saying detachable). I’d attribute this to the fact that Apple made a fairly unusual decision here. User-removable cables are fairly common. So are non-removable cables (sadly). “Removable by a service tech with a specialized tool” cables are pretty uncommon.
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I just saw that review. Based on that, I reckon he would also put both of his XDR pro display as not a good deal either…
XDR does not have:
- pro motion
- camera
- speakers
“Good deal” and “Apple” rarely belong to the same sentence, and that’s ok. Bargain hunters with no style have a plethora of other manufacturers to choose from, bargain hunters who are also style conscious can utilize the vibrant secondhand market for Apple products. I did so for over a decade when I could hardly afford any new Apple release, and I can guarantee that there are a lot of “good deals” to be found there…
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He loses me pretty early on when he acts as though 4k and 5k aren’t very different. There are tons of people for whom the difference may not matter, and that’s fine. But to act as though 4k and 5k monitors with a nearly 100% difference in brightness are similarly spec’d feels disingenuous. Build quality, camera quality, etc…these are subjective things. The difference in resolution should make a difference even with his “spec sheet” approach. Again, show me the comparable monitor I can get and what it costs. Is the Apple display worth a few hundred more than the LG 5k? Most people who have had the LG say “absolutely.”
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The Studio Display is, objectively, not a good deal. I haven’t yet decided if I’m buying one or two. Or three. But I’m getting one.
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Help me understand that. What are your options to get the specs for less money?
I’m not picking on you. MKBHD also says, “If you’re buying this for the panel quality alone, there are lots of other just like this for way less money.” Can someone please show them to me?
Yes, I think you’re right. So the more honest (straightforward?) phrasing would be - “Regardless of anything else, I don’t think the jump form 4k to 5k is worth the money for most people.”
Because if you insist on 5k, I just can’t figure out how this monitor is a bad deal. On my monitor hunt last year, I bought just about everything on the market. And I took them all back. My Dell 4k and the LG 5k were acceptable options, but neither were really good. And the LG isn’t that much cheaper.
I’m very surprised I’ve become such a zealot for this monitor. I think it must be because I’m hoping I’m wrong and someone can point out a cheaper (5k) option for me while I’m still in my return window. 
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I mean, dear MKBHD, this is a really silly framing — asking whether it is a “good deal”. If you can accept a 4K 27”, then you aren’t fully assimilated into Apple’s aesthetic language. If you are, then the first thing you’ll notice is the pixelation on thin fonts. Not because the Dell monitor you’re using is not good — but because of the imperfect pixel doubling. Every (seasoned) Apple user knows this. So to bang on about how there are many other 4K options out there is like telling someone who wants to eat lamb that there are plenty of fried chicken shops nearby… or something like that.
(The funny thing is that of course MKBHD himself knows better, but for some reason, he too is “acting populist” on this issue).
To my mind, the only worthwhile question regarding price is within Apple’s own ecosystem.
In particular, I would question the $1599 for the Apple Studio Display when the same figure gets you an upgraded 24” iMac with keyboard and trackpad. In that sense, Apple may be overcharging for the ASD even within its own pricing language.
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These reviews have all so greatly missed the point that I’m tempted to bust out the Canon, shoot my own photos, and write my own thoughts on my own blog. Almost so a contrarian pro-Studio Display writing is on the record somewhere, because nobody else is willing to say it’s good.
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i look forward to it @snelly
I think its good. It will be great once the webcam fix comes through. I bought it because it has many of things in one beautifully designed and well made package. This is why I like apple devices. I am not looking for a good deal. I am looking for a good product that I can stomach the price on. The XDR display’s price I couldn’t stomach and it was just a monitor with no webcam and speakers and didnt even come with a stand lol
btw, I wasn’t expecting a monitor made by Apple to be cheap. I wasn’t even expecting it to be affordable. The current price is affordable but not cheap. It is not a bargain. However, it is not a rip off either. Its in the middle like most high end Apple products
I also like to use it for a few weeks before I write my thoughts on my blog.
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I see the ASD as a 27” iMac with upgraded camera, speakers, and a makeover. (minus the computer). The Intel 27, if I recall, started around $1700. So IMO, the price is reasonable for an Apple product.
The adjustable stand, however . . .
I didn’t take that from what he said at all, he was making the point that there IS no like for like comparison with the studio display. He said that only the LG is close due to 5k and he showed the differences.
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All of this is Subjective. for some it would be a good deal, they just have different criteria than yourself.
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@geoffaire I was being a bit facetious in that comment.
Given that the LG 27” 5K is about $300 less and, at least from what I have seen, an inferior construction, the Studio Display is arguably price about right for what it is.
As others have noted, there really is no comparable display other than the LG. I haven’t found other 5K 27” displays around.
I have the LG 34” “5K2” display right now. It is a great display, and I have been happy with it. However, the image quality is not even close to the Studio Display.
As with many things, whether this display is worth the cost is subjective. Having looked at it at the Apple Store, I think the image is spectacular and if you feel the need for an image of that quality, you spend the money.
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My many year old 1080 resolution 27" monitor was on my list of things to replace beginning in the fall. I suspected (like many) that a new Apple display was coming and I debated holding off. I also suspected that it would be in a price range that I would really question for my needs so after several weeks I went with a 27" 4K display for less than $300. Comparable in build quality to my previous display and what many here would scoff at.
We all have to make our choices with value of anything we buy. Apple users have earned a reputation for being a bit snobby and/or overly fanboyish and I think the monitor, especially this one, speaks to that. On the one hand there’s the question of the hardware build quality (case/stand): the stand, the aluminum casing, the speakers, etc. Then the quality of the visual qualities: nits, calibration, etc.
I think it’s interesting because it involves so many variables in terms of our evaluation process. For me coming from an old 1080 resolution screen I was really focused on the improvement 4K would bring. That was 90% my motivation as that’s the most noticeable visual when I’m sitting in front of the display using it. I easily see that improvement just as I would notice a giraffe poking its head through my window. The visual aspects of the casing, the backside, the stand are less relevant as I spend all my time in front of it. The visual black borders on my display are nearly identical to the Apple Studio Display. And with a vesa mount the included stand is also irrelevant.
Other features like the speakers, camera, mics, ports? I have wired external speakers that sound better and no need for a camera or mic (my old bluetooth mic works great with Siri). If I need extra ports (I usually don’t) I’ve got a hub. So that leaves the fine visual tech specs that I generally don’t notice. I have the M1 iPad Pro and I just don’t notice those visual improvements. Side by side, I don’t see it even if I’m trying (which I have). I especially don’t understand the brightness thing and always have my iPad at about 40% brightness when I’m inside.
Honestly, I think for many (most?) people (certainly myself), a generic 4K display and a new Apple Display are going to look nearly identical in day-to-day. Unless you are one of the very few that knows what to look for and for which it will matter, those nits and the extra color calibration are far less obvious.
Put another way, for me, spending $460 for a monitor, vesa arm and wired speakers was more valuable than spending an additional $1,100 for what would amount to the an experience so similar as to be the same (or less given the speaker quality of the built in speakers on the Studio Display).
I’m curious if you have ever had what Apple calls a retina screen on a Mac? After my first, I was spoiled for anything else. 
Also wondering what screen resolution you have selected and how close you sit to the screen?
I had the 2014 13" MacBook Pro which was retina. Also, numerous iPads which is the standard for me and the screens I’ve used most over the past few years.
Which is to say, yes, I get you on this. I absolutely see the resolution difference and fully appreciate. Especially with text which is what I tend to do the most with on a daily basis.
On the M1 Mac mini and above mentioned monitor I’m using 3840 x 2160. If I’m wearing my glasses I’m back about 2 ft from screen. If I’m not wearing my glasses I’m up at about 1ft away. To my eyes, the resolution for text is far and away improved over the 1080 display I had previously and very close to the iPad Pro. When I scoot in close to the text, as close as I can focus, it’s very crisp. I can’t really see the difference between the two screens. I know there is a difference technically but I can’t really see it.
I’m not sure if it’s my brain, my eyesight, or something else, but to my perception the biggest shift in screen tech came with the retina screens… That was/is on average what, 220 ppi or so? That made a big difference but beyond that and I can’t see it. I do see the difference with the 2021 iPad Pro HDR in terms of the black black but that aside, any of the other touted improvements are lost on me.
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Wow. That sounds like tiny text to me. Granted that I’m old and that my eyes have never been great, my normal reading distance is more like 20" at the most, and I’m using a retina MacBook Air set at 1280x800!
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I think it’s just the default screen resolution. I’ve got text size adjusted in apps to be easily read from a distance. Once you figure in adjustable text size in apps it becomes very relative I think. Screenshot, you can see what I’ see compared to say the Menu bar default at this resolution.
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I see that your app content (Safari) looks perfectly readable but I could never handle the small size of your menubar, sidebar, titlebar, and other screen components! You do get a lot more on the screen than I do, so the benefit is obvious. But I’m glad Apple offers us choices in screen resolutions.
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