Our Verdict

Apple ’s extremely specced Pro Display XDR is a stunning piece of engineering , and   we found it hard to see fault with the word picture quality and colour outturn in our brief hands - on examination . But it ’s clear too other to pass on a definitive finding of fact on whether this will be worth $ 6k of anyone ’s money , and we look onward to getting a review sample distribution back to our labs for detailed examination .

Best Prices Today: Apple Pro Display XDR

At theWWDC 2019keynote last night ( 3 June ) , Apple talked mostly software system – but also found clock time to unveil itsnew exchange premium Mac Proand the premiumPro Display XDR monitorthat go with it .

The XDR is phenomenally well - specced : it ’s 32 in and 6 kibibyte , offering 40 pct more projection screen space than Apple ’s 5 thousand showing , and declare oneself a summit brightness of 1,600 nits ( or 1,000 sustained ) . But is it worth the eye - tearing price tag ?

We got to pass some hands - on time with the Pro Display XDR in the backstage areas at WWDC , and quickly put together this guide . Our first impressions , as you ’ll see , are distinctly confident .

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Price and availability

Okay , about that price tatter . The XDR is seriously expensive :

( We ’ve only got US pricing so far , but gestate UK price to be similar or more or less low numbers , in pounds . Do not expect it to cope with the exchange rate or you ’ll be disappointed . )

And just buying the monitor is n’t the end of the story – becauseit does n’t come with a stand . Unless you ’ve already got a compatible VESA mount , or you ’re glad to prop the reminder against your Mac Pro , you ’ll also need to husk out for either the tiptop - adjustable Pro Stand ( very nice , but $ 999 ) or a VESA Mount Adapter ( $ 199 ) .

Apple Pro Display XDR review: Rear design

But here ’s a counterpoint : this is an expensive monitor by consumer touchstone , but it really is n’t a consumer monitor . It ’s specify for a professional audience : a post - production ship’s company or a visual effects studio apartment . At the end of the demo , Apple compared the Pro Display ( amount cost $ 6k ) against a $ 35k Sony book of facts monitor and it was almost as good in some way and substantially in others – so acquit in mind that this is a passably unexceptional price in the market Apple is going for .

accessibility - wise , a little bad news program : the Pro Display XDR is n’t out yet , and wo n’t be out until the autumn . That ’s as specific as Apple is prepared to be at this percentage point , but you may contract up to be send word when more news is availablehere . ( get through or tap Notify Me at the top right hand . )

Design

esthetically speaking the XDR has an idiosyncratic design that matches the 2019 Mac Pro but will divide notion . It has the same ‘ high mallow grater ’ aluminum airfoil on the back ( you wo n’t see this much , to be honest , so need n’t worry you too much ) , and lots of super - minimalist right angles that may light upon you as refreshingly brutalist or slow .

funny as the technical school journalist may find this holey exterior , it serves an important design use : it massively increase the amount of air that can reach the metallic element surface , thereby acting as an effective heatsink . It also make the proctor lighter than if it was a solid chunk of metal : it ’s 7.48 kg , so make your own judgement on whether you fancy carrying it from room to room .

The front of the monitor can only really be described as utilitarian . The border around the edge of the cover is slim ( 9 millimetre thick ) so you ’re really just aim screen and more covert – which is the way it should be , really .

Apple Pro Display XDR review: Rear design

The Pro Stand is height- and slant - adjustable , and Apple tout that the built - in counterbalance makes this smooth and easy – but sadly we were n’t allowed to touch or run with the standpoint mechanics at WWDC .

Ports

round off the back you ’ll discover a moderate sparge of porthole : a single Thunderbolt 3 and three USB - C. Although this varan is plan to complement the new Mac Pro , it ’s easy to connect it to other Mac models .

Picture quality

Based on our testing time , the picture quality on this showing is truly stunning . The exposure , video and vivification we saw were vivacious and full of depth . ( They also struck us as rather over - saturate , but we think that ’s just because Apple chose really vivid imagery to show off the monitor ’s capabilities . )

Picture lineament is maintained at ultrawide viewing angles , thanks to industriousness - leading polariser applied science . This is so that a creative squad can assemble round off a single monitor and assess a picture , video or blueprint project without suffering a loss of consistency .

Apple say you get “ up to 25x good off - axis line than a typical LCD ” , but we ’ll need to do more testing in research lab term to get an idea of how good this is .

Apple Pro Display XDR review: Front design

Colour output

Impressively , the monitor offers a P3 wide vividness gamut and 10 - bit colour depth . ( Macs have been able to display 10 - bit colour since the launching of Mac OS X El Capitan ; the only limit has been the display . )

software developers will belike have to tot livelihood for the stretch out color range . Apple demonstrated an as - yet - unreleased beta version of Affinity Photo with a push to turn over on ‘ EDR ’ – as the beta call Extreme Dynamic Range . The additional colour detail , particularly in highlights and shadow , was right away obvious .

You ’d look it to be tough to show this using non - DHR Jpegs , but it ’s astonishingly clear – here the consequence is off :

Apple Pro Display XDR: Stand

And here it ’s on :

Reflectivity

Apple says the standard fashion model will give you “ passing low reflection ” . But if you want to go beyond that – if you process in a brightly lit office , say – then paying an extra $ 1k for the nano - texture glass may be worth it .

This grain is etched into the glass at the nanometre storey so you get the benefit of a matt surface without the associated and undesirable coruscation , but this is another element where we have to take Apple ’s Logos for it until we can run more detailed tests .

We also have afirst tone at the Mac Pro here .

Apple Pro Display XDR: EDR off

Tech specs

Apple Pro Display XDR: EDR on