Apple is known to be developing a display that meets or exceeds today’s requirements, almost Pro Display XDR – but for everyone. The media, occasionally and without details, recall it – discussing Apple’s plans for the near future, or fantasizing about what the new iMacs will be – in fact, they are the same stand-alone displays, only with the addition of a computer. The other day, there was a reason to remember them again – the official displays of Apple (LG UltraFine 4K and 5K, if anyone does not know) suddenly disappeared from Apple online stores’ shelves, almost simultaneously in several European countries. And if something disappears, then something new will appear soon?
In 2019, there were two reasons for the rumours of Apple’s new Thunderbolt display. First, LG UltraFine disappeared from the Apple Store without explanation and for no apparent reason. Second, in June 2019, Apple introduced the Apple Pro Display XDR with a 6K resolution and an unprecedented concentration of innovation per unit weight. An even more unprecedented amount was asked for this work in the style of science and technology fiction.
When Pro Display XDR went on sale, it turned out to be even more unusual, and it became a reason for jokes and a decoration for small talk. His younger brother, whom the dreamers called Apple Display XDR, never came out. In one of the few leaks from correspondence between Apple suppliers, in addition to mentioning a stand-alone display, another fact was reported: in the summer of 2019, the monitor was still at an early stage of development, and it was about small batches of several of its variants. The size of the parties, the number of options and everything else remained unknown.
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Where did the LG Ultrafine monitors go?
And suddenly, in February 2021, in the EU countries, LG UltraFine pages are deleted almost simultaneously in the Apple Store. And this is against the backdrop of rumours about the upcoming change in the iMac’s appearance an upcoming presentation. And it was as if new displays were about to be announced. But the sensation did not last long. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple will not even show Macs at the highly anticipated virtual event in March and that this event will not take place on March 16 (as his fellow competitors predicted).
Mark said nothing about monitors, but Apple would hardly have announced a new display for desktop Macs at an event dedicated to the iPad and possibly AirTags. But with all due respect to Bloomberg, this is not a fact. LG UltraFine was indeed removed from Apple’s online stores in the European Union due to the introduction of law with even stricter requirements for such devices’ characteristics. UltraFine 4K and 5K do not meet these requirements. Even UltraFine 4K consumes more than 1 Watt in standby mode, and its 5K counterpart is even more power-hungry. By comparison, the monstrous Apple Pro Display XDR consumes between 0.36 and 0.46 watts in standby mode. This is only one of the new requirements, they do not meet several more, and now they are outlawed.
But outside the European Union, in all countries where LG UltraFine was sold, they are sold. There was no reason. But since we’re reminded of Apple’s new Thunderbolt display, why not really think about it?
Thunderbolt Display 2021 Specifications
The diagonal and resolution of the new Thunderbolt display will be the same as the larger iMacs this year. 30, 32 or even 34 inches. Only one thing is certain: it will be larger than the current iMac models—more than 27 inches. The frames will become narrower, the resolution – more.
Apple Display Concept
Maybe the available display for desktop Macs will have a 6K resolution, and besides, there will be a variant with nano-textured anti-glare coating, of course, for a surcharge. If the display were also a mini-LED, the price of a separate Thunderbolt display would reach at least $ 2,500 – or about 200 thousand rubles with all taxes. And an iMac with such a display (in fact, it’s the same display, plus a computer) would cost even more.
Will, these wonders buy? Unless both monitors and iMacs will be offered in versions with and without mini-LED. But the stand for the monitor and the iMac will be an integral part of their kit, and there will be no fantastic mechanical achievements in it.
When will the new Thunderbolt Display come out?
Not in March 2021, according to Bloomberg. Perhaps the insane new monitors will be announced (roughly) at WWDC and go on sale later in the year, in November or December. Display development was reassigned in January this year to Joni Sruji, renowned for his ability to handle impossible tasks brilliantly. Apple Silicon, M1 is his brainchild. From the beginning of the early prototype stage, and in the case of monitors, the stage began in the summer of 2019; it takes, on average, two to three years to the real product. Sometimes more. If it weren’t for COVID and other challenges in 2020, the new Thunderbolt display could have come out earlier. We will find out how everything will be in reality in a few months. I still hope for a miracle.