Report: Refreshed Studio Display Found in code

Earlier this week, Filipe Esposito reported for Macworld an internal build of iOS 26 contains references to a looming update to the Studio Display. The finding, using the codename “J527,” corroborates previous reporting by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg.

“References in the code clearly show that this new Studio Display has a variable refresh rate that can go up to 120Hz, just like the ProMotion display on the latest MacBook Pros. The current Studio Display is limited to 60Hz,” Esposito wrote on Wednesday. “Furthermore, the code references a ‘J527’ monitor that also supports both SDR and HDR modes, an upgrade from the current SDR-only model. This is a strong indication that Apple will replace the LCD panel with better technology, such as Mini-LED that can achieve higher brightness levels.”

According to Esposito, other features of the still-in-development second-generation Studio Display include an A19 processor, ProMotion, and much better HDR support.

I’ve written previously about my sore need for a new Mac to replace my outmoded (yet still chugging along) 2019 Retina 4K iMac, a task I’ve put off for a variety of reasons. I really do feel lots of FOMO not running macOS 26 Tahoe, however, and feel bad for life “dictating” to me that the lowest common denominator—my job not requiring tons of compute power—makes my trusty yet tired iMac “good enough.” As I’ve said before, it sucks to miss out on Apple Silicon amenities like iPhone Mirroring—a feature which I haven’t written about much, if at all, but which has serious benefits from an accessibility perspective. All of this to say, I’m very excited at the prospects of a new external monitor that I can plug one of my MacBooks into; a laptop’s screen is serviceable to me while I’m out of the house—narrator: his severe anxiety and depression scoffs at the notion—but if I’m working primarily at my desk, I’d much rather have a bigger screen to accommodate my low vision. So while the Pro Display XDR is forever my white whale monitor, this rumored Studio Display upgrade sounds damn good too—and is arguably the eminently more practical device for my spartan needs.

One way or another, I’m hellbent on making 2026 the Year of Steven’s Desk Makeover.

Apple released the Studio Display in 2022 to complement the all-new Mac Studio.