Eulogizing the Pro Display XDR

I missed it last week, but my pal Chance Miller at 9to5 Mac published a eulogy of sorts for the Pro Display XDR. His piece resonated because (a) I have a Pro Display XDR; and (b) the reviews for its successor, the Studio Display XDR, dropped earlier this week.

Indeed, Apple has officially put the Pro Display XDR out to pasture.

“The Pro Display XDR has officially been discontinued. Apple’s high-end external display was first introduced in 2019 alongside a new Mac Pro, but has now been replaced by the cheaper (but better in many ways) Studio Display XDR,” Miller wrote. “The Pro Display XDR sold for a whopping $5,999 in its standard configuration. The adjustable ‘Pro Stand’ was sold separately for an additional $1,000. Until the first Studio Display launched in 2022, it was the only external display Apple made.”

Although you could perhaps argue the standard Studio Display, of either generation, would be “good enough” for my needs, I love my Pro Display so much. As I wrote in my first impressions story, I compared both while in Apple Stores many, many times over the years; for my visual needs, the Pro Display’s brightness, size, and resolution all literally looked better to me. Granted, the monitor was a (belated) Christmas gift, but that doesn’t change the core of my assessment—the Pro Display is simply more accessible. I’ve used the Pro Display for two months now, spanning two cities and two desk setups, and there’s nothing about the device I find substandard or would change.

For my needs, the circa 2019 Pro Display remains an elite screen in 2026.

Relatedly, Miller reports today the Studio Display XDR, which goes on sale tomorrow for $3299, is purportedly going to receive a software update which adds support for the monitor to be fully calibrated. The news comes from The Verge’s John Higgins, who unearthed a white paper detailing the product’s calibration options and color system. There’s no timeline for exactly when the update will be released by Apple, Miller said.

In his review posted on Monday, Higgins wrote, in part, “[users will be] able to calibrate the Studio Display XDR, which I fully expect every professional or studio to do,” adding full calibration via the forthcoming software update will enable more granular control over visual elements such as white point, color primaries, luminance, and gamma.