On the occasion of WWDC 2019, Apple presented, in addition to the new Mac Pro, a new monitor called Apple Pro Display XDR. The company is re-entering the world of PC displays, having abandoned Thunderbolt Displays a few years ago. The main feature of this new monitor is the support for high dynamic range HDR technology, which Apple integrates into a professional-level display.
First Contact With The 6K Screen
The Apple Pro XDR is a monitor with a 32-inch diagonal Retina display with an unprecedented 6K resolution, no less than 6016 × 3384 pixels. It features HDR capability, low reflectivity, 1000 nits consistent brightness, and P3 wide color gamut support. We note the presence of a 10-bit color depth, with a peak of 1600 nits for brightness and a breathtaking contrast of 1,000,000:1. It’s now Apple’s first standalone display, following Thunderbolt displays, which debuted in 2011 and was eventually pulled from the market in 2016.
The screen is coated with a new type of matte coating. Apple points out that the glass has undergone a nanometer etching treatment to replace the matte effect without the disadvantages of a glossy screen. On the other hand, the back side of the screen acts as a heat sink, while the stand allows the screen to be rotated in landscape mode. The back of the Pro Display XDR offers the same design as the new Mac Pro, with four Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Features And Budget
The Apple Pro Display XDR, this spectacular 32″ Retina 6K display, is certainly a niche product, but it offers astonishing color fidelity, a brightness of 1600 nits, and a contrast of 1,000,000:1. Its super wide viewing angle, and its range of colors revolutionizes the way of working according to Apple. The price can make you shudder: from 5499 euros.
But by choosing glass with nanotexture, we arrive at 6599 euros, and you will also need a specific cloth for cleaning. The performance offered by the Apple Pro Display XDR is of a very high standard, capable of offering color precision that you cannot even obtain, with the market references Sony and Flanders Scientific (which exceed 25 000 euro).
The possibility of having this type of screen with an entry price below 6000 euros is surprising. By announcing the Pro Display XDR, Apple has chosen its target: professionals who want to take advantage of the wide P3 color gamut for an immersive and realistic viewing experience. Final Cut Pro users, for example, can view, edit, correct, and play videos with high dynamic range and constant 1000 nits brightness.
A unique and extraordinary viewing experience. Pro Display XDR connects to your Mac with a single Thunderbolt cable. Professionals using Final Cut Pro on a Mac Pro can connect up to three XDR Pro displays simultaneously: two for the Final Cut Pro interface and one as a dedicated monitor. Apple calls the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR the most powerful tools the world has ever offered professionals, guaranteeing they will forever change how they work!
The Pro Display XDR offers almost 40% more screen power than a 5K Retina display and is ideal for photo editing, 3D animation, video editing, or color grading. Apple says its display features the industry’s best polarization technology, providing an off-axis, ultra-wide, and crisp viewing angle. An advanced coating and opacification option called nanostructure is used to reduce glare. The glass is therefore cut with a precision of the order of a nanometer to minimize reflectivity and glare.
Pro Display XDR Reviews
Being able to enjoy the same image quality, from shooting to post-production, is what Apple’s new 6K display promises, dedicated to professionals. The price may make your head spin, but it might even be too low compared to the $30,000 or even $40,000 of the best professional monitors from Sony and Flanders Scientific.
The PCMag blog tested Apple’s screen to see if the specs and praise were realistic! This category of professional products offers nanometric precision and ultra-reliable calibration at high prices, of course, but with results so far unequaled by traditional alternatives, according to our colleagues.
Head To Head With Competitors
During testing, Adobe RGB coverage was measured, highlighting the excellent results of the Apple Pro Display XDR with 96.7% coverage, well above competing products such as the Acer Predator X35 ( 80% ). , the Asus Rog Strix XG438Q ( 83% ), and the Razer Raptor 27 ( 89.2% ). The only exception remains the Dell U3219Q 4K monitor, which showed values of 98.1%.
The P3 color gamut measures how accurately the monitor can display movies and TV content in professional creative applications, highlighting data that sets Apple’s product apart. Our colleagues from PCMag speak of an absolute record compared to all the monitors tested in their laboratories. They recorded an extensive coverage of 98.7%. Results far superior to the Alienware 55, a 55-inch OLED screen, sold for around 4,000 euros, with a result of 96.5% on the P3 color gamut.
10-Bit Brightness And Color
As for brightness, the Pro Display XDR displayed content with a peak of 1560.9 nits in HDR, a value very close to the 1600 nits of brightness announced by Apple. We also welcome black-level results, thanks to the FALD system: 0.04. The lowest value ever recorded outside of OLED screens. Contrast isn’t infinite ( where OLED technology remains unmatched ), but even with a minimum brightness of 499 nits, the screen still delivers a contrast ratio 12,460:1.
Apple prides itself on offering true 10-bit color. The Cupertino brand explains that the Pro Display XDR can produce more than a billion shades with extreme precision. All thanks to a sophisticated algorithm, which makes obtaining the best possible color quality possible. The L*a*b* The color space formula is used to assess the fidelity of displayed colors
This value is called “Color Difference,” “Delta E,” or “dE.” The lower the DE value of a monitor, the more accurate the display’s color reproduction. Tests with the three possible presets ( sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3) of the Apple Pro Display XDR showed a value of 0.68 dE. An excellent score!
Conclusion
Apple now calibrates the display, and no action is currently possible on the settings. However, Apple has advised that with future updates, it will be possible to change settings, such as white calibration and gamut, but it won’t be easy to get better settings than the factory preset. In summary, the Apple Pro Display XDR delivers exactly what it promises. Reference levels, ultra-reliable calibration, and everything you need to handle modern photo, video, and 3D imaging workflows like a pro.
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