Apple has today unveiled the first Mac monitor with HDR (High Dynamic Range). The new Pro Display XDR is a 32-inch LCD monitor with zone dimming LED and 6K resolution.

Apple monitor with HDR
Together with a new Mac Pro Apple has unveiled a Pro monitor in the context of reference screens used for professional movie and photography editing. Apple believes that its new Pro Display XDR monitor belongs in this category.

The 32-inch LCD monitor features 6K resolution (6016x3384 pixels) and is Apple's first Mac monitor with HDR (High Dynamic Range). And unlike many other PC monitor makers who claim to have HDR, this monitor appears to actually deliver - and then some.



- "Pro Display XDR is the world’s best pro display and the perfect companion to the all-new Mac Pro. With Retina 6K resolution, gorgeous color, extreme brightness and contrast ratio, and a highly functional design, Pro Display XDR delivers the most comprehensive set of features ever offered on any display at this price point," said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

Apple said that its has a 10-bit LCD panel with DCI-P3 color space coverage. It can produce, and sustain, 1000 nits full-screen brightness and deliver up to 1600 nits of peak brightness. The company added that it has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio as well as a "super wide viewing angle", which could indicate that it is an IPS LCD panel.



To reach these brightness levels, Apple has used a special LED backlighting solution with zone dimming and filters. To keep the backlight cool, it relieves on a passive cooling system that can be seen in all of its glory on the back of the monitor where it is an integral part of the design. It also matches the look of the new Mac Pro.

- "2D backlighting system using 576 full array local dimming zones. Apple-designed timing controller (TCON) chip engineered to precisely control high-speed modulation of both 20.4 million LCD pixels and 576 LEDs in backlight for seamless synchronization," says Apple's product page for the new monitor.



The display has been designed for professionals working with video, photography, games, and other creative industries who are transitioning to HDR. It comes fully calibrated with several reference modes, Apple said.

It comes with two types of anti-reflective coating, one of which is a standard solution, while the other is a more expensive "matte option called nano-texture, with glass etched at the nanometer level for low reflectivity and less glare".



If a user wants to go all-in, he can connect up to six Apple Pro Display XDR monitors to a single Mac Pro through Thunderbolt 3.

In 2016, Apple announced that it was abandoning the monitor market when it discontinued its Thunderbolt Display. Back then, Apple partnered with LG to offer Mac users a few monitor solutions. The company later reversed course and pre-announced that it was working on a pro monitor with much improved performance.

The Apple Pro Display XDR will launch this fall and cost 5000 dollars for the standard edition and 1000 dollars more for the option with nano-texture coating. The stand will cost 1000 dollars and a VESA compatible wall bracket will cost 200 dollars.