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Apple unveils completely new Mac desktop and display
Wed, 9th Mar 2022
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Apple has today introduced Mac Studio and Studio Display, designed to give users everything they could want to fulfil their studio needs.

The company adds that the entirely new Mac desktop and display is a breakthrough in personal computing.

Powered by M1 Max and the new M1 Ultra, the Mac Studio is the first computer to offer this level of performance, an extensive array of connectivity and completely new capabilities, and in a compact design.

Apple says Mac Studio allows users to achieve tasks that have previously been impossible on a desktop, such as rendering massive 3D environments and playing back 18 streams of ProRes video.

Studio Display, which the company describes as “the perfect complement to Mac Studio,” also pairs well with any Mac.

Apple says the combination of Mac Studio and Studio Display affords users the best technology for maximising creative output.

“We couldn't be more excited to introduce an entirely new Mac desktop and display with Mac Studio and Studio Display,” Apple Worldwide Marketing senior vice president Greg Joswiak says.

“Mac Studio ushers in a new era for the desktop with unbelievable performance powered by M1 Max and M1 Ultra, an array of connectivity and a compact design that puts everything users need within easy reach.

“And Studio Display, with its stunning 5K Retina screen, along with the best combination of camera and audio ever in a desktop display, is in a class of its own.

Below are some key features for both products:

Mac Studio

Desktop design enabled by Apple Silicon

Built from a single aluminium extrusion with a square footprint of just 19.7 centimetres (7.7 inches) and a height of only 9.5 centimetres (3.7 inches), Mac Studio takes up very little space and fits perfectly under most displays.

Mac Studio also features a thermal design that enables an extraordinary amount of performance and remains incredibly quiet, even under the heaviest workloads.

Improved performance with M1 Max and M1 Ultra

Powered by either M1 Max or M1 Ultra, Mac Studio delivers superior CPU and GPU performance. M1 Ultra builds on M1 Max and features the new UltraFusion architecture that interconnects the die of two M1 Max chips, creating a system on a chip (SoC) with unprecedented levels of performance and capabilities and consisting of 114 billion transistors, the most ever in a personal computer chip.

In addition, with its ultrapowerful media engine, Mac Studio with M1 Ultra can play back 18 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.

Mac Studio also features up to 64GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Max and 128GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Ultra.

The SSD in Mac Studio also delivers up to 7.4GB/s of performance and a capacity of up to 8TB, allowing users to work on massive projects with incredible speed and performance.

Connectivity within Easy Reach

On the back, Mac Studio includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports to connect displays and high-performance devices, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a pro audio jack for high-impedance headphones or external amplified speakers. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built-in as well. It also includes ports on the front for more convenient access.

Furthermore, Mac Studio provides extensive display support, up to four Pro Display XDRs, plus a 4K TV, driving nearly 90 million pixels.

Studio Display

Slim Aluminium Design

Studio Display features an expansive 27-inch 5K Retina display, a 12MP Ultra-Wide camera with Centre Stage, and a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio all contained in a slim profile.

Additionally, its built-in stand allows the user to tilt the display up to 30 degrees. To meet the needs of a variety of workspaces, Studio Display also offers a tilt and height-adjustable stand option as well as a VESA mount adapter option to support landscape or portrait orientation for additional flexibility.

True Tone technology automatically adjusts the display's colour temperature as the environment changes for a more natural viewing experience. In addition, an anti-reflective coating enables low reflectivity for better comfort and readability.

Studio Display also offers a nano-texture glass option for workspaces with bright light sources, including sunlight. Nano-texture glass, first introduced on Pro Display XDR, scatters light to further minimise glare while delivering outstanding image quality.

Studio Display features the A13 Bionic chip. The ultimate video conferencing display, the chip includes a 12MP Ultra-Wide camera with Centre Stage, a feature that automatically keeps users centred in the frame as they move around.

Studio Display also includes a studio-quality, three-microphone array with a low noise floor for crystal-clear calls and voice recordings, as well as a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system and four force-cancelling woofers to minimise distortion, and two high-performance tweeters.

The Ultimate Studio Setup

Mac Studio and Studio Display will provide creative professionals with the flexibility to build a studio to fit their needs, primarily catering for musicians and producers, 3D artists, app developers, photographers, and videographers.

macOS Monterey

Mac Studio is also powered by macOS Monterey, the latest version of Apple's desktop operating system. Apple notes that the combination of macOS Monterey with M1 Max or M1 Ultra delivers significantly improved performance, security and productivity for users.

Mac Studio, Studio Display and the Environment

Apple says Mac Studio and Studio Display were designed to minimise their environmental impact. The company adds that both Mac Studio and Studio Display use 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board, and recycled aluminium and plastic in various components.

Both products are available to order today through Apple's website and the Apple Store app. They will begin arriving to customers and will be in selected Apple Authorised Resellers, from Friday, 18 March.