Studio Display teardown makes me wish Apple just made a new iMac

Date:
Wed, 23 Mar 2022 11:57:00 +0000

Description:
Studio Display teardown proves Apples monitor is a big missed opportunity.

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A few enterprising and brave people have begun opening up Apples new Studio Display , and the innards show a complex device thats much more than a standard monitor.

Apple has made a big deal of the Studio Displays advanced smart features,
such as Siri virtual assistant support and AI-controlled webcam in a bid to justify the high price tag of $1,599 (1,499 / AU$2,499), and these teardowns, which show us the kind of tech thats packed behind the screen, reveal just
how complex the device actually is.

Mac Rumors points out that in the bottom-right logic board hosts the A13 Bionic chip the same found in iPads and iPhones, and which is used for the
AI features. Interestingly, there seems to also be 64GB of flash storage.
This is a hefty amount of storage space for a monitor (which usually come
with well, none), and is the same amount found in entry-level iPhones and iPads.

While we now know that the Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4 , its not immediately clear what the 64GB of storage is for. The inside of the Studio Display also shows two large fans for keeping it cool (again, quite rare for
a monitor), along with six speakers, similar to the ones found in the 24-inch iMac.

The iFixit website is also in the process of doing a teardown of the Studio Display , and while its still in progress, weve been given another glimpse of the insides of the monitor. The iFixit team are well known for their in-depth looks at devices, and specifically focus on how easily fixable products are something that Apples devices usually get lambasted for.

These initial glimpses of the Studio Display do at least show that Apple has packed some interesting tech into the screen but it has also led me to feeling like its a missed opportunity. Analysis: Why not just make a 27-inch iMac? (Image credit: Apple)

When Apple revealed the Studio Display, along with the new Mac Studio , in early March, many people wondered why not just make a 27-inch iMac? After
all, the Studio Display in some ways feels like an iMac without the Mac bit.

However, these teardowns show that this may have been a bigger missed opportunity than previously thought. After all, if Apple is putting this much tech in a screen, including storage and fans, could it not have also added an M1 chip and memory and made a new iMac?!

Ok, maybe its not quite that easy, but the harsh truth is that the Studio Display is a rather underwhelming device that doesnt offer the performance or value that would make it a worthwhile purchase. If Apple had released a new M1-powered 27-inch iMac, I think it would have been much more warmly
received, especially as Apple has now discontinued the previous 27-inch iMac
.

For people who want an Apple all-in-one with a 27-inch screen, rather than a 24-inch one, then youre out of luck. The Studio Display with a Mac Studio or Mac mini hooked up isnt a decent enough replacement, sadly. These are the
best Macs and MacBooks



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/studio-display-teardown-makes-me-wish-apple-jus t-made-a-new-imac/


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