Apple AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor vs Apple Studio Display (2026)

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AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor compared with Studio Display (2026)

	AppleAppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor	AppleStudio Display (2026)
Overview
Released
Released	1987	March 2026
Display
Screen size
Screen size	12.8″	27″
Resolution
Resolution	–	5120 × 2880 (5K)
Sharpness
Sharpness	–	218 pixels per inch
Panel
Panel	CRT (Apple support specifies a nominal 13-inch Trinitron tube and 12.8-inch viewable diagonal; owner and service manuals instead call it 13-inch viewable. Service Source gives 0.26 mm aperture grille pitch, while TIL2165 and TIL8439 give 0.25 mm. Analogue CRT has no fixed native pixel matrix.)	IPS (5K Retina)
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	–	60 Hz
Brightness (typical)
Brightness (typical)	–	600 nits
Colour range
Colour range	–	Wide colour (P3)
Screen finish
Screen finish	–	Glossy
Shape
Shape	–	Flat
Colour depth
Colour depth	–	1 billion colours
Colour modes
Colour modes	Owner guide lists 256 colours with Macintosh Display Card 4•8 and 16.7 million with 8•24 or 8•24 GC; not an independent monitor colour-depth limit	Apple Display (P3-600 nits), HDTV Video (BT.709–BT.1886), NTSC Video (BT.601 SMPTE-C), PAL and SECAM Video (BT.601 EBU), Digital Cinema (P3-DCI), Digital Cinema (P3-D65), Design and Print (P3-D50), Photography (P3-D65), Internet and Web (sRGB)
Supported signal modes
Supported signal modes	Maker documents support 640 × 480 at 66.7 Hz, 35 kHz horizontal scan and a 30.24 MHz pixel clock. These describe the supported analogue signal, not a native fixed matrix. Factory-adjusted active image area is 235 × 176 mm with a dark surrounding border; colour depth depends on the video card.	–
Calibration
Calibration	Maker TIL8439 states luminance of 20 footlamberts at the brightness-control detent and 25 footlamberts fully open; no conversion to an unpublished cd/m² figure. A thin horizontal grille-support line in the lower third is normal for this Trinitron tube according to the owner and service guides.	–
Connections
Video inputs
Video inputs	DA-15	Thunderbolt 5
USB-C charging
USB-C charging	None	Up to 96 W (better)
USB ports
USB ports	–	Thunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-C
Ethernet
Ethernet	–	No
Speakers
Speakers	No	Yes
Webcam
Webcam	–	12MP Center Stage with Desk View
USB-C detail
USB-C detail	–	Upstream Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120 Gb/s) with 96 W host charging
Daisy chaining
Daisy chaining	–	Downstream Thunderbolt 5 port daisy-chains more displays; up to four Studio Display models with a MacBook Pro with M5 Max
USB hub detail
USB hub detail	–	1 × Thunderbolt 5 downstream (up to 120 Gb/s), 2 × USB-C (up to 10 Gb/s) for peripherals, storage and networking
Speaker detail
Speaker detail	–	Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Webcam detail
Webcam detail	–	Three-mic array with directional beamforming; camera features and firmware updates need a Mac
Other connections
Other connections	Macintosh DA-15 analogue RGB input with composite negative-going TTL sync and detachable video cable; this is not a PC VGA connector. Compatible Macintosh video circuitry or video card is required. No integrated speakers or audio ports.	–
Design
Stand adjusts
Stand adjusts	–	Tilt
VESA mount
VESA mount	–	Yes
Weight with stand
Weight with stand	15.5 kg	6.3 kg
Height adjustment
Height adjustment	Owner guide supplies a height-adjustment bar that raises the front by one-quarter or one-half inch. Tilt-and-swivel Universal Monitor Stand is a separately sold accessory and is not counted as the included stand.	105 mm with the optional tilt- and height-adjustable stand
Tilt
Tilt	–	−5° to +25°
Pivot
Pivot	–	Landscape only on either stand; portrait with the VESA mount adapter
VESA pattern
VESA pattern	–	100 × 100 mm (VESA mount adapter option)
Size with stand
Size with stand	Service Source gives body height 281 mm, width 344 mm and depth 385 mm; current support archive instead gives 11 × 13.5 × 16 inches. Optional monitor stand dimensions are not substituted.	Tilt stand 62.3 × 16.8 × 47.8 cm; tilt- and height-adjustable stand 62.3 × 20.7 × 47.9–58.3 cm and 7.6 kg (W × D × H)
Size without stand
Size without stand	–	62.3 × 3.1 × 36.2 cm with VESA mount adapter (W × D × H)
Weight without stand
Weight without stand	–	5.4 kg with VESA mount adapter
Weight detail
Weight detail	Service Source gives 15.5 kg (34 lb), with TIL2165 also specifying 34 lb including video and power cables. Owner guide instead publishes 20 kg (44 lb) including cables; this maker conflict is retained without attributing it to an undocumented revision.	–
Controls
Controls	Power and manual degauss buttons on the rear; brightness with centre detent and contrast on the right side. Automatic degauss at power-up; maker specifies 20-minute warm-up to meet all specifications.	–
Power and support
Power use
Power use	Current support, TIL2165 and owner guide give 160 W maximum; Service Source instead lists 90 W without the same maximum qualification	–
Power supply
Power supply	Current support and Service Source specify 85–270 V AC, 47–63 Hz. Owner guide gives 90–270 V AC, 47–63 Hz; TIL2165 instead gives 85–270 V AC, 50–60 Hz. These are mains ratings, not display refresh.	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Software
Software	Apple support dates introduction March 1987; March 2 1987 maker price list explicitly schedules M0401 availability in May, rather than immediate March retail. Actual first retail month remains unverified, so year 1987 is retained. AppleColor High-Resolution RGB for Macintosh is distinct from the earlier AppleColor RGB monitor for Apple IIgs; no hardware or release figures are borrowed from that display. No inferred direct successor.	Needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 26.3.1 or later
Certifications
Certifications	–	ENERGY STAR
Warranty
Warranty	–	1-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support from Apple
In the box
In the box	–	Studio Display, Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable (1 m)