Apple Studio Display (15-inch DVI, 1999) vs Apple Studio Display XDR

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Studio Display (15-inch DVI, 1999) compared with Studio Display XDR
AppleStudio Display (15-inch DVI, 1999)AppleStudio Display XDR
Overview
ReleasedDecember 1999March 2026
Display
Screen size15.1″27″
Resolution1024 × 7685120 × 2880 (5K) (better)
Sharpness85 pixels per inch218 pixels per inch (better)
PanelLCD (TFT active-matrix LCD; Apple does not identify the panel subtype)Mini-LED (5K Retina XDR (IPS LCD, oxide TFT))
Refresh rate75 Hz120 Hz (better)
Brightness (typical)200 nits1,000 nits (better)
HDR peak brightness–2,000 nits
Colour range–P3 + Adobe RGB, 81% BT.2020
Dimming zones–2,304
Screen finish–Glossy
Contrast ratio200:1–
ShapeFlatFlat
Adaptive sync–VESA AdaptiveSync
Colour depth24-bit colour, 8 bits per colour channel; up to 16.7 million colours1 billion colours
Colour modes–Apple XDR Display (P3-2,000 nits), Apple XDR Display (P3 + Adobe RGB-2,000 nits), HDR Video (P3-ST 2084), 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), Design and Print (Adobe RGB-D50), Photography (P3-D65), Photography (Adobe RGB-D65), HDR Photography (P3-D65), Internet and Web (sRGB), Medical Imaging (DICOM-350 nits), Medical Imaging (DICOM-600 nits); custom reference modes
HDR detail–2,000 nits peak across 40% of the screen and 1,000 nits full-screen sustained (below 25 °C); HDR reference modes use PQ (SMPTE ST 2084)
Variable refresh range–47–120 Hz (Adaptive Sync); fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, 60 and 120 Hz
Viewing anglesTypical 120° horizontal and 90° vertical89° left, right, up and down
Calibration–Individually factory calibrated (Apple CMF 2026); Visual Fine-Tune and Fine-Tune Calibration in Pro Display Calibrator
Connections
Video inputsDVIThunderbolt 5
USB-C chargingNoneUp to 140 W (better)
USB ports2 × USB-AThunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-C
Ethernet–No
Speakers–Yes
Webcam–12MP Center Stage with Desk View
USB-C detail–Upstream Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120 Gb/s) with 140 W host charging
Daisy chaining–Downstream Thunderbolt 5 port daisy-chains more displays; up to four with certain Mac configurations
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–Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Webcam detail–Three-mic array with directional beamforming; camera features and firmware updates need a Mac
Other connections24-pin digital DVI connector using TMDS; two downstream USB 1.1 ports and an upstream USB lead. Display cable branches to DVI, USB and external power adaptor. No analogue computer, composite, S-video or audio input.–
Design
Stand adjustsHeight, tilt, swivel (better)Height, tilt
VESA mount–Yes
Weight with stand5.5 kg8.5 kg
Height adjustment–105 mm
Tilt–−5° to +25°
Pivot–Landscape only on the stand; portrait with the VESA mount adapter
VESA pattern–100 × 100 mm (VESA mount adapter option)
Size with standDesktop stand, 39.9 × 38.1–49.0 × 24.9 cm (width × height × depth). Picture-frame stand, 15.7 × 11.6 × 6.9 inches, weighing 3.5 kg. Apple datasheet's metric picture-frame height is inconsistent with its inch figure, so the published imperial dimensions are retained.62.3 × 21.4 × 47.8–58.3 cm (W × D × H)
Size without stand–62.3 × 3.3 × 36.2 cm with VESA mount adapter (W × D × H)
Weight without stand–6.3 kg with VESA mount adapter
ControlsPower/system startup and sleep, plus two brightness buttons on underside of display; software colour calibration through USB–
ColoursTranslucent Graphite and white; distinct digital DVI hardware rather than a colour-only revision–
Power and support
Power useBelow 35 W operating, from December 1999 Apple datasheet. Archived support page labels 35 W as Energy Saver consumption and leaves maximum unknown; datasheet's operating specification retained.–
Power supplyExternal power adaptor, 100–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz; mains frequency is not a published display refresh rate100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
SoftwareApple service manual and revision-specific support note place this DVI model in December 1999; the August date repeated by some secondary histories is not used. Apple Canada's 6 December announcement says it could be ordered and was expected to ship before year-end; first retail month is retained without inventing a day. Native resolution is 1024 × 768; Apple's Japanese support sheet explicitly specifies 70 or 75 Hz at native resolution; the English archived support sheet and December datasheet omit the refresh rates. Maker compatibility is Power Mac G4 with ATI RAGE 128 Pro graphics and built-in USB, running Mac OS 9.0 or later. Maker support lists 15.1-inch viewable size while the datasheet rounds to 15 inches.Needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 26.3.1 or later
Certifications–ENERGY STAR
Warranty–1-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support from Apple
In the boxDisplay, desktop stand, picture-frame stand, power cord and adaptor, Apple Displays software and user manualStudio Display XDR, Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable (1 m)

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