Apple Studio Display (2026) vs Apple Studio Display (21-inch CRT, 1999)

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Studio Display (2026) compared with Studio Display (21-inch CRT, 1999)

	AppleStudio Display (2026)	AppleStudio Display (21-inch CRT, 1999)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2026	January 1999
Display
Screen size
Screen size	27″	19.8″
Resolution
Resolution	5120 × 2880 (5K)	–
Sharpness
Sharpness	218 pixels per inch	–
Panel
Panel	IPS (5K Retina)	CRT (Nominal 21-inch Sony Trinitron aperture-grille CRT with a 19.8-inch viewable image; 0.25–0.27 mm variable aperture grille pitch. Vertically flat screen, without a fixed native pixel matrix.)
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch	–	Variable 0.25–0.27 mm aperture grille pitch
Supported signal modes
Supported signal modes	–	Supports 1600 × 1200, 1280 × 1024 and 1024 × 768 at up to 85 Hz; 1152 × 870 and 832 × 624 at up to 75 Hz. Horizontal scan 31–107 kHz; vertical scan 48–120 Hz. These are selectable CRT signal modes, not a fixed native matrix or one native refresh rate.
Screen coating
Screen coating	–	Antireflective and antistatic screen coating
Calibration
Calibration	–	Internal measurement system adjusts the electron beam to maintain factory calibration; stores ColorSync profiles. Includes an ambient-light tool, variable 4100–9300 K white-point selection and gamma-curve adjustment.
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	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)	–
Connections
Video inputs
Video inputs	Thunderbolt 5	VGA
USB-C charging
USB-C charging	Up to 96 W (better)	None
USB ports
USB ports	Thunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-C	4 × USB-A
Other connections
Other connections	–	15-pin mini D-Sub VGA video connector with supplied VGA-to-Macintosh adaptor
Ethernet
Ethernet	No	–
Speakers
Speakers	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	–
Design
Stand adjusts
Stand adjusts	Tilt	–
VESA mount
VESA mount	Yes	–
Weight with stand
Weight with stand	6.3 kg	35 kg
Height adjustment
Height adjustment	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	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)	51.1 × 56.6 × 55 cm (width × height × depth), January 1999 Blueberry datasheet; later Graphite enclosure dimensions differ
Controls
Controls	–	Power, brightness and contrast; compatible Mac software supplies geometry, convergence, degauss, white-point and calibration adjustments
Colours
Colours	–	Translucent Blueberry and white enclosure
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	–
Power and support
Power use
Power use	–	Maximum 180 W operating; less than 30 W standby; less than 5 W when the computer is in energy-saving mode
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	90–264 V AC, single-phase 47–63 Hz; mains frequency is separate from display refresh
Software
Software	Needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 26.3.1 or later	Maker announced the new Studio Display family on 5 January 1999; January retail precision is used because a distinct first-sale day is unconfirmed. January M6204LL/A datasheet requires the new Power Macintosh G3 with built-in USB and Mac OS 8.0 or later. Brightness and contrast ratio are unpublished and omitted; no pixel density is assigned to this CRT.
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)	Display, Apple Displays software, VGA-to-Macintosh adaptor, power cord, ambient-light tool and setup guide