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Apple Studio Display XDR vs Apple Thunderbolt Display

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleStudio Display XDRAppleThunderbolt Display
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2026September 2011
Display
Screen size27″27″
Resolution5120 × 2880 (5K)2560 × 1440 (QHD)
Sharpness218 pixels per inch109 pixels per inch
PanelMini-LED (5K Retina XDR (IPS LCD, oxide TFT))IPS
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
Brightness (typical)1,000 nits375 nits
Contrast ratio–1,000:1
HDR peak brightness2,000 nits–
Colour rangeP3 + Adobe RGB, 81% BT.2020–
Dimming zones2,304–
Screen finishGlossyGlossy
ShapeFlatFlat
Adaptive syncVESA AdaptiveSync–
Colour depth1 billion coloursUp to 16.7 million colours; Apple does not specify panel bit depth
Response time detail–Apple specifies 12 ms without identifying the transition; omitted from the grey-to-grey row
Colour modesApple 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 detail2,000 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 range47–120 Hz (Adaptive Sync); fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, 60 and 120 Hz–
Viewing angles89° left, right, up and down178° horizontally and vertically
Eye care–Ambient light sensor automatically adjusts brightness
CalibrationIndividually factory calibrated (Apple CMF 2026); Visual Fine-Tune and Fine-Tune Calibration in Pro Display Calibrator–
Connections
Video inputsThunderbolt 5Thunderbolt
USB-C chargingUp to 140 WNone
USB portsThunderbolt 5, 2 × USB-C3 × USB-A
EthernetNoYes
SpeakersYesYes
Webcam12MP Center Stage with Desk ViewFaceTime HD camera with microphone
Thunderbolt detail–Captive first-generation Thunderbolt input cable; two bidirectional 10 Gbps channels. Requires a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac, not a Mini DisplayPort-only Mac.
Other connections–Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000Base-T), FireWire 800 with up to 7 W power, downstream Thunderbolt port and Kensington security slot
USB-C detailUpstream Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120 Gb/s) with 140 W host charging–
Daisy chainingDownstream Thunderbolt 5 port daisy-chains more displays; up to four with certain Mac configurationsDownstream Thunderbolt supports compatible devices and a second Thunderbolt Display where the Mac permits it. The port does not directly support Mini DisplayPort, DVI or VGA displays or adapters.
USB hub detail1 × Thunderbolt 5 downstream (up to 120 Gb/s), 2 × USB-C (up to 10 Gb/s) for peripherals, storage and networkingThree powered USB 2.0 Type-A ports; device charging can work without a host attached
Speaker detailSix speakers with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosBuilt-in 2.1 speaker system with 49 W output
Webcam detailThree-mic array with directional beamforming; camera features and firmware updates need a MacFaceTime HD camera and microphone; Apple does not publish a megapixel figure in the specifications
Design
Stand adjustsHeight, tiltTilt
VESA mountYesYes
Weight with stand8.5 kg10.8 kg
Height adjustment105 mm–
Tilt−5° to +25°Tilt adjustment only; no height, swivel or pivot adjustment (Macworld)
PivotLandscape only on the stand; portrait with the VESA mount adapter–
VESA pattern100 × 100 mm (VESA mount adapter option)Requires the separately sold Apple VESA Mount Adapter Kit
Size with stand62.3 × 21.4 × 47.8–58.3 cm (W × D × H)Current UK support specifications give 650 × 491 × 207 mm (width × height × depth). The original manual gives 651.7 × 488.1 × 208.13 mm and 10.7 kg rather than the support page's 10.8 kg.
Controls–Brightness and colour profile through macOS Displays preferences; no on-screen menu or physical image controls (Macworld)
Colours–Aluminium enclosure with black glass bezel
Size without stand62.3 × 3.3 × 36.2 cm with VESA mount adapter (W × D × H)–
Weight without stand6.3 kg with VESA mount adapter–
Power and support
Power use–Maximum 250 W while charging a MacBook Pro; energy saver 2 W or less. Apple environmental report at 230 V gives 108 W on at full brightness, 1.9 W sleep and 0.75 W off.
Power supply100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phaseInternal power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz
Laptop charging–Captive Universal MagSafe connector supplies up to 85 W separately from the Thunderbolt cable; no USB-C power delivery
SoftwareNeeds an Apple silicon Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 or later, or an iPad with iPadOS 26.3.1 or laterOriginal requirement OS X 10.6.8 or later and a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. Announced 20 July 2011 with availability within 60 days; September sale month follows contemporary MacRumors reports of customer shipments, rather than the announcement date.
CertificationsENERGY STARENERGY STAR 5.1; EPEAT Gold in the US and Canada
Warranty1-year limited warranty and 90 days of complimentary technical support from AppleOne-year limited warranty and 90 days of telephone support
In the boxStudio Display XDR, Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable (1 m)Thunderbolt Display, AC power cord and printed documentation

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