Apple Pro Display XDR: a Gorgeous $7K Display Presented at the Apple Store like Some Cheap $399 4K TV at Best Buy, and Apple Employees Don’t Even Know Their Products

2020-02-01 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: 4K and 5K display, 6K display, Apple, Apple Pro Display XDR, computer display, television

I checked out the Apple Pro Display XDR in an Apple Store two days ago. The nano texture glass model is what I’d prefer but between it not being on display and even more expensive and the Apple Store employees knowing next to nothing about it (less than I did just reading the sales page), my questions are not addressed.

The main thing keeping me away from the nano texture glass is that apparently that option requires a special cloth to clean the display... and how does that work with Kung Pao Prawns, red wine and yogurt splatter? Yeah, I eat at my desk.

Selling a $6500 display with $399 TV tricks

UPDATE: with the Apple Pro Display XDR with nano texture glass at home where I could evaluate it side by side with the NEC PA302W, my comments about contrast, dynamic range, etc remain true but with a BIG "but": the Pro Display XDR has some serious shortcomings.

Anyway, what we have here folks is a $7000 display (display, stand, AppleCare) presented like some crappy $399 4K TV at a Best Buy.

What I mean is that the display capabilities are stunning (aside from too much reflection!), with the best contrast, color gamut, color saturation, dynamic range, etc that I have ever seen in a display. It makes an iMac 5K display look quite mundane.

BUT whoever prepared the images either was either wholly incompetent or intentionally pulling the same trick used to fool gullible consumers when selling televisions: all of the images were so eye-poppingly hyper-saturated that they looked like travel postcards. Seriously Apple?

SO bad that color tints can be seen in what should be neutral shadow and highlight areas. Magenta/red everywhere (snow, shadows, etc). Or green in some cases. Totally f'ing mangled. The work itself is excellent but I would be incensed to see my own work presented in such an amateurish way.

I am assuming of course that the issue is the images themselves and not the display. I confirmed that premise by viewing my own images and they looked fantastic without any of the issues I saw with the Apple-chosen images.