With important hardware change: Reference to Apple’s new professional screen

For several months now, there has been speculation that Apple could replace its outdated Pro Display XDR with a new variant. In the developer beta of macOS 26.1 released on Monday, there are now tangible indications of this for the first time: In it, the Apple Blog 9to5Mac discovered a code leak that reveals the first details.

Camera reveals new display

The corresponding strings are “Pro Display XDR Camera” and “Pro Display XDR Desk View Camera”. As is well known, the current Pro Display XDR, which was launched almost six years ago, does not have a built-in camera. Accordingly, Apple can only mean a new, second model in which a webcam will finally be integrated. Since there is both the string “Camera” and the string “Desk View Camera”, there is still some evidence that it will probably be a center stage camera.

This will probably have at least 12 megapixels and, in addition to the regular shooting mode, the desk view (just “Desk View”). This currently exists on the Mac in the Studio Display, the iMac M4 and MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with M4, among others. With other configurations, an iPhone (from 11) can also be used as a camera. The desk view uses algorithmic image correction to show objects lying on the table in front of the camera and can be switched on if desired.

Hardware pimped up again

From macOS 26.1 Developer Beta 3, it is not possible to conclude at first what other innovations can be expected with the Pro Display XDR. A resolution of up to 7K, Thunderbolt 5 and hopefully a higher refresh rate are considered possible. The backlight is also likely to have been improved, and the display could possibly use quantum dot technology. It is unclear whether it will remain with a screen diagonal of 32 inches.

The Pro Display XDR currently manages 6K and can operate permanently with 1000 candelas thanks to special heatsinks, with a maximum of 1600 candelas possible. 526 LEDs are used as backlights. The maximum refresh rate is only 60 Hertz. With a retail price starting at 4855 euros, the hardware is still extremely expensive – with a matte nanotexture coating, you even pay over 900 euros more.