When the Pro Display XDR was announced for $5,000, Apple aimed to tackle a market littered with overly priced reference monitors. Its specifications are legendary, with the monitor also having received an award for the best display. Unfortunately, it features just 576 local dimming zones. That number has been overtaken considerably by Apple’s latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Apple’s Largest iPad Pro With mini-LED Technology Only Costs $1,099, but the Pro Display XDR Is Priced at $5,000
Thanks to the iPad Pro’s mini-LED technology, its local dimming zones go up to 2,500. This is possible thanks to the backlighting that allows over 10,000 LEDs to be placed. With LCD technology, it is not possible to add a large number of local dimming zones, which would explain why the Pro Display XDR features only 576 local dimming zones, despite its substantially larger display and expensive $5,000 asking price.
The iPad Pro also boasts a 1,000 nits full-screen brightness, with up to 1,600 peak brightness, according to Apple. Once more, maximum brightness levels are possible using mini-LED technology, and best of all, the display will not suffer from OLED burn-ins, which could be one reason why Apple stuck with mini-LED in the first place. Another area where Apple nails the iPad Pro is the pricing.
The $5,000 Pro Display XDR has 576 full array local dimming zones.
The new 12.9 inch iPad Pro has 2,500… for $1,099.
— Stephen Hackett (@ismh) April 20, 2021
At $1,099, it is way more affordable than the Pro Display XDR, while delivering a superior display that can be used by creative professionals for carrying out color-accurate work. About the only advantage of owning the Pro Display XDR is the larger screen real estate. It is not confirmed when Apple will switch to mini-LED when announcing a refreshed version of the Pro Display XDR, but it looks like that may take a while.
Even with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it was reported that Apple’s suppliers are facing mini-LED production difficulties, meaning that the tablet might not be readily available at launch.
News Source: Stephen Hackett
