Your next Mac monitor could have this genius new feature
Apple has been working on a slate of secret Mac monitors, according to a new leak, and one of them could be a clever addition to Apple’s product lineup.
FrankLin
Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?
Apple has crafted a thriving ecosystem of smart home devices that work with its HomeKit platform, and we could see an interesting new addition if the company’s latest big idea comes to fruition. If it does, you could see your Mac’s display double up as a handy smart home accessory.
The news comes from journalist Mark Gurman, who has previously leaked accurate details about Apple’s future plans. According to the paid-for section of Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple is developing a Mac monitor that could double up as a smart home display when your Mac is idle.
Like the Studio Display that Apple currently sells, this new monitor would be equipped with an iOS chip. But unlike the A13 chip inside the Studio Display — which is used to control the screen’s camera and audio output — the new monitor’s chip would add extra features you don’t currently see in the Studio Display.
For instance, Gurman thinks it could show information like notifications and the weather when your connected Mac is in low power mode. That would take the device beyond being simply a Mac monitor and towards more of a general-purpose smart home display.
If you watched Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, this will be a familiar concept. At the show, Apple introduced a new feature in iOS 17 called StandBy, which shows you widgets, Live Activities, photos, and more while your iPhone is on its side and charging. By the sound of it, this mysterious new monitor could work in a similar way.
More monitors in the works
As well as the smart home display, Gurman believes Apple is working on several other monitors. While the journalist didn’t share much information on these products, they could be updates to the Studio Display and Apple’s Pro Display XDR, which hasn’t been refreshed since it was first introduced alongside the Mac Pro in 2019.
Don’t expect to get your hands on one of these displays any time soon. Gurman says that they are still a long way from being released, with a tentative launch date of 2024 “at the earliest.” We’ll just have to wait and see what moves Apple makes, and whether the company is able to shake up the world of smart home displays in the way it wants to.
Editors' Recommendations
Major leak reveals every secret Mac Apple is working on Apple’s next MacBooks and iPads could be in serious trouble Your next MacBook Air could be even faster than expected A new iMac and 15-inch MacBook Air are almost ready to launch Your next MacBook Pro could be even faster than expected
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
Apple may abandon the Mac Studio just 12 months after it launched
Apple’s Mac Studio is less than a year old, but it could already be heading for the chopping block. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who claims Apple might not bother updating the computer for the foreseeable future -- or could give up on it entirely.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman stated his belief that a new version of the Mac Studio was unlikely to appear “in the near future.” That’s because the Mac Studio and an upcoming Mac Pro could be “similar in functionality,” making the former somewhat redundant.
A key question for the Mac Pro has been answered — and it’s not good news
We’ve heard a lot of potentially bad news about the upcoming Apple silicon Mac Pro in recent weeks, but there has always been one looming, unanswered question. Now, that question might have an answer.
Writing on Twitter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has reported that the next Mac Pro might lack a user-upgradable graphics option. In some ways that’s unsurprising, but it has major implications for the already-precarious state of modularity in the device.
Apple’s secret spring event could be in yet more trouble
Waiting for new Apple products to launch, perhaps at the company’s rumored spring event? Well, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the whole thing might have been delayed and thrown into uncertainty.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman outlined the scene in spring 2022, during Apple’s second fiscal quarter. During that quarter, Apple launched the Mac Studio, Studio Display, and a new iPhone SE in March. Somewhat ominously, Gurman then explained that “There is no equivalent stream of new products” coming at the same time this year.
