Apple Studio Display 2 Leak Reveals Big Upgrades

Apple’s long-awaited Studio Display refresh is starting to take shape, and the latest clues point to a significant upgrade. According to internal code reviewed by Macworld, Apple’s next-generation Studio Display appears to support a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz — marking the arrival of ProMotion on Apple’s 27-inch external monitor — along with full HDR support.

The current Studio Display, released in March 2022, features a 5K Retina IPS LCD panel that tops out at 60Hz and is limited to SDR. That’s been a sticking point for many Mac users, especially as high-end Macs have adopted mini-LED (and soon OLED) panels capable of far better contrast and brightness. Early code discoveries hint that Apple is finally addressing those gaps.

Macworld’s Filipe Espósito noted that HDR support in the new model suggests a panel capable of much higher peak brightness. That lines up with what display analyst Ross Young predicted earlier this year: that the Studio Display 2 would feature a mini-LED panel similar to the MacBook Pro. Another code leak from August also pointed to the move to mini-LED, citing improved brightness, deeper blacks, and Apple’s higher-than-60-Hz, variable refresh rate ProMotion tech as key upgrades.

The new code references a device identifier, J527, which has surfaced multiple times over the past year. The new model also appears to be powered by Apple’s A19 chip (and earlier code even pointed to an A19 Pro variant), giving the monitor significantly more processing headroom than the original A13-powered version.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple is targeting the first half of 2026 for the Studio Display 2’s launch. He has also pegged Apple’s upcoming budget MacBook to debut around the same time, alongside additional new hardware that’s expected to reshape the company’s Mac lineup.

The first-gen Studio Display launched at $1,599 USD with a 27-inch 5K Retina panel, built-in speakers, a 12MP webcam, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. With ProMotion, HDR, and a mini-LED panel now looking increasingly likely, Apple’s next external display could be the first major leap forward for its monitor lineup in years.