Information on the new 2019 Thunderbolt Display from Apple has landed. This feature-packed display will become the centrepiece of your desk workspace in late 2018.
Previously Discontinued in 2016
Apple's previous generation self-branded display was discontinued in 2015 and sold final units in early 2016.
At the time, Apple announced a partnership with LG to produce an LG-branded UltraFine display. The LG UltraFine displays came in two sizes and were sold inside Apple stores.
While many customers bought and enjoyed the LG displays, they were not able to be used easily with Windows PCs due to the level of customisation that Apple applied in their partnership with LG.
Some customers also felt the LG versions didn't match Apple's design aesthetic.
New 2019 Apple-branded Thunderbolt Display
For 2019, Apple will release a new Apple-branded Thunderbolt Display. To be announced in October 2018 and released before December 2018, the 2019-model-year product will feature a range of new technologies and carry over some of Apple's traditional inclusions.
We can expect:
Apple Retina 5k display panel
Slim bezels on three sides
A narrow chin with Apple logo on the front
A re-designed stand with cable management
Internal power supply
White power cable in the box
Integrated speakers
Integrated Face ID camera
Integrated Thunderbolt Hub
The integrated hub will offer a number of ports on the rear of the device including:
Two USB-C ports for keyboards, iPhones, etc
Two Thunderbolt downstream ports to the Mac
Four Thunderbolt upstream ports for connecting other devices
Ethernet port
UHS-II SD card slot
Audio in and out
Physical Design
We can expect a design aesthetic similar to the current iMac, but with narrower bezels all around, and a narrower aluminium chin on the bottom edge, with a smaller Apple logo.
The rear of the display will retain a similar look to the iMac as well, with an all-aluminium enclosure, a black Apple logo on the rear, and a redesigned stand for better cable management.
The internals are expected to produce some heat, so expect two quiet fans; and a number of vented slots for cooling, located on the bottom and the rear of the display.
Display Size
As noted in our previous article on the new 24 inch iMac, we expect the standalone Apple Thunderbolt display to come in two sizes to match the new iMacs.
Apple will retire the 21.5" screen size and introduce a new 24" display size, to be sold alongside a 27" display size.
The two new Thunderbolt Displays will be available in 24" and 27" sizes, to be announced in October 2018 and go on sale before December 2018.
Both sizes will be available in one colour option: Silver.
One more thing...
There will also be a third display option: a new Apple Thunderbolt Pro Display for the new Mac Pro and MacBook Pro models.
The Pro Display will have all the same features as listed above, plus:
Integrated GPU for additional graphics horsepower
Upgraded cooling solution for the GPU
Additional Thunderbolt ports for Pro accessories
The new Thunderbolt Pro Display will be further differentiated by its colour scheme: available in Space Grey.
Until next time,
Xavier Zymantas
XYZtech
XYZ Media Group
More Articles