Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities.

According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio Display is limited to 60Hz and supports SDR, but not HDR.

Macworld's Filipe Espósito suggests new HDR support points to Apple's use of improved panel technology that can achieve higher brightness. Indeed, analyst Ross Young believes Apple's next Studio Display could use a mini-LED panel similar to the MacBook Pro, which features superior brightness, contrast, and color accuracy compared to the existing LCD panel.

Elsewhere, the code references a "J527" identifier for the monitor, and suggests the model is powered by the A19 chip – two details that have also been previously discovered in code reviewed by MacRumors. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also referenced "J527" as the internal codename for one of the displays that Apple is developing.

Apple launched the 27-inch Studio Display in March 2022 alongside the Mac Studio. It features a 5K resolution, 600 nits of brightness, built-in webcam and speakers, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and three USB-C ports. Pricing in the U.S. starts at $1,599. The new version Apple is developing could arrive as early as this spring alongside new Macs with M5 chips.