Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Your next Mac monitor could have this genius new feature

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.

The Mac Studio and Studio Display on a desk.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

Recommended Videos

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

A person works at a station equipped with the all new Mac Studio and Studio Display.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

Alex Blake
Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…
The iMac Pro may not be completely dead, and that thrills me
The back of a blue iMac on a white desk.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Apple is working on bringing back either the iMac Pro or the 27-inch iMac with a new Apple Silicon chip to help it charge headlong into the modern era. We’ve been hearing variations of this rumor almost since the day the iMac Pro was discontinued in 2021.

A larger and more powerful iMac has been the primary hole in the Mac lineup, so I'm thrilled to hear that it isn't being forgotten about. And this time, the persistence of these whispers makes me think there’s really something there -- and the latest report on the subject hasn’t tempered my curiosity.
It's still alive

Read more
A ‘dramatic’ Mac redesign may launch later this year
Disney Plus on a MacBook Pro.

Would it be a surprise if you found out that Apple is planning to release new Macs later this year? Probably not, as we tend to get at least a handful of new Mac models most years. But what is more unexpected is the recently proposed idea that at least one “dramatic” redesign is on the way -- and we might already have an inkling of which Macs will get this special treatment.

This idea comes from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. Writing in the paid-for section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that Apple will bring out a range of new Macs in 2024 and 2025, giving almost the entire range a welcome refresh. This year we’ll see new versions of the MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, Gurman says. Following that, the MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro will be updated in 2025. Interestingly, that directly contradicts the recently floated possibility that the M4 MacBook Pro might have been pushed back to next year.

Read more
Your M3 MacBook Pro can finally connect to two displays
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

As spotted by the folks at iMore, the macOS Sonoma 14.6 update released on July 29 has added support for two external displays on the M3 MacBook Pro. People have been waiting for this since the M3 MacBook Air launched in March with this feature, and now it's finally here.

Apple confirmed its intentions to bring this update to the M3 MacBook Pro around the time the M3 Air launched, but it's unknown why it took so long. The feature shares the same limitation as the M3 Air -- you can only use two external displays while the laptop is closed. This is different from models using the M1 Pro, M2 Pro, or M3 Pro level chips that can handle two external monitors and the native display all at once.

Read more