Apple may be planning a new, more independent Mac display

Apple may be planning a new display with a custom Apple silicon chip — similar to the A13-powered Studio Display — that would allow it to be gain behavior that’s completely independent of the Mac, such as the ability to act as a smart display when not in use, said Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the subscriber-only version of his Power On newsletter today.

Rumors have swirled about Apple’s display plans for a little while. For instance, the company may be working on a 27-inch mini-LED display and a follow-up to the pricey Apple Pro Display XDR, with the ability to summon Siri built into the displays themselves, possibly.

The new smart display capability sounds a lot like the StandBy feature coming in iOS 17 later this year. StandBy lets iPhones serve as smart displays when they’re plugged into power and turned horizontally. The feature is partially reminiscent of an alarm clock, and dimming the screen to a dull red at night when you’re sleeping, while also adding glanceable widgets and smart home control right from StandBy.

Interestingly, the feature, or something very like it, was first rumored for the iPad late last year, but Apple didn’t announce it for its tablets at WWDC 2023. Whether it will come in future versions of iPadOS 17 remains to be seen.