Apple may be making standalone 4K monitors to match the iMac

We'll take two please.

If there's one gaping hole in Apple's line-up, it's a standalone display that doesn't cost $4,999 (without a stand). But according to a new rumour, that might change in 2022.

We've heard previous rumours that Apple is working on a display to go with its M1 Macs, but a new report sheds a little more light on what Apple has in mind. 

According to Twitter user Dylan, who has previously leaked accurate information about the 24-inch iMac and iPhone 13, LG is manufacturing two displays encased in unbranded enclosures for usage as external monitors that are in early development that have the same specifications as the upcoming 27-inch and current 24-inch iMac displays.

LG makes many of Apple's current displays, including the ProDisplay XDR, so based on the specs and the secrecy, it's likely that these are bound for use in an Apple product. Here's what Apple currently offers for iMac displays:

Credit: Apple

24-inch iMac

  • 4.5K Retina display
  • 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for one billion colours
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide colour (P3)
  • True Tone technology

27-inch iMac

  • 5K Retina display
  • 5120‑by‑2880 resolution with support for one billion colours
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide colour (P3)
  • True Tone technology

Dylan notes that the 27-inch model will likely feature mini-LED tech and ProMotion, as has been rumoured. If Apple offers two displays, it would be the first time since the Studio Display was axed in 2004 that the company sells two different monitor sizes and its first consumer display since 2016, when it discontinued the $999 Thunderbolt Display.

Credit: Twitter

Dylan also reports that LG is also working on a third display that will be an updated version of the 32-inch Pro Display XDR. He also says the display could feature a custom Apple silicon chip. The affordable monitors could have custom silicon as well, Dylan says, though he found no such references to chips in those models.

It's not clear at all from the report what these monitors will look like, but if Apple is indeed making them, it's entirely possible that they could have a similar style to the iMac, with a very thin case and several colours options. 

Previous rumours have suggested that Apple could launch a standalone display in 2022 alongside the new Mac Pro or redesigned Mac mini.