Apple is said to be planning to release a new Studio Display this year, and it has again been rumored that the monitor’s maximum refresh rate will be 90Hz.
In November 2024, an anonymous listener of the Relay FM technology podcast “Upgrade” claimed that Apple was developing 90Hz display technology that could be used for the next Studio Display, as well as future iPad Air and iMac models. This higher refresh rate would make videos and scrolling look smoother, but 90Hz would stop short of the 120Hz refresh rate that ProMotion-enabled iPhones, iPads, and Macs can achieve.
Now, a MacRumors a tipster backed up this claim based on alleged information from an internal iOS 26 build leaked online. Indeed, they believe the next Studio Display will likely max out at 90Hz instead of 120Hz.
Current Apple devices typically have refresh rates up to 60Hz or 120Hz, so 90Hz would be unusual for Apple. However, while there is no explicit confirmation, the tipster claimed that multiple code strings and references to the display controller in iOS 26 internals suggest that the next Studio Display will have a maximum frequency of 90Hz.
The tipster believes a 90Hz refresh rate would make sense for bandwidth reasons. Thunderbolt 5 can support 5K resolution at 120Hz without any compression, but it is thought that Apple probably wants to ensure there is enough remaining bandwidth to connect other devices and peripherals to the new Studio Display.
The current Studio Display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
Apple plans to release a new version of Studio Display “in the first half of 2026,” according to the latest from Bloombergis Mark Gurman.
Last month, an unreleased Apple monitor with the model number A3350 appeared in a Chinese regulatory database and is believed to be the Studio Display 2.
There have been many reports that a new Studio Display is in the works, with features said to include mini-LED backlighting, higher refresh rates of up to 90Hz or 120Hz, HDR support, and an A19 or A19 Pro chip.
For now, this rumor still requires some skepticism. Additionally, the internal build of iOS 26 is from early 2025, so Apple’s plans may have changed since then.