As someone who will replace my 27″ iMac some time this year, I really think Apple prioritizing the separate 27″ Studio Display makes a ton of sense. When I bought this iMac 7 years ago, three things were true about Intel MacBook Pros:

1. They were noisy (compared to the iMac)
2. They weren’t great in clamshell mode
3. External I/O couldn’t even support 5k displays

While I certainly welcomed less fan noise, I bought this iMac primarily for the display and wager most of those who bought it did so for that same reason. That said, most customers don’t buy iMacs. They buy laptops.

I think Apple’s Mac hardware releases over the last three years could be fairly described as a course correction. These Apple Studio Displays are undoubtedly part of that course correction. Apple’s mistake was not selling this display in 2016, when Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pros were released. They left money on the table for 6 years(!) by limiting arguably the best high-end¹ non-gaming display to a relatively niche desktop line. These new Studio Displays connect to every Mac that Apple sells, including laptops. It’s a peripheral that is equally suited for those who only need the power of a $999 MacBook Air as much as it is for those who need a maxed out $8000 Mac Studio. Furthermore, thanks to Apple Silicon, MacBooks connected to this display will be whisper quiet and work just as well as if it were integrated, regardless of whether they are in clamshell mode or not.

Even before yesterday’s announcement, I had decided to replace this iMac with a laptop. Now that decision is a no brainer.