The Trend of 5K, 6K External Monitors for Mac - Competing in Apple's Own Arena

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4K monitors are gradually stabilizing in terms of price, leaving the high-end segment behind.

Apple Accelerates the Trend of 5K Monitors

Will 5K become as popular as 4K displays?

Interim Commitment

The market for 4K computer monitors has reached saturation in terms of both price and features, with 4K monitors from reputable brands available for just over 8 million. Additionally, the diversity of specifications and ratios of 4K monitors has become widespread, leading to a lack of appeal in this market segment and it is now entering a state of saturation. Therefore, it is time for 5K, and even 6K monitors to start receiving attention from manufacturers.

Recently, at CES 2023, the introduction of 5K and even 6K resolution monitors from [manufacturer] has been observed. These monitors, designed for deep-pocketed users, offer a variety of features, convenience, and stunning designs that are expected to directly compete with the high-end duo of Apple Pro Display XDR and [another manufacturer]'s 6K and 5K monitors, which were previously rare in the market.

Apple now faces competition in its own monopoly market.

4K monitors are gradually stabilizing in terms of price, leaving the high-end segment behind.

4K monitors are becoming increasingly affordable and accessible to mainstream users. It's true that it has been many years since manufacturers have optimized the production process of panels and introduced a variety of 4K monitor variants to meet different gaming, viewing, and graphic design needs with diverse color and image specifications to cover various price segments. However, currently, most 4K monitors are limited to the range of 20-30 million VND, leaving a huge gap in the high-end monitor segment, where Apple seems to be making waves.

The attention and preference for 5K monitors are not only due to the saturation of 4K monitors but also related to the increasing popularity of Mac computers - coming from the manufacturer who favors 5K over 4K: .

The stagnation of 4K is also the time for 5K to be noticed.

Previously, the 5K monitor market was only endorsed by Apple since 2014, but unfortunately, unlike the trends Apple creates, the 5K monitor was only used exclusively by the company for many years until 2016 when LG finally paid attention to producing 5K monitors for computers, but it was only because of Apple's matchmaking and sales on the Apple Store that the company agreed to do so.

Dell also once produced 5K monitors, but they disappeared, and besides, there were no other prominent mainstream 5K monitor launches. Perhaps about 8 - 4 years ago, the 5K monitor market was quite selective, with only Mac products supported. Meanwhile, the 4K monitor standard was still considered something too high and not many appreciated the difference between 4K and 5K monitors.

Dell used to make 5K monitors, but they weren't attractive at the time.

However, at the current time, especially after Apple introduced Macs with ARM chips, thanks to stability, good performance, reasonable prices, and above all, the Apple brand, M1 and now M2 Mac models are becoming increasingly popular and selling well. and have been the best-selling laptops in the world, in addition to the popular Mac Mini. The resurgence of Mac computers is seen as a golden signal for 5K monitor manufacturers.

Apple Accelerates the Trend of 5K Monitors

Even manufacturers of external monitors, despite being competitors of Apple, are still paying attention to the monitor market for Macs, especially as Apple's computers are developing market share, holding 13.5% of the global market in 2022 and still showing growth according to the development cycle of Macs and M-series chips.

Alongside the development of Mac computers, there are always accompanying accessories and devices, such as ,... and next up will be monitors with 5K and 6K resolutions to serve Mac users. Previously, Mac users, especially those using , when they wanted to use an external monitor, they would be constrained in not very pleasant choices.

The first option is to use a Full HD or 2K monitor to get output with default display resolution but endure the 'grainy' view on sizes 27 inches and above, or use a 4K monitor on sizes 27 inches and accept that macOS will output at a low pixel density, not meeting Retina standards. From here, issues arise regarding image scaling.

Mac isn't optimized for outputting images on 4K monitors

Users will have to choose between using 1080p display resolution on a 4K monitor, but in return, they won't have enough display space, or they will have to choose scaled resolution for macOS to automatically increase the display resolution to 5K and then decrease it to 4K to

Displaying full resolution but impacting GPU and causing text or lines to blur.

The above issues of 4K monitors larger than 27 inches can be resolved by switching to a 5K or 6K display. In this case, the Mac will automatically select the correct HiDPI display resolution, resulting in better, wider, and no manual adjustment required as on a 4K monitor. This ensures sharper, wider output from Mac to 5K screens, reducing GPU load from continuous display resolution processing as on a 4K monitor.

A 5K monitor will ensure high-quality image output on large screens.

Thus, previously, only Apple produced 6K 32-inch monitors, 5K 27-inch monitors, and collaborated with LG to optimize 5K monitors for Mac to meet macOS display standards for achieving Retina standards. However, now Samsung and Dell have introduced more options for external monitors on MacBook, especially with the current increase in Mac sales and market share, other manufacturers will certainly continue the wave of 5K monitors.

Read more: [CES 2023] Dell challenges Apple Pro Display XDR with new UltraSharp 32-inch 6K monitor, Thunderbolt 4 support, 140W charging,...
Read more: [CES 2023] Samsung introduces new ViewFinity S9 5K monitor to compete with Apple and LG

Will 5K become as popular as 4K displays?

5K resolution displays larger than 27 inches are projected to show signs of growth. According to

MENAFN

, 5K resolution displays are expected to become popular after 4K displays have reached their limit. Additionally, the demand for high-resolution content consumption is predicted to increase based on content development and transmission quality. Moreover, the development and production speed of 5K display panels will reach optimal levels at lower costs as manufacturers focus on this resolution. Especially with Samsung and LG - renowned display panel manufacturers - introducing their own 5K external display products.

Beyond Mac users leading the 5K trend, computer and device users on other platforms will not overlook this trend. Particularly with the increasing demand for large displays and multi-monitor usage today. The larger and wider the screen, the higher the resolution, meeting the needs of multitasking.

The 5K display market will grow, sooner or later.

Looking back at the computer monitor usage trends, previously, 20-inch monitors were considered sufficient, but now the market mostly favors 24 and 27-inch displays. Even 32-inch displays, once deemed too large, are now receiving attention and seeing increased production from manufacturers. Therefore, regardless of the platform, the demand for larger monitors is growing, with higher resolution standards like 5K or 6K becoming commonplace in the future.

Interim Commitment

The diversity in the number of models of 5K resolution monitors is certain to happen, as user experience demands continue to rise, especially among high-end users who want to enjoy large-sized high-resolution displays. The 5K monitor market is almost certain to flourish in the coming years.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences between 4K and 5K monitors?

5K monitors offer higher pixel density and sharper visuals compared to 4K monitors. For Mac users, 5K monitors meet Retina standards, providing better scaling and image clarity, especially on larger screens like 27 inches and above.

Why are 5K monitors becoming more popular than 4K?

5K monitors are gaining popularity due to the saturation of the 4K market and the increasing demand from Mac users, particularly those using M-series Macs. 5K monitors provide superior resolution and better compatibility with macOS.

Are 5K and 6K monitors only for Mac users?

No, while 5K and 6K monitors are widely adopted by Mac users, they are increasingly being used across other platforms as well. Their larger screens and high resolution meet the growing demand for multitasking and large display setups.

How does a 5K monitor benefit Mac users compared to 4K monitors?

A 5K monitor ensures that Mac users experience better scaling and resolution without manual adjustments. It eliminates the 'grainy' effect on larger screens and reduces GPU load caused by resolution scaling, unlike 4K monitors.

What factors are driving the production of 5K monitors?

The increasing popularity of Macs, growing demand for high-resolution content, and advancements in panel production are driving 5K monitor production. Major manufacturers like Samsung and LG are focusing on releasing more 5K models.

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