If the Studio Display is a little too rich for your budget, Samsung’s newest monitor might be an attractive alternative. It has the colors of an iMac, is bigger than a Studio Display, comes with a height-adjustable stand and a camera that tilts, and supports AirPlay 2.
At first glance, the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 looks a lot like an iMac. It has extremely skinny black bezels on the top and sides—far skinnier than the 24-inch iMac and Studio Display—and a thin strip below the screen in one of four colors: white, pink, blue, and green.
The hues are extremely pale and look nearly identical to the corresponding iMac colors. The stand is also very Apple-like, with a wide base that matches the chosen color and a hole for cable management.
The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 has iMac looks and Studio Display features.
Samsung
As far as the display, it measures 32 inches versus the Studio Display’s 27 inches and has a 3,840×2,160 resolution as compared to the 5K screen on the Studio Display (5120×2880). It features HDR 10+ (which isn’t available on the Studio Display) and automatically adjusts its brightness and color temperature based on the surrounding light.
The M8 doesn’t have a built-in camera, but comes with a 1080p SlimFit camera that attaches to the back of the monitor. In addition to face-tracking and auto-zoom (like Center Stage), the camera is tiltable so you can get the angle you want. And while it doesn’t have Spatial Audio, you do get 2.2-channel built-in 5W speakers for “richer, more realistic sounds” as well as upgraded Adaptive Sound+ that “adjusts sound based on the type of content and noise levels within a user’s environment.”
It also has some features that the Studio Display doesn’t have. It doesn’t need to connect to a Mac to work, letting you browse the web, edit documents and work on projects without the need for a separate PC. You can also access streaming apps and connect to your Mac remotely using Samsung’s Workspace User Interface. It also supports AirPlay 2 for streaming from an iPhone or iPad.
Samsung’s M8 monitor is available for reservation for $700 (white) or $730 (pink, blue, or green). Samsung hasn’t said when it plans to begin shipping the displays.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.