You may remember the rumors about an Apple display with its own GPU which appeared in 2016, something that would allow a demanding panel (like the current Apple Pro Display XDR) to be connected to a Mac that doesn’t have enough graphics power to run all of its pixels. It would be something like a “self-supporting screen”.
Well now 9to5Mac exclusively has new data that talks about this screen again, but specifying what it would take a dedicated A13 Bionic chip inside. The model code for this product would be J327, according to the source.
A smart display doesn’t have to be a computer
Right now, Apple has its own screen, the XDR Pro Display, with 6K resolution and a very high quality panel. The problem: it is very expensive and is aimed at the most demanding professional sector. A display with its own chip wouldn’t be the cheapest thing in the world either, but depending on the panel, price adjustments may apply
This A13 Bionic chip could also work with the Apple Silicon chip of the Mac we connect it to, in order to combine the powers of both chips and get more overall performance from the CPU and GPU. It occurs to me: a screen with an A13 Bionic chip wouldn’t be more or less … a Mac? Or a very large iPad? As everything is the same architecture, the possibilities would be wide
For now, the source informs that Apple’s plans may change, but having a product code already means there must be prototypes being tested in Apple Park labs.
