Back last month, Apple held a keynote to reveal some interesting products. The company introduced new iPads, the new iPhone SE 5G, and also an intriguing Studio Display. The latter was basically a display with the hardware of an iPhone and even runs a modified version of iOS 15.4. The device has some semblances with the panel that Apple used in the iMac 27-inch from 2014. According to a report from 9to5Mac, YouTuber Luke Miani decided to further explore these similarities between the two products. He went forward to transform an iMac 27-inch into a Studio display. According to him, the result is impressive, and the final product cost half of the Studio Display. The YouTuber explained his reasons for the project:
“Apple’s new Studio Display is a very interesting product, but at $1,599 it’s arguably terrible. But since there are so few monitors that offer 5K resolution on a 27-inch, that’s not a good idea for some people. It’s the only option. But if you don’t want to spend $1600 on an Apple Studio Display, you can make it yourself!”
The obvious solution is to use Target Display Mode. It’s a feature that lets you use your iMac as an external display for another mac. However, with the release of macOS Mojave, Apple discontinued this feature, and it was never supported by Retina iMacs. Taking this in Mind, Miani set out to convert a 2014 iMac into a standalone, full-fledged external monitor for $600. This process involves completely dismantling the iMac. It requires the user to remove the front panel of the iMac. After this hard process, Miani had to find the right adapter t actually connect the iMac.
The finished product is really impressive. There is even a USB Type-C connector, and the iMac’s built-in webcam is fully functional. The total cost of the project was $829. This is basically half the price of the Studio Display. However, you’ll still miss certain features like the P3 color gamut. However, in the end, it’s an impressive work that saves a good chunky of money.
It’s an interesting project, that shows that there are also enthusiasts and modders on the Apple side of the coin. To recall, back in the last month, a modder decided to boost the iPhone 13 capabilities with a new cooling engine, a larger battery, and a USB Type C port.
