Samsung ViewFinity S9 vs. Apple Studio Display: specs compared | Digital Trends

Samsung unveiled the ViewFinity S9 studio monitor in January at CES 2023. Several months later, we finally have official pricing and availability details. According to Samsung, customers will be able to purchase it starting in August at a starting price of $1,599.

Judging from the price and features, it is quite evident that Samsung has become a direct competitor to the Apple Studio Display. You get a similar 27-inch panel with 5K resolution along with impressive color reproduction capabilities. Even the design language and port selection are apparently inspired by Apple’s professional studio monitor.

Let’s take a look and compare the two premium monitors to see which one is better for the asking price.

Specifications

As you can see, most of the core features are very similar to the Apple Studio Display. However, the ViewFinity S9 offers an extra video port (Mini DisplayPort), a higher resolution webcam, and a matte panel that costs $300 more if you go for the Studio Display.

There’s also support for Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, and AirPlay so you can seamlessly use the display with compatible Apple products.

Project

Samsung’s ViewFinity S9 looks strikingly similar to the Apple Studio Display, featuring a slim industrial design with a light gray finish. In terms of thickness, the ViewFinity measures 17mm while the Studio Display comes in at 19mm. The ViewFinity S9 also offers an improved screen-to-body ratio with 7mm bezels at the top and sides and 13mm at the bottom. The Apple Studio display, on the other hand, offers uniform bezels at 13mm thick.

Apple has managed to have a built-in power supply, so you don’t need to make room for a power supply, unlike the ViewFinity S9 monitor that comes with an external adapter.

Samsung also includes a tilt and height adjustable stand with additional VESA mount support in case you don’t want to use the desk stand. Instead, Apple offers you the option to purchase the Studio Display with a standard stand, an adjustable stand, or a VESA mount, each sold separately for an additional cost.

Finally, the Studio Display features a built-in 12MP webcam with support for Center Stage, while Samsung’s offering features a detachable 4K camera that simply snaps to the top.

Image quality

While we haven’t tested the monitors side-by-side, both are expected to offer excellent image quality. Both monitors feature an IPS panel but the ViewFinity S9 features a matte finish which means it should be able to handle reflections much better than the Studio Display which comes with a glossy finish as standard. You can choose Nano-texture glass on the Studio Display, but it’s $300 more expensive. It’s important to note that having a matte display can potentially reduce brightness, overall contrast, and color vibrancy.

Speaking of vibrancy, the ViewFinity S9 and Studio Display both claim to offer a whopping 600 nits of brightness, which should be plenty bright for most users. There’s also support for 10-bit color and DCI-P3 gamut, while the Samsung monitor also provides HDR600 support, which Apple doesn’t. Either way, since these are IPS panels, so don’t expect the stellar HDR performance you’ll get in OLED or mini-LED displays.

You bring

The Samsung ViewFinity S9 is equipped with a Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB Type-C ports and a mini DisplayPort. It also comes with a control joystick to adjust settings. The Apple Studio Display, however, is limited in terms of port selection as you get a single Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB Type-C ports. Clearly, Samsung has the upper hand as you can connect two devices at the same time and switch between them. Notably, both monitors support power delivery of up to 90W via their respective Thunderbolt ports.

Additional features

As mentioned above, the Samsung ViewFinity S9 comes with a number of extra features. You get 5W stereo speakers, multiview (split screen) and support for Samsung DeX. There is also support for wireless connectivity. This lets you connect the monitor to speakers, keyboards, game controllers, and other peripherals via Bluetooth, or release content from compatible Apple devices via AirPlay.

There’s also built-in Wi-Fi and Tizen TV OS built into the monitor, giving you access to a variety of apps, including video streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and more. Using the supplied remote, you also get better access to controls and settings.

The Apple Studio Display comes with the company’s A13 Bionic chipset which offers support for Center Stage and Hey Siri. The monitor also comes with a six-speaker setup that supports spatial audio. The only user settings that can be accessed are through the operating system which allows brightness adjustment and volume control.

Which one to choose?

For its price, the ViewFinity S9 appears to offer much better value than the Apple Studio Display. If you are interested in more device compatibility, wireless connectivity and better access to settings, then the Samsung ViewFinity S9 should be your choice. It also works as a smart TV thanks to the Tizen TV operating system.

That said, image quality is something that requires extensive real-world testing and hopefully so we can’t make a final decision until we’ve tested both monitors side-by-side. At the very least, though, it looks like the ViewFinity S9 might have what it takes to compete with the Apple Studio Display.

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