Samsung Smart Monitor M8 vs Apple Studio Display

Samsung announced a competing display a few weeks after Apple released the Studio Display. How does this new Smart Monitor M8 fare, if we compare it to Apple’s Studio Display? You can read it in this article.

Samsung vs Apple: Displays for the creative person

Both Samsung and Apple released a high-end screen this month. Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 has yet to officially hit the market, but we’ve gathered all the information to compare these two displays. Are you looking for a display for creative work? Then read our comparison of the Studio Display and the Smart Monitor M8 and find out which one suits you best!

The design: both eyes come out of Apple’s sleeve

The displays have a similar design; clean edges, a single foot and a solid housing. We often see these kinds of design choices emerging in Apple’s design studio. It is not entirely illogical that the Studio Display looks exactly like this. However, this is a bit more striking for the Smart Monitor M8 from Samsung. It seems that the tech giant from South Korea has somewhat copied Apple’s flawless design. Do you blame them?

The big difference in design is in the color choice. Samsung’s monitor is available in four colors (white, blue, green and pink), while Apple’s Studio Display is only available in silver. You pay almost 100 euros extra if you want Samsung’s cool colors. The base of Samsung’s display is included and can move up and down and tilt. At Apple you pay an additional cost (about 400 euros) if you want an additional foot that changes the orientation. What is striking about the Studio Display is that the power supply can only be removed with special tools.

The display: high stakes, high specs

Of course, the comparison of the specifications of both displays is the most important. Both screens have a refresh rate of 60Hz and can display no less than a billion different colors. Okay, those were all the similarities. Here are the many differences.

At 32 inches, the Smart Monitor M8 is slightly larger than the Studio Display, but it sacrifices image quality. The 5K resolution (5210×2880) of Apple’s 27-inch display makes for an impressive 218 pixel-per-inch (ppi). Samsung’s screen may be larger, but the UHD 4K resolution (3840 × 2160) and the 32-inch provide only 138 ppi. That’s almost half less!

In addition, the P3-color classification of the Studio Display ensures that what you want to print is correctly displayed on the screen. This is ideal for the designers among us. With the 99% SRGB classification you have sufficient representation of the colors by Samsung, but it is not 1-to-1. Apple’s display is also much better in terms of brightness; the 600 nits are one and a half times as bright as the 400 nits of the Smart Monitor M8. Apple’s display is therefore really made for the professional designer, illustrator and photographer.

Both monitors can handle reflections from windows and lights in your room. At Apple you pay about 300 euros more to add an anti-reflective layer. However, this is not necessary in many situations. Samsung’s display scores much better on one aspect: the viewing angle. Apple’s Studio Display can only be viewed well at an angle of 122 degrees, while you can still see Samsung’s monitor at an angle of 178 degrees.

Apple vs Samsung: other features in the displays

Both the Smart Monitor M8 and the Studio Display come with a webcam. Apple’s 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens is built into the screen, while Samsung’s Full HD camera is included separately. Both webcams are nothing to write home about, but they do have interesting functions.

They follow you and calculate where you stand; this way you are always in the center of the screen during a video call. Apple calls this CenterSamsung has the name here Magnetic SlimFit Face Tracking for made up.

Both monitors contain speakers. Samsung’s are left and right only and will not deliver the very best sound quality. The speakers at the bottom of the Studio Display have Dolby Atmos surround sound and subwoofers. In terms of pure sound quality, Apple will come out better.

The price: Studio Display and Smart Monitor M8

The biggest difference is in the price. It is much cheaper to get Samsung’s latest monitor. This one has a suggested retail price of 799 euros† The price of the Studio Display is almost 1000 euros higher and starts at 1779 euros† If you want glass with a ‘nano texture’ so that it is anti-reflective, you pay immediately 2029 euros† The tiltable and height-adjustable stand has an additional cost of 460 euros†

Do you want the best of the best and are you a professional who values ​​a 1-to-1 rendering of your illustrations, videos and photos? Then Apple’s Studio Display, no matter how expensive it is, is a good choice. Is this less important to you? Then it is very wise to save at least 1000 euros and go for Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8. With this display you definitely get value for money.