While iPhones, AirPods, and MacBooks have become ubiquitous, the company's monitors remain niche products for high-end professionals and those with plenty of cash, except for those built into iMacs. The Pro Display XDR is priced at a minimum of $4,999, but you can add another $1,000 if you need nanotextured glass, and another $999 if you need the Pro Stand.

In 2022, however, Apple could take a tentative step toward more consumer-friendly pricing, says well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Garman writes that he expects Apple's next external monitor to appear "within the next year" and that it is "destined to be about half the price of the Pro Display XDR," no matter when it appears.

This is not the first time Garman has discussed the possibility of Apple producing a lower-priced screen in his newsletter; in December he wrote that such a product would be "a great way to get a new MacBook without spending the equivalent of a down payment on a luxury car on the Pro Display XDR He wrote that such a product could "become a hot seller for those looking to add a larger screen to their Pro without spending the equivalent of a down payment on a luxury car.

More encouragingly, Gurman said that inexpensive monitors need not be much weaker than the superior Pro Display XDR. He writes, "At this point, the cost of manufacturing that monitor is probably going down, and with a few tweaks and perhaps a slight reduction in brightness, Apple may be able to reach a similar quality monitor (in a slightly smaller size) for perhaps about half the price."

As for smaller sizes, leaker dylandkt last month claimed that Apple is working with LG to produce monitors in three different sizes, with 24-inch, 27-inch, and 32-inch panels being mentioned.

The latter of these, the tipster claimed, could have its own on-board chip: "There seems to be a reference to custom silicon driving the 32-inch display," the leaker wrote. This has been rumored for some time, with the possibility of A13 power and a neural engine being suggested in July.

To be clear, the price drop to $2,500 is still very expensive; if you are looking for something more competitive to pair with your Mac mini or as an external screen for your MacBook, be sure to check out our list of the best monitors available today

For a list of the best monitors currently available, please see.