- [Jeff] Should you pay $500
for the nano texture display option on the new iMac?
We'll talk about it on this week's episode
of back to the Mac.
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- [Jeff] So for the first time,
the 27 inch iMac,
gets a new nano texture glass display option.
Now this display option used to be exclusive
to the $5,000 Pro Display XDR.
And to add the nano display option on the XDR,
it costs $1,000,
but here on the iMac, it's just $500.
I say just like that's not a lot of money.
$500 is still a lot of money.
Now when you purchase the 27 inch iMac
with the nano texture glass option,
you'll notice something different in the design by Apple
in California packet.
And that's this right here.
You get a special cleaning cloth,
specifically designed for the nano texture glass.
Now it's important that you use this special cleaning cloth
when cleaning your display,
because otherwise you could damage the nano texture glass.
So very important that you use only this cleaning cloth.
So next to the $500 price premium
for the nano texture glass,
that brings us to sort of the second downside
for the nano texture display,
and that is you have to be a little bit more delicate
when it comes to cleaning it,
but there is one huge upside to the nano texture glass,
and you probably already figured it out.
You see those lights, they're very bright
and they cause a lot of reflection
you could see in the background,
my standard glass iMac see that reflection,
but notice the nano texture glass,
notice how it scatters the light, it diffuses it.
So it isn't nearly as reflective as the standard glass.
And that's the real benefit of this nano texture display.
You'll notice that even on the bezels,
the nano texture has been applied.
So you don't even get reflections on the bezels,
which can cause quite a distraction on the standard glass.
The only part where you'll notice that a reflection
is of course the camera,
because obviously the camera needs full clarity.
Now that's not to say there's no reflections.
Obviously there are gonna be reflections there,
but they are significantly reduced when compared
to the standard glass.
And that's the real benefit of this $500 option.
So if you're in an environment
where you cannot control the ambient light,
maybe you have sunlight coming and hitting your display,
there's no way to control that sunlight,
this is a great option.
As you can see here from my flashlight,
it is definitely scattering that light
and you can see how much reflectivity
is in the standard glass on the left
compared to the nano texture glass on the right.
So the nano texture is not your typical matte coating,
which makes it real hazy
and reduces contrast significantly.
No, the texture is etched directly
into the glass at the nanometer level to help scatter light
while preserving relatively good contrast and image quality.
But there are some downsides that we'll talk about.
The first downside like we already discussed
is the $500 premium.
So you're gonna have to pay $500
on top of whatever iMac configuration you choose.
So that is not like a drop in the bucket.
That's a lot of money to be paying
for this nano texture display option.
You could actually throw that $500
towards your iMac in general and upgrade
to the high end standard configuration
that Apple offers.
Now granted, it's not like the $1,000 price premium
that you have to pay for the Pro Display XDR.
If you want a nano texture display option there,
be prepared to pay six grand instead of five grand
for that Pro Display XDR.
So, obviously this is a much more palatable price
to pay for the nano texture glass here on the iMac.
But the question is it really worth it for you
in your particular use case scenario?
For some people it will absolutely be worth it.
If you're working like I said,
in a place where you can't control ambient light
is absolutely worth it.
I mean, just look right here,
you can see how reduced the reflections are
when compared to the standard glass.
However, I'm willing to say that probably
most people that purchase an iMac
are able to control the ambient lighting
at least to a reasonable degree
to where the standard glass works.
In fact, in that case,
the standard glass is actually more ideal in my opinion.
Not only does it save you money,
but you retain the utmost in clarity, in contrast.
As good as the nano texture display is
when compared to traditional matte displays,
you will still notice a little bit of haze
in a little bit of blurriness
for the lack of a better descriptor,
with that nano texture glass
when compared to the standard glossy glass.
And that's the reason besides the fact
that you have to pay more attention to cleaning it,
besides the fact that you have to pay $500 premium,
but it's just not as nice to look at,
and the text isn't exactly as tack sharp
as it is on that glossy display.
So in other words,
unless you fall into the category of where you
I mean are just battling reflections left and right,
don't fall for the marketing or the buzzwords,
get yourself the standard glass and save yourself some cash.
You could see the clarity difference there,
it is subtle, but it's there.
Here's the nano texture glass
and here's the glossy glass.
The nano texture glass is definitely the option you want,
if you're perhaps finding that the reflections
are giving you things like eye strain
and that's leading the headaches and things of that nature.
For those users without question,
go with the nano texture glass.
Pay the $500, it's worth it for your comfort.
And there will be some that just prefer
the nano texture glass period.
But after using these two machines side by side,
I can say that I definitely prefer the standard glossy glass
over the nano texture glass.
What do you guys think?
Lemme know down below in the comments,
this is Jeff with 9to5Mac.