Samsung on Tuesday introduced an update to its Smart Monitor M8, a standalone computer display. For customers looking for a high-res display but can’t afford the Apple 5K Studio Display, the Smart Monitor M8 is an attractive option (on paper) if you’re willing to make some compromises.

For $700 (32″) or $650 (27″), the M8 will be available in June. It has the following characteristics:

• Resolution 4K @ 60 Hz (non-variable)
• brightness 400 nits
• Contrast 3000:1
• HDR 10+
• Color gamut 99% sRGB
• HDMI 2.0; two USB-A ports; one USB-C port (65W)
• Two 5W speakers.

Apple Studio Display is better for content creation because it supports P3 color gamut, has higher brightness and True Tone. The studio display also features a more robust sound system, a built-in webcam, and optional nano-textured glass. But as an affordable general purpose display, the M8 fits the bill, and then some – it has Samsung’s SmartTV features that allow the display to do double duty as a standalone entertainment center. SmartTV includes video streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, and it also has built-in support for Bixby and Amazon Alexa.

The M8 supports AirPlay so you can stream from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. If you’re using the M8 as a Mac display, AirPlay support might not be a big deal, but it’s a handy feature.

Twin iMac

Let’s finally address the elephant in the room: the M8 looks like an iMac. It doesn’t have a chin like the iMac, but the stand (which is height-adjustable, swivel and tilt, and swivel) looks like the iMac. The M8 is even available in four colors that perfectly match the iMac color palette. In fact, I wish Apple designed the iMac to be more like the M8.

At 11.38mm body thickness, the M8 is slightly thinner than the iMac’s 11.5mm, but I’d be willing to make the iMac thicker if it helps eliminate the chin, as well as fit the iMac’s six high-quality speakers with strength. – disable bass.

Samsung has taken a design decision that most users will disagree with: an external webcam that attaches magnetically to the top of the display. This is a compromise made in order to keep the top bezel thin. Apple gets around this on its MacBooks by adding a notch, but on iMacs and Studio Displays, the top bezel is larger. Why not make a notch on the iMac?

Apple’s 24-inch iMac is only two years old, so it won’t be redesigned anytime soon. But there have been rumors that Apple is developing a replacement for the 27-inch iMac or iMac Pro; a larger iMac that is a step up from the current iMac. It would be great if Apple didn’t just take the current iMac and make it bigger, but offer a design option similar to the Samsung M8. It would be an iMac to get really excited about.