Following a complaint and subsequent review by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK, Apple has changed the marketing for its $5,000 Pro Display XDR. Per 9to5Mac, the ASA asked Apple to remove the term 'Far beyond HDR' from its marketing materials for its flagship display, a request which Apple abided, at least in the UK.
In the US, the phrase 'Far beyond HDR' remains live.
The phrase 'Far beyond HDR' has become a sticking point because some customers believe it's misleading. The Pro Display XDR displays 99% of the P3 wide color gamut, and complaints have alleged that the term 'Far beyond HDR' suggests that the display shows 100% of the P3 color gamut.
On Apple's US store, the term 'Far beyond HDR' remains present.
In response to the complaints, Apple has taken two steps. It has removed 'Far beyond HDR' from its UK website, as mentioned. Still, Apple has also added a footnote following the sentence, 'A P3 wide color gamut provides a color palette capable of creating the most vibrant imagery. ' This footnote corresponds to small text at the bottom of the product page, which states, 'Pro Display XDR supports 99% of the P3 wide color gamut. ' No such footnote currently exists on the product page in the US.
On the other hand, in the UK, the term 'Far beyond HDR' has been removed.
The ASA has also taken issue with Apple's claim that its XDR display has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. As of now, that claim remains on Apple's website. 9 to 5 Mac reports that Apple is having independent tests completed, which Apple hopes will corroborate its contrast ratio claim.
As you can see in this screenshot from Apple's US store, there's no footnote about color space performance on the Pro Display XDR's product page.
On the ASA's website, the complaint against Apple is listed as informally resolved. Since the complaints were in the UK, they have no impact on Apple's obligations in other markets.
When Apple first announced the Pro Display XDR in 2019, the California-based company made many lofty claims. Some of them can be verified, such as claims about color space and contrast ratio, while others are more difficult to confirm.
In the UK, however, the text in the 'Show your truest colors' section now includes a footnote that corresponds to the text, 'Pro Display XDR supports 99% of the P3 wide color gamut. ' Click to enlarge.
For example, Apple says the Pro Display XDR is the 'world's best pro display. ' What does that even mean? It likely means something different to different users. For what it's worth, reviews for the display have been generally very positive, with many claiming that the display features incredible build quality and fantastic performance.
Apple's popularity and position mean that the company attracts a lot of attention, not all of it positive. The company is no stranger to complaints, investigations and general government oversight across the many markets it operates. It's merely part of doing business, big business in Apple's case. Does Apple's Pro Display XDR go 'far beyond HDR?' Well, I guess that depends on who, or rather, where you ask.
. dpreview.com2021-4-13 19:27
