FIRST LOOK: Apple’s New Nano-Textured Glass – Is it Worth It?

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Minimum glare. Maximum detail. First seen on the Pro Display XDR, the nano-texture glass option on the 27‑inch iMac is a game-changer for workspaces with sunlight, direct light, or changing lighting conditions. Unlike typical matte display coatings, the nano-texture is etched into the glass at the nanometer level. This reduces glare while preserving contrast, for jaw-dropping image quality.

This is how Apple describes its new nano-textured glass. Sounds impressive, right? We thought so too and decided to take it one step further to pull the screen off and show what it looks like directly on top of the new 2020 iMac without the new technology.

I’ll have to admit that I didn’t even know this was being done in our studio Until I received this email from our Lead Photographer, Tom Voegeli:

Team,

I just photographed the Nano-texture display on top of an iMac with ordinary glass. The glass is really dark, absorbing light like velvet. It’s darker than its own shadow. Unlike previous matte screens, this does not have a frosty look that washes out dark tone, mutes highlights, or softens the image. The image looks razor-sharp, and with zero reflections of non-light sources, it’s almost surreal. To the touch, it has a barely perceptible texture, perhaps like black anodized aluminum. Working on this screen in a windowed patio or a room with skylights should be no problem. You can probably work with this screen outdoors.

See attached photos.

This screen makes me want to buy a new iMac for myself. Plotting how to afford this $500 option is easy — just don’t buy Apple’s RAM upgrades.

Stay safe,

Tom Voegeli
Lead Photographer

What the frick? He’s completely correct. Fantastic description (and a very smooth way to plug OWC memory at the end).


Apple’s new nano-textured glass laying on top of the standard 2020 iMax 27″ to contrast the difference.

Side-by-side, you can actually see the reflective differences between the two screens. The best part of this photo? The “right?” look on Matt’s face…



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