Apple's support document says the Pro Display XDR with the optional nano-texture glass can only be cleaned with a special Apple-provided cloth

Apple's new Pro Display XDR comes with an optional nano-texture glass, which is etched at the nanometer level to cut down on reflectivity and glare for a matte look.

MacRumors 2019-12-11 Juli Clover

Context & Ripple Effects

When Apple unveiled the $4,999 Pro Display XDR in June 2019, the nano-texture glass was pitched as a pro feature — nanometer-level etching that kills glare for color-critical work. The new support document adds a catch the launch materials didn't surface: that etched surface can only be cleaned with a special Apple-provided cloth, making the finish's upkeep dependent on Apple itself.

That constraint sits awkwardly next to Apple's own later guidance: in March 2020 the company said disinfectant wipes are fine for nonporous surfaces like displays, leaving nano-texture owners as the exception to the company-wide cleaning rule.

First-order effects

Buyers who paid the nano-texture premium on a $4,999-plus reference monitor are locked into a single Apple-supplied consumable — any other cloth or cleaner risks damaging the etched coating, with no third-party alternative sanctioned by Apple.
Apple's support staff gain a hard line to hold: nano-texture damage claims can be deflected to improper cleaning rather than product defect.

Second-order effects

Apple's March 2020 disinfectant-wipes guidance, issued for hygiene reasons across its lineup, effectively carves nano-texture out — forcing owners to choose between sanitizing their workspace gear and preserving the matte finish warranty position.
Aftermarket makers of screen cloths and cleaning kits cannot serve this segment without Apple's blessing, ceding the care-and-maintenance attach market on Apple's most expensive display entirely to Apple.

Third-order effects

If the pattern holds into successors like the $3,299 Studio Display XDR generation, premium Apple hardware increasingly ships with vendor-only qualified consumables — a small but structural extension of the lock-in model from software ecosystems to physical upkeep.
For pro buyers weighing Apple against reference-monitor rivals, total cost of ownership now includes proprietary maintenance, a factor competitors with standard anti-glare coatings don't have to price in.

The trend: Premium hardware vendors are extending ecosystem lock-in beyond apps and accessories into the care and consumables required to keep flagship products usable.

Discussion

@romiem Rohit on x
Apple's XDR display with nanoglass (+$1000) can only be cleaned with an Apple cloth. “Never use any other cloths to clean the nano-texture glass. If you lose the included polishing cloth, you can contact Apple to order a replacement polishing cloth.” https://support.apple.com/...…
@storagezilla Mark Twomey on x
You need an Apple specific cleaning cloth to clean your new Pro Display. There's a support article. If you lose yours you're told to contact support. https://support.apple.com/...
@jsnell Jason Snell on x
Trivia note: Apple's roundtable with press in which it recommitted to the Mac and admitted that the trash can Mac Pro would have to be replaced was 980 days ago. So close!
@wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x
“We really need to get a Mac Pro. Our build step has been slow to crawl lately...” https://twitter.com/...
@tapbot_paul Paul Haddad on x
The Mac Pro truly is the perfect machine for creators who get 28 core $40k machines for free from Apple.
@reedalbergotti Reed Albergotti on x
Configured my new Mac Pro with all the best components and added a new Apple monitor. The more expensive version is still “coming soon.” pic.twitter.com/WkYx16SYi8
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
The Mac Pro is live and you can spend $25,000 on 1.5 TB of RAM if you want to pic.twitter.com/sc8vtnCoJ8
@ismh Stephen Hackett on x
The iMac Pro is noticeably absent on this list: https://www.apple.com/... pic.twitter.com/idUEIA5rmN
@matthewkeyslive Matthew Keys on x
Apple now makes a $53,000 computer — and you still have to buy the display separately. https://www.theverge.com/... The bulk of the expenses there appears to be RAM: 1.5TB of RAM will cost $25k.
@jodiecongirl Jodi Beggs on x
I don't know how much this stuff is supposed to cost nowadays but the $400 wheels part isn't a great signal https://twitter.com/...
@appabend451 Appabend on x
I'm still amazed that they can pack in 28 cores CPU, 1.5TB of RAM two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo (that's 4 GPU basically)... ... but only 4TB SSD. Like bruh, even I have that and I'm not some industry giant. https://twitter.com/...
@timsoret Tim Soret on x
$52k for accelerating a bottleneck in a business working on million-dollars projects is actually reasonable. For this price, you have 28 cores, 1.5TB of RAM, 4 GPUs with 32GB of HBM2 VRAM each. It's an absolute unit made for scientists & computer graphics, not any of us peons. ht…
@thetrudz @thetrudz on x
See and I wanted the “poor” one that's $11,000.😭😭😭 https://twitter.com/...
@jsnell Jason Snell on x
When released in March 1990, the base configuration of the Mac IIfx cost $9,000, which is $17,930 today. (The Mac Pro's base config is $6000.) https://twitter.com/...
@officialenam Jollof Papi on x
1.5TB of Ram cos you clearly want to run a real life version of sims https://twitter.com/...
@profjeffjarviss @profjeffjarviss on x
Instead of a UBI/Andrew Yang giveaway of $1000, we should buy every US resident a Mac Pro, and let the nation innovate. https://twitter.com/...
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
A $52,000 bicycle for the mind https://twitter.com/...
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
Inflation adjusted, this is about the cost of the typical workstation in 1987—something with a monochrome monitor, 16MB RAM, 80MB hard drive (eg the MicroVAX line). It is ~half the cost of a SUN workstation at the time. https://twitter.com/...
@flyosity Mike Rundle on x
Nice of Apple to add the little explainer about whether or not you need the $400 wheels for your Mac Pro. pic.twitter.com/SZtGmjqgdm
@katienotopoulos Katie Notopoulos on x
People scoff at the $53k Mac Pro, but wouldn't you pay any price to have Chrome run flawlessly with more than 6 tabs open?
@joshdickson40 Josh Dickson on x
I'm going to need to live in the thing for $50k https://twitter.com/...

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