Apple's Online Store Now Offering New 5K 27-Inch LG UltraFine Display

[davester]

The forehead on that damn thing throws me. Like it was made in the dark and they got it wrong.

 

[chucker23n1]

In the general landscape, there are also a ton more competitors in that market also. There is no shortage of 3rd party supplies for discrete monitors. Even in the "pro" space there are several. Eizo , the top end NEC , and the very top end of others like Dell , HP , etc.

There aren't any ~200ppi 4K displays, and the LG is basically the only ~200ppi 5K display.

Which is a shame, as the LG is pricey and not particularly attractive.

 

[star-affinity]

My main quibble, aside from the logo, is the black plastic finish similar to ThinkPad notebooks. It just looks so dated.

I see what you mean. But have you seen it in the so called reality and not only in pictures? My colleague has the 4K version of the monitor and if I recall correctly it has very fine grained finnish, not the rough kind that ThinkPad notebooks has. I think the display looks pretty good actually.

 

[TD540]

Question: Can we hook an Apple TV and a PS4 to this display? And then play audio on a HomePod or some other Home Cinema sound system?

 

[M-B-P]

I don’t know how good the display quality is but these LG screens do not look very aesthetically pleasant. I recently bought a HP monitor and it is just so pretty, glossy and beautiful to look at, I don’t feel the same about these ones.

Can you share which HP monitor you are talking about?

 

[manu chao]

[...] wish they just re-release the old Cinema Displays with updated hardware, this is just overdone imo.

Though most people (excluding Mac Mini and Mac Pro users) would expect a display to also work as (TB) dock, that sell on their for $250-300. Not a huge sum but something to add the price and technical complexity.
[doublepost=1564579106][/doublepost]

Have to agree here, $999 for a stand is beyond stupidity, I hope they tank hard.
I do understand it has to cost something, must be made with "expensive" materials like aluminium..., I think the problem is they over engineered it, might have cost millions to design and develop, and then there's Joni's wage...

They added the iMac G4-like display-floating capability. Most display stands just use a hinge and a telescoping 'leg'.
[doublepost=1564579230][/doublepost]

There aren't any ~200ppi 4K displays, and the LG is basically the only ~200ppi 5K display.

The 219 dpi 4K display in the 21.5" iMac must be a special order made only for Apple.

 

[norsemen]

"Only" 4K for iPad Pro accordning to Apple Support documentation.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210205

 

[rawweb]

The 5k Ultrafine gets a lot of criticism here, but for me, is a joy to use. I absolutely love my dual setup at home and wouldn't trade it for anything. The resolution and color production is stunning. In my opinion, the top bezel is barely noticeable.

 

[Krevnik]

The 5k Ultrafine gets a lot of criticism here, but for me, is a joy to use. I absolutely love my dual setup at home and wouldn't trade it for anything. The resolution and color production is stunning. In my opinion, the top bezel is barely noticeable.

If I could get away with a dual monitor setup, I’d have one with a 1440p gaming monitor. But since I somehow need to do both Mac + Gaming PC with a shared display in my space... I’ve been looking at one of LG’s 27” 4K displays instead. It’s not as nice as the 5K, but it’s less than half the price, has multiple inputs and is noticeably better for text than a 1440p display.

That or a 120Hz 4K monster like the Predator XB3, even though I can’t really use the extra frame rate yet...

The 219 dpi 4K display in the 21.5" iMac must be a special order made only for Apple.

LG also sold that panel as part of the first generation 4K UltraFine (now a 24” instead). But yeah, Apple’s customers are pretty much the only active buyers of these 220PPI displays.

I think a good chunk of it has to do with the fact that these monitors are hard to drive if you want to game, so gamers aren’t interested (high refresh is more valued), and Windows is not as consistent as macOS when it comes to supporting UI scaling in apps.

 

[chucker23n1]

They added the iMac G4-like display-floating capability. Most display stands just use a hinge and a telescoping 'leg'.

Even then, the entire iMac G4 — computer and monitor included — started at $1,299. Even if you grant inflation, and a 17-inch display having different requirements than a 32-inch display, the pricing seems a bit out of whack.

I think they could have avoided making it such a punchline by introducing pricing differently, in any case. (But honestly, it's not really clear to me why they announced this product at WWDC at all. Neither the press, the public at large, nor the developers were really the target audience here.)

 

[bluespark]

This design is uninspired, but I'll usually take discrete over pointlessly decorated, and I therefore prefer this to many of the display options out there. That said, I think we can all agree that Apple's display designs were vastly better, and there's no excuse for the lack of Apple displays at this size and price point.

 

[nutmac]

I see what you mean. But have you seen it in the so called reality and not only in pictures? My colleague has the 4K version of the monitor and if I recall correctly it has very fine grained finnish, not the rough kind that ThinkPad notebooks has. I think the display looks pretty good actually.

Yes, I use it every day at work. Newer ThinkPads are not as rough and the finish, while not identical, is pretty similar.

 

[topmounter]

Does this monitor really only have a single input?

 

[Weaselboy]

Does this monitor really only have a single input?

Yep...

 

[Sabelonada]

23 incher is too large?
[doublepost=1564553008][/doublepost]Is 5k really needed? Why not get one of the other LG monitors with thunderbolt 3...
https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-34WL850-W-ultrawide-monitor

Because many work flows and uses require more vertical space than horizontal.

 

[manu chao]

Even then, the entire iMac G4 — computer and monitor included — started at $1,299. Even if you grant inflation, and a 17-inch display having different requirements than a 32-inch display, the pricing seems a bit out of whack.
I think they could have avoided making it such a punchline by introducing pricing differently, in any case.

Probably something like $500 would have still made people gasp but avoided the ridicule. And they should have worked it into the price of the display and said you get a couple of hundred Dollar off if you get it with the VESA mount.

(But honestly, it's not really clear to me why they announced this product at WWDC at all. Neither the press, the public at large, nor the developers were really the target audience here.)

I assume you mean both the Mac Pro and the display. For once, John Siracusa was attending, that's one reason already. Some developers actually may want some of the capabilities (incl. internal expansion) of the Mac Pro (less so for the display except its size and resolution). The iMac Pro is well-liked among developers.

But mostly, they had to announce it at some event, press release & briefings alone wouldn't have gotten the same amount of press (and given the de facto lack of a current model and the long wait, pre-announcing also makes senses). It would have been even more out of place at an iOS hardware event. And waiting for a Mac event in October might have been too late.

 

[clickerclacker]

Argh. So bland. Still... I think I'm going to finally take the plunge and flog my 27" LED Cinema Display.

Does anyone run an UltraFine 5k with an older Mac? I have a Mid 2014 Macbook Pro.

I know it'll work with the adapters at 4k, but I can't find out whether it noticeably affects performance, or whether it looks as good as a 4k monitor would running at native resolution.

 

[Ener Ji]

yeah the XDR display is not for u, so even the stand is not for u. its for professionals. REAL ones

This recurring notion (in these forums) that 'some Pros are "REAL" and some are not' needs to go away, IMHO. Just about everyone participating in these forums is a professional of some sort (some may be students or retired professionals.) We all have varying needs, but just because one person's job requires a reference monitor and another does not doesn't make one pro any more "real" than the other.

For the love of God- If apple is not going to make a New Space Grey 5k Aluminum 27-inch thunderbolt 3 monitor with a Face ID camera (iPad Pro) , can they at least license the "design" to a company who will?

I wonder if this is a stopgap until next year, when perhaps the base iMac gets redesigned? If Apple is going to go to the trouble of creating their own monitor, leveraging the R&D and production tooling behind an iMac design would be a good way to reduce the costs of developing their own monitor.

Or get a MBP, they come with a camera after all.

The cameras in the portable Macs are pretty terrible. Presumably this camera is much better, but I'm quite curious as to how much.

The camera is better than Apple's by far.

I'm very happy to hear this. Hope to see reviewers examine this when they review the new 5K.

So you’re telling me the only additional change is the output of power?

I don't think anyone knows this for sure. If I'm not mistaken, the previous generation 5K was known for being a little glitchy, e.g. sometimes refusing to resume from sleep and needing to have the computer rebooted. This new 5K might end up being a little more stable, which would be a worthy improvement IMO.

 

[v0lume4]

I don’t know how good the display quality is but these LG screens do not look very aesthetically pleasant. I recently bought a HP monitor and it is just so pretty, glossy and beautiful to look at, I don’t feel the same about these ones.

The thing I don't understand is -- LG actually DOES have some gorgeous displays. I have no idea why they're releasing one at this price point that looks like a $200 enterprise monitor.

 

[CWallace]

I wonder if this is a stopgap until next year, when perhaps the base iMac gets redesigned? If Apple is going to go to the trouble of creating their own monitor, leveraging the R&D and production tooling behind an iMac design would be a good way to reduce the costs of developing their own monitor.

I was thinking the next iMac would adopt the display, but that was before we saw the price and the specifications (which explains said price). I guess they could "dumb it down" a bit, but I fear it would still be very expensive compared to the 5K display and therefore we'd be seeing a significant price jump in the 6K iMac.

 

[BigJohno]

What's different?

 

[Glockworkorange]

I don’t know how good the display quality is but these LG screens do not look very aesthetically pleasant. I recently bought a HP monitor and it is just so pretty, glossy and beautiful to look at, I don’t feel the same about these ones.

I have the original 5K. The panel is the exact same as the 2017 5K iMac sitting next to it on my desk. Cannot tell the difference if you covered the rest up.

These UltraFines, 4 and 5K, get so much hate. I get the aesthetic is not great, but they have the same panels as their iMac cousins, so it’s true retina plus an excellent complement of USB C ports (personally, doesn’t bother me, since I’ve moved all my peripherals to USB C).

They’re great displays. That’s my opinion.

This new 5K is clearly to support this upcoming 16 inch MacBook Pro—you can tell by the power support.

 

[deconstruct60]

In the general landscape, there are also a ton more competitors in that market also. ..

Name one alternative 5k (as in 5120x2880, not ultra-wide) display with Thunderbolt apart from the LG. Now name another one - and then find somewhere that actually stocks it - a lot of the early 5k displays from Dell etc have been discontinued.

The 16:9 ratio 5K panels are a narrow corner case. For several reasons the general market has largely abandoned it. There will probably be a similar corner case Apple's 16:9 6K screen. If go to 5K ultra-wide there are far more options and vendors.

Dell , HP , and Viewsonic used to sell the 16:9 models but have dropped them over time. One, in order to go after 4K HDR. Second, to go ultrawide. Presumable there is better demand there and the cabling is simpler ( most folks don't want two-cable hook ups).

While you can indeed throw a brick and hit a dozen 4k displays, there's not a lot of competition if you want 5k less if you want Thunderbolt

the mainstream display market has been 'fighting' Thunderbolt for a while. It is getting better.

The catch-22 is that if Apple fills the monitor slot for "Macs only" monitors then few will jump in to fill the ecosystem. That is exactly where the Thunderbolt display was from 2011 to about 2014 or so. if narrowed down to just Thunderbolt then yeah the space is thin.

rather than 2 x DisplayPort cables. If you want to dock + charge a MacBook Pro we're talking about hen's teeth, fingers on boxing glove etc... 5k displays are very much a Mac thing, as is Thunderbolt as a way of connecting displays.

But how many contexts is the 5K display will be the only possible solution. For most workload it isn't the only plausible solution. The rest of the PC marketplace isn't imploding because the 5K monitors fizzled out there.

 

[justperry]

They added the iMac G4-like display-floating capability. Most display stands just use a hinge and a telescoping 'leg'.

That does not warrant the high price.

 

[Tarantularock]

I wonder if this is a stopgap until next year, when perhaps the base iMac gets redesigned? If Apple is going to go to the trouble of creating their own monitor, leveraging the R&D and production tooling behind an iMac design would be a good way to reduce the costs of developing their own monitor.

This could be true, and I look forward to seeing what they could come out with. However, for the time being - it appears they'll be launching a new flagship MacBook Pro soon. I know I'd want my ecosystem ready.

There will be many (myself included) who are MacBook Air/Pro users who will probably go with this "stopgap" solution and then wait and see if a better product comes out. It would have to be a much, much better product for me to replace my investment at that point.