but it features a 3840 x 2160 resolution rather than a 4096 x 2304 resolution like the first model. That's still considered Ultra HD, though, and qualifies as 4K.
Or, to put it another way, it's what most of the PC industry happily calls "4k" and the same resolution as "4k" TV. Yeah, 3840 is (let me do some Fields Medal-worthy math here)
less than 4000 but that particular fudge can't be blamed on Apple? The old model was (arguably) "true" 4k which, maybe, justified a higher price.
Though this display has a 4K resolution, it's not meant to be used at the full 3840 x 1260 resolution given its 23.7-inch display size because everything on the display would be super small. Instead, it's meant to provide retina clarity when downscaled to a more reasonable resolution like 1920 x 1080 or 2560 x 1440, which is what we have it set to.
Arble farble gloop?
TL

NR: "looks like 1920x1080"
is 4k UHD. Ignore the numbers.
Slightly simplified answer: a "retina" display
always runs at full resolution. The "looks like" setting just affects the size of system font, icons etc. Unless you're using ancient software that doesn't support retina, all of your
content will display at the full resolution of the display.
More accurately: the above is mostly true at "looks like 1920x1080" which basically just doubles the size of system fonts and icons - other "scaled" modes get the effect by rendering to a
higher resolution internally then down-scale to 3840x1260. So "looks like 2560x1440" is actually 5k (5120x2880) shrunk down to 4k. The result is not
quite as pin sharp as a double-size modes but is
much more detailed than standard-def 2560x1440p. I've got a 28" "4k" UHD display, that I mostly run at "looks like 1440p" sitting next to a 5k iMac and while - duh! - its not as pin-sharp as the iMac its very acceptable, and on a 23" screen I doubt you'd see the difference and, frankly, get off the desk, put down the jeweller's loupe, stop doing A/B comparisons with a $1500 5k display and get on with the job
The
downside is that the whole render-to-5k-and-downscale thing is more demanding on GPU and VRAM and while an iMac or 15" MBP shouldn't break a sweat, it might be an issue on a lower-end MBP or a Mini that depended on integrated graphics and used system RAM for video. Especially if you wanted to run multiple monitors. Definitely get the 16GB RAM in the mini for that...
the new UltraFine Display features two Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of a single Thunderbolt 3 port, which means you can daisy chain two of these monitors together.
Uh, the previous 21" display had a single USB-C port and used "USB-C DisplayPort alt mode" (which only supports a single 4k display at 60Hz, and even then not at the same time as USB-3). The
5k 27" Ultrafine had a single Thunderbolt port - same physical connector, totally different communication protocol - and Thunderbolt can only support a single
5k display (as two 4k displays), so a daisy-chain port would have made little sense (ideally, you don't want other high-performance peripherals on the same TB bus as a 5k display). This new display is 4k and Thunderbolt which
can support two 4k displays
and provide USB 3 ports. Plus, the second TB3 port ought to be able to drive any DisplayPort or HDMI device with the appropriate adapter.
How does one gets past its ugly design?
I wouldn't say its ugly (the 'forehead' on the 5k is ugly, even if its not a deal-breaker) - its neutral and functional (which is what some people will want) and probably has better ergonomics than an iMac. What I
would say is that - as a premium-priced display that is clearly targeted at Mac users - you might reasonably expect some more Mac-like aesthetics for your money.
no testing with ipad pro and usb-c, etc.
True - I'd assumed that, as a Thunderbolt display, it
wouldn't work with iPad or 12" MacBook - but fortunately I looked at the Apple store page before spouting and apparently it does support 'regular' USB-C/DisplayPort as well.
Also, some comment on the speaker quality would have been good - the iMac (and older Thunderbolt/Cinema displays) has excellent sound - not throw-away-your-studio-monitors excellent, but far better than you'd reasonably expect from grill-less speakers built into a display.
Is'nt this about 2x price of most 24 inch 4K displays?
2x is probably an exaggeration - here in the UK there's a Dell 24" 4K P2415Q for £400 c.f. £629 for the LG - and I wouldn't presume that the Dell has a comparable display panel (its not P3 wide gamut, and isn't their 'Ultrasharp' premium brand). Basically, you're getting 24"@4k for 27"@4k money - so the "value" depends on what size you actually want.
Also, this is a Thunderbolt display that can charge your MacBook Pro at 85W and act as a "dock" for 3 USB devices (...and USB 3 unlike the USB 2 you get on USB-C/Displayport monitors). That functionality is pretty rare, and costs money. Frankly, though, I'd prefer to see more "dock" functionality for the price (Ethernet, USB-A, SD, audio...) because if you need a TB3 dock
as well it kinda reduces the benefit of having a Thunderbolt display. Still, its a desktop device so its not such a big deal to hang dongles off the back...
Deal-breaker for me (apart from that I'd probably prefer 27") as with all the Apple/LG displays is the lack of any additional video inputs so that I can hook up my server/Linux box/old laptop/Raspberry Pi/etc. when needed - which won't bother some people, but are pretty much standard on any other half-decent display. Apparently, making a Mac-focussed product for the Apple store entails ripping out all of the extra features that you'd normally provide at the same price.