LG UltraFine 5K Display Now Ships in Quicker 3-5 Business Days

[Trey M]

Quick shipping on new product = no demand. I'm so passionate about this issue and I'm afraid that this LG display sucks big time. Bring back a fully Apple designed display with beautiful bezier curved edges. No more of this trolling customers with tasteless design cues. This LG could have a Dell sticker on it and have been sitting in a warehouse since 2005, I wouldn't know the difference. It's really that bad.

The whole point of an external display is to DISPLAY things, not to be a piece of desk candy. I'll be the first to admit that I would've preferred Apple released their own 5K display, as it would've had a much more appealing industrial design. However, at the end of the day you're getting the ONLY 5k external display on the market, which also acts as a USB hub via a single cable. Not to mention it's the same panel used in the 5K iMac.

I will be getting one of these in the near future. However, if you refuse to buy it based on industrial design alone, I'm not sure how much you ever needed this kind of display in the first place.

 

[tomgreever]

I got mine today. If the MBP touches the metal base of the display, it turns off the display. But if I remove it, the display comes back on. So weird. And I'm bummed because I want to "dock" it underneath the display.

 

[AngerDanger]

I got mine today. If the MBP touches the metal base of the display, it turns off the display. But if I remove it, the display comes back on. So weird. And I'm bummed because I want to "dock" it underneath the display.

That's so weird! What happens if you have the lid open a bit and it makes contact with the base? What happens if it's only slightly touching the base? How far can you get it on before the display turns off?

My best guess is that the issue is related to this—the base acting as an electromagnet below the (very thin body of the) MBP, shutting the display off and keeping it off somehow.

 

[mikefla]

I placed my order Dec 31st and as of right now my order still shows Delivers 23 Jan, 2017 - 03 Feb, 2017. I tried to talk to Apple via chat but the person was rather rude and of no help. I hope the order will update soon with the new shipping date.

-Mike
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I got mine today. If the MBP touches the metal base of the display, it turns off the display. But if I remove it, the display comes back on. So weird. And I'm bummed because I want to "dock" it underneath the display.

Haha these monitors with no power buttons so called smart devices are so stupid. I would contact LG/Apple and tell them they need to add settings within their application to control all these things to meet a users needs because that is absurd. I will be using both the laptop and the LG display at the same time and will need all the space I have so I should be able to place any crap I wish on top of the stupid smart monitor.

-Mike

 

[hexor]

I'm much more interested in the http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32UD99-W-4k-uhd-led-monitor. "Only" 4K but is 32" and has HDR support so will also take advantage of PS4 Pro HDR support.

 

[cityboy-100]

I don't know about any of you, but my 4k display sucks. It's totally buggy. Not only will the computer not stay asleep—the display constantly comes on at night when nothing is touching the computer—but it also doesn't come back on when the machine wakes up. LG needs to wake up and patch this software, it's really sloppy and apple looks foolish for not making this display themselves.

 

[44267547]

Quick shipping on new product = no demand. I'm so passionate about this issue and I'm afraid that this LG display sucks big time. Bring back a fully Apple designed display with beautiful bezier curved edges. No more of this trolling customers with tasteless design cues. This LG could have a Dell sticker on it and have been sitting in a warehouse since 2005, I wouldn't know the difference. It's really that bad.

See bold in your post. I'm afraid you make too many assumptions and knee-jerk reaction's without actually testing the product. But that's not uncommon for you judging something on here that you've never actually owned or tested personally.

 

[smirking]

LG needs to wake up and patch this software, it's really sloppy and apple looks foolish for not making this display themselves.

Not that it makes this any better, but I've been having issues related to the monitor not coming on with my 10 year old 30" ACD for many years. I figured it was related to my monitor being so old that the Mac OS software wasn't dealing with it well anymore. Perhaps my issue isn't so limited to old hardware. Blah.

Even more awful was when I had a Mac Pro tower, I had this same issue and sometimes the only way to get the monitor to power on was to disconnect the AC cord from the power brick and plug it back in rapidly. I assume that the resulting power surge would then shock the monitor back on. I'm surprised that I didn't fry the power brick or the monitor itself after having to resort to that move for years.

I remember when we were warned to not disconnect peripherals while the computer was on because of the risk of a power surge killing your peripherals or computer.

 

[cityboy-100]

See bold in your post. I'm afraid you make too many assumptions and knee-jerk reaction's without actually testing the product. But that's not uncommon for you judging something on here that you've never actually owned or tested personally.

Well, I have the 4K model and the same software download works for both. Chances are it has different binaries for USB vs thunderbolt, but I bet there is some shared code. It's shoddy. The performance is so poor that it has trouble drawing the brightness level indicator bezel mimicking the Apple bezel on built in displays. It's delayed to respond and the bezel flickers inelegantly on and off as you adjust the brightness.

 

[tomgreever]

I'm continuing to compile a list of difficulties I have with this display on a daily basis. Does anyone know of an appropriate forum or community where owners can discuss and possible provide fixes? Obviously, this thread is useful. And I can post on the Apple support forums too. Would be ideal if there were one central place where owners of the display are discussing this. Maybe we should create lgultrafinewhiners.com or something
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That's so weird! What happens if you have the lid open a bit and it makes contact with the base? What happens if it's only slightly touching the base? How far can you get it on before the display turns off?

My best guess is that the issue is related to this—the base acting as an electromagnet below the (very thin body of the) MBP, shutting the display off and keeping it off somehow.

This is a great test! The results are:
- Keeping the MBP open and putting it under the display results in both staying on.
- Placing the MBP partially on the base and partially on the desk results in the display staying on. It turns off the second that the MBP is no longer touching my desk and only touching the base.

This makes me think it is an issue with magnetism causing the MBP to sleep. I turned the MBP over and put some small magnets on it in different places and it did not put the computer to sleep. I also tried covering the base with a small hand towel and then put the MBP on top of the hand towel. The MBP went to sleep, as if it were touching the base. However, using a thicker blanket - it does not sleep. Again, I think it's magnetism. The thinner hand towel is still picking up magnetism from the base whereas the thicker blanket is not.

Another difficulty I have is that I'm using the ports on the display as a hub. I have an external mic and iPhone cable plugged in. However, connecting the Mac to the display does not automatically activate those ports. I had to unplug my mic / iPhone and re-plug them in for the display to recognize them.

 

[smacrumon]

Meanwhile, they're still enforcing the limit of "two per physical address", and they're still not available for companies to purchase via Apple's e-commerce site.

The company I work for is dying to buy a bunch of these but realistically can't. So I'm not so sure about the demand assessment.


I haven't been able to find a tech review that says this monitor sucks. Have you?

Apart from the superimposed image in the marketing, the monitor visually sucks. We went from beautified displays by Apple, similar to ones in iMac, with clean set of cables, and instead now Apple has introduced rubbish, the monitor has an awkward chin above the screen and undeveloped angles. I'm sorry, it's harsh, but this plastic LG is junk. Apple had such a great thing going with it's own design. What's next, I'm concerned. Do away with the iMac too and in place mac mini, lg display, and a seagate backup drive?

This LG represents Apple going deliberately in the wrong direction.

 

[toke lahti]

Apple's website has been updated to indicate the LG UltraFine 5K Display now ships in 3-5 business days in the United States, compared to a previous estimate of 2-4 weeks listed since just minutes after the display launched on December 20. The improvement suggests the display's supply and demand mix has improved.

The new 5K display, created in partnership with Apple, remains on sale for $974 until March 31, when the price will return to $1,299.95. Shipping estimates vary in other countries, including 2-3 weeks in the United Kingdom, 4-6 weeks in Australia, and upwards of 1 week in Canada.

LG's UltraFine 5K Display connects to the latest MacBook Pro with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable, which simultaneously streams up to 5K video, transfers data, and charges the notebook at up to a full 85W. Apple also sells a 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K Display for $524 until March 31, when it returns to $699.

In addition to 5K resolution, the 27-inch display has a wide DCI-P3 color gamut that shows more vibrant colors compared to the traditional sRGB standard. It also has a built-in camera, microphone, stereo speakers, and three downstream USB-C ports at 5 Gbps speeds for connecting peripherals.

MacRumors editor-in-chief Eric Slivka called the LG UltraFine 5K Display a "worthy companion" to the latest MacBook Pro, even without the same look and feel as Apple's discontinued Thunderbolt Display. Also be sure to read our USB-C Display Buyer's Guide for other display options with single-cable connectivity.

Article Link: LG UltraFine 5K Display Now Ships in Quicker 3-5 Business Days

Is it too much to ask, that somebody out of those hundreds of UltraFine owners would take 2 pieces of tb2->tb3 cables and connect this monitor to a mac with 2 tb2 ports? And tell us does it work in native rez?

 

[smacrumon]

The whole point of an external display is to DISPLAY things, not to be a piece of desk candy. I'll be the first to admit that I would've preferred Apple released their own 5K display, as it would've had a much more appealing industrial design. However, at the end of the day you're getting the ONLY 5k external display on the market, which also acts as a USB hub via a single cable. Not to mention it's the same panel used in the 5K iMac.

I will be getting one of these in the near future. However, if you refuse to buy it based on industrial design alone, I'm not sure how much you ever needed this kind of display in the first place.

Friend, no! You can display something and have it also look beautiful. If its main purpose is to connect full time into Apple devices, then it must be desk candy. There's no option here.

Sure it doesn't always have to be Apple, but in this case, there's no good enough reason for it not to be Apple. That same panel in 5k iMac must be turned into a standalone display.

My suspicion is that all new iMacs and all new displays are planned, based on styling cues from an all new bezel free iPhone. But they are at least 9 months away and LG is the temporary situation.

Apple meets Android meets Dell.

Apple meets Apple meets Apple, totally appealing.

 

[groove-agent]

Thanks for pointing that out as its crucial for bootcamp users for the display to work under windows.

There is absolutly NO info about this monitor and using it on windows. I have called LG and they have no info because it is not in their catalog. Apple only resells it?

For now it seems some pc's can use it but the Dci-p3 must be set per program, while in Osx it is set on a root level.?
So maybe LG should release windows drivers that make it 100% functional? What is the best next option, the dell 5k?

 

[hemt]

Is it too much to ask, that somebody out of those hundreds of UltraFine owners would take 2 pieces of tb2->tb3 cables and connect this monitor to a mac with 2 tb2 ports? And tell us does it work in native rez?

The LG Ultrafine 5K monitor was connected to a Mac Pro 2013 and Mac Mini 2014 at an Apple Store in SoCal. From the pictures, one can see that there is only 1 TB3 port on the monitor (hence, only one TB2->TB3 adapter may be used). The Mac Pro had D500 GPUs and the max. display resolution using the "More Space" Display Settings option was not even Ultra HD --- it was only 3360x1890. BTW, no boot screen showed up on the Mac Pro with this monitor.

 

[smirking]

I got my 5K yesterday, but I'm still awaiting my nMBP. I took the display out of the box to check it out and I have to say that it looks better in person and feels pretty solid to me. The side profile is a lot less chunky than the photos make it appear. Yeah, it's not an Apple design, but it's not ugly either. It's just boring.

I'm going to mount it on a monitor arm so it's just going to be a floating black square to me.

 

[Trey M]

Friend, no! You can display something and have it also look beautiful. If its main purpose is to connect full time into Apple devices, then it must be desk candy. There's no option here.

Sure it doesn't always have to be Apple, but in this case, there's no good enough reason for it not to be Apple. That same panel in 5k iMac must be turned into a standalone display.

My suspicion is that all new iMacs and all new displays are planned, based on styling cues from an all new bezel free iPhone. But they are at least 9 months away and LG is the temporary situation.

Apple meets Android meets Dell.

Apple meets Apple meets Apple, totally appealing.

My guess is that Apple stopped making standalone displays because Thunderbolt 3 now has the bandwidth to run an iMac in 'Display Only' mode from a MBP. It'll be a more expensive solution yes, but people that were ponying up $1000+ for Thunderbolt Displays will still purchase.

I would expect that 2017 iMacs can be run in a 'Display Only' via TB3 mode to accommodate those wishing for an Apple Display. I can't see why Apple wouldn't implement a feature like this given it would take little effort.

Regardless, I'll be picking up one of these LG 5K displays and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I've always wanted a one-cord solution and I feel it'll end up being very useful for 5+ years.

 

[smirking]

My guess is that Apple stopped making standalone displays because Thunderbolt 3 now has the bandwidth to run an iMac in 'Display Only' mode from a MBP.

If that's the reason, I'd postulate that it's not done so much out of the profit motive, but perhaps to help prop up sales of desktop Macs until sales of consumer level desktop computers either stabilize or all but vanish. If they just wanted more revenue, they could easily make a premium on a good looking display and probably better returns than what they're doing now, which is pushing display buyers to 3rd party options. Even with the iMac as a suitable Apple branded display, only a small segment of the Apple base would be willing to spend more than they have to spend to get an external display.

I would say for myself that if the current 5k iMac were usable as an external display, I'd likely have gone with that option instead of an nMBP. I'd likely have held off getting the nMBP for at least another two years if my purchase wouldn't end up being a brick if I found having a desktop and a laptop at the same time too much of a hassle.

 

[toke lahti]

The LG Ultrafine 5K monitor was connected to a Mac Pro 2013 and Mac Mini 2014 at an Apple Store in SoCal. From the pictures, one can see that there is only 1 TB3 port on the monitor (hence, only one TB2->TB3 adapter may be used). The Mac Pro had D500 GPUs and the max. display resolution using the "More Space" Display Settings option was not even Ultra HD --- it was only 3360x1890. BTW, no boot screen showed up on the Mac Pro with this monitor.
View attachment 683018View attachment 683019View attachment 683020

Thanks, you solved it!
I had thought that there is more than on tb port on the monitor...
So if you compare this to hp and dell 5k, they are better in that way that they have multiple input ports, so you can connect more than one computer to them. And they work with older models...

Did mini had same rez?

 

[hemt]

Thanks, you solved it!
I had thought that there is more than on tb port on the monitor...
So if you compare this to hp and dell 5k, they are better in that way that they have multiple input ports, so you can connect more than one computer to them. And they work with older models...

Did mini had same rez?

Nope, the Mac Mini had a max. res. of 3200x1800.

 

[smirking]

Nope, the Mac Mini had a max. res. of 3200x1800.

How did the MP and the Mini's displays look? I'm not at all sold on the new MBP, but I'm getting one because I'm dubious about wanting to sit in front of a screen of scaled objects all day.

 

[hemt]

How did the MP and the Mini's displays look? I'm not at all sold on the new MBP, but I'm getting one because I'm dubious about wanting to sit in front of a screen of scaled objects all day.

Personally, I prefer the scaled "More Space" option since I need screen real estate. The screens looked bright and quite sharp in that mode for both machines.

The screens definitely looked sharp in "Default for display" mode.

 

[moonjelly]

If only anyone could put one of these on a mac pro via the adapter and tell us how the picture looks like.

What adaptor? Its thunderbolt3 native made for the MBP.
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The whole point of an external display is to DISPLAY things, not to be a piece of desk candy. I'll be the first to admit that I would've preferred Apple released their own 5K display, as it would've had a much more appealing industrial design. However, at the end of the day you're getting the ONLY 5k external display on the market, which also acts as a USB hub via a single cable. Not to mention it's the same panel used in the 5K iMac.

I will be getting one of these in the near future. However, if you refuse to buy it based on industrial design alone, I'm not sure how much you ever needed this kind of display in the first place.

Yeah-No. Its the same as buying a top of the line TV. Its fair to expect it to look good, and not cheap and plastic-y. It doesn’t matter if it is used in a conferece room, office, or home. That said it doesn’t look like junk. But it is disapointing next to an iMac. (as seen in store)

 

[smirking]

Does anyone think it's possible that there's a revised version of the LG Ultrafines that'll come out later in the year? Could it be that what we're getting right now is an early release version because they didn't have time to put the finishing touches on it? That could explain why Apple made the curious move of offering the LGs at a discount, which is totally unheard of in Apple's pricing philosophy.

Even if they simply changed the base, it would be a better looking display and it comes off very easily. All you have to do is puh a latch and pull the display to separate it from the base.

 

[Trey M]

Does anyone think it's possible that there's a revised version of the LG Ultrafines that'll come out later in the year? Could it be that what we're getting right now is an early release version because they didn't have time to put the finishing touches on it? That could explain why Apple made the curious move of offering the LGs at a discount, which is totally unheard of in Apple's pricing philosophy.

Even if they simply changed the base, it would be a better looking display and it comes off very easily. All you have to do is puh a latch and pull the display to separate it from the base.

It's VESA compatible, you can switch out the stand to whatever you want