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LG's UltraFine 5K Display Is a Worthy Companion to the New MacBook Pro, Even Without Apple's Looks

Dell's 5k monitor is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than LG's. But it uses two display port cables. Hope they can cram in the bandwidth in a single cable soon.

Oh, but it still has the whole cable management thing that LG's model seems to have neglected.

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I own the 4K version. As a display it's awesome. As a partner to my MBP 15-inch, it's been giving me occasional problems, like not waking up from sleep properly and causing kernel panics at times when using my MBP in clamshell mode. Not exactly sure whether it's Sierra or the hardware.
 
Interesting, the comments about the looks – I think the design is wonderful, possibly better than Apple's displays. It's black, minimal, no logos or buttons asymmetrically visible around the edges or corners… plus it resembles a lot of Apple's generic conceptions of "displays" (like the no-name TV in the past half-decade of their informational pages about the Apple TV). I'm going to guess Apple chipped in their two cents on LG's design along the way.
 
H2SO4 said:
Why is that a problem exactly? I come here because I like the site. I come here for no cost, not paid a cent since joining. The odd ad isn't a problem. In fact I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if they doubled the number of ads.
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Should be labeled as an ad.
[doublepost=1483162722][/doublepost]Love the 5K resolution. Definitely in the market for a 5K in next 12 months. When DisplayPort 1.3 properly supported. I'd like a monitor with at least 2 inputs and some legacy support.
 
dwsolberg said:
Unpacking this monitor, I thought, this feels like a crappy, bargain-basement experience. I'm also not crazy about the look of the plastic shell, although it's actually of decent quality and the base is metal. The wires and dongles hanging off the back don't make me happy either.

However, I can tell you that the actual screen is AMAZING. It's by far the most beautiful, vibrant screen I've ever used, including the screen on my 15" MBP with touch bar. Also, it does seem like magic plugging in one cable and getting power, monitor, and all my peripherals instantly working. Finally, the height adjustment really is nice.

To recap, looking at it off on my desk makes me a little sad, but using it is truly a pleasure.
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Great to hear the actual screen is quality. I have an LG 4K OLED TV from this year and not only is the picture quality the best available in the market, but it's also super sleek-looking with it's tiny bezels and thinness.

It would of been so simple for Apple to improve the aesthetics of the monitor...it's really baffling why it looks so dull. A simple decision to slim down the bezels and manufacture the casing out of aluminum, and i'm sure the sales would increase by quite large margin. It's just really representative of how lazy Apple has become...
 
SoloXis said:
I own the 4K version. As a display it's awesome. As a partner to my MBP 15-inch, it's been giving me occasional problems, like not waking up from sleep properly and causing kernel panics at times when using my MBP in clamshell mode. Not exactly sure whether it's Sierra or the hardware.
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Same issue with 4K on my 13". I chatted with Apple support and they told me to turn off "turn disk to sleep when possible" in energy setting. So far 2 days and good.

EDIT : this unfortunately did not fix the issue. Still getting hard crashes, typically after the MacBook has been asleep overnight
 
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How's the performance? I've read about laggy performance with both 13" models (late 2016)...
 
Maigrais said:
We will have to wait until Apple releases a brand new iMac 5K with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. This will make it possible to have a dual 5K setup at nearly 30 million pixels.
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It's already possible to have dual 5k/27" screens using the current iMac/Retina27 paired with a Dell UP2715k via MST (for example).

Unfortunately, there is no way to run the same Dell monitor from the MBP/2016. And of course, no way to run the LG/Ultrafine/5k from the current iMac(17,1).

Presumably, the updated iMac (Kaby Lake), will enable at least two external monitors - for a total of 3x 5k screens. Thou it will probably be a loooong wait.
 
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i always loved the LED Cinema Displays...until I tried other displays from reputable companies.

While the Cinema Display looks super nice, it does not stand a chance in ergonomics, picture or build quality.

We have LOTS of broken Cinema Displays at work that either just stopped working altogether or switch off after one minute of being powered on.

They all show completely different colors, but white is never white.

So for half the price, you get way better picture and build quality.
 
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kevinof said:
First released in oct 2013. You expect something that old (tech wise) to get the latest os?
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It's a true Google phone, running stock Android. There's no carrier in between, preventing updates with their reasons. So I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the latest OS. I mean, the iPhone 5 was released in 2012 and still going strong.
 
HJM.NL said:
It's still a missed opportunity they didn't pack it into an Apple case. They should use the iMac stand for it. Maybe it would cost a few dollars more but it would fit in line with the rest. Now we've another ugly duck in the pond. (Screens of iMacs are lg also).
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Right, but then the Lg/UltraFine monitors would have to be covered by AppleCare & Support (three years max) - but they are not.

Unfortunately, they are only covered by the LG "limited warrantee", which is just two years max, with all sorts of other restrictions. For example, the guarantee is non-transferable, which lowers the resale value a bunch.
 
One ugly monitor, brrrr...
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DTphonehome said:
I simply cannot understand why LG did not cooperate with Apple on the design of this monitor, which was clearly meant for Macs. Jony Ive could have designed something better on his lunch break.
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Jony Ive? Anybody could do better then this: hideous!
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Starfia said:
Interesting, the comments about the looks – I think the design is wonderful, possibly better than Apple's displays. It's black, minimal, no logos or buttons asymmetrically visible around the edges or corners… plus it resembles a lot of Apple's generic conceptions of "displays" (like the no-name TV in the past half-decade of their informational pages about the Apple TV). I'm going to guess Apple chipped in their two cents on LG's design along the way.
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Are we talking about the same monitor? The one I see i the article has width rims and seems rather tick (ticker then my 50" Samsung TV), I see no design futures any aware: black, square and tick.
 
SoloXis said:
I own the 4K version. As a display it's awesome. As a partner to my MBP 15-inch, it's been giving me occasional problems, like not waking up from sleep properly and causing kernel panics at times when using my MBP in clamshell mode. Not exactly sure whether it's Sierra or the hardware.
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I'm having the same problem.
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bananataffy said:
Great to hear the actual screen is quality. I have an LG 4K OLED TV from this year and not only is the picture quality the best available in the market, but it's also super sleek-looking with it's tiny bezels and thinness.

It would of been so simple for Apple to improve the aesthetics of the monitor...it's really baffling why it looks so dull. A simple decision to slim down the bezels and manufacture the casing out of aluminum, and i'm sure the sales would increase by quite large margin. It's just really representative of how lazy Apple has become...
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I agree. It's truly puzzling.
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jozero said:
Same issue with 4K on my 13". I chatted with Apple support and they told me to turn off "turn disk to sleep when possible" in energy setting. So far 2 days and good
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Thanks for the tip. I'll try it.
 
Apple is a near 1/2 trillion dollar company that can't do anything. Why not have turned this into there own branded Apple display? Or why not have partnered more closely with LG to improve the esthetics to tie better with Apples brand.

At some point you have to wonder what Apple is doing with all their money when CAN'T and WON'T have been the biggest messages Phil and Tim have stated this year with regards to product innovation.
 
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bananataffy said:
Great to hear the actual screen is quality. I have an LG 4K OLED TV from this year and not only is the picture quality the best available in the market, but it's also super sleek-looking with it's tiny bezels and thinness.

It would of been so simple for Apple to improve the aesthetics of the monitor...it's really baffling why it looks so dull. A simple decision to slim down the bezels and manufacture the casing out of aluminum, and i'm sure the sales would increase by quite large margin. It's just really representative of how lazy Apple has become...
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Jeeeeez. It's not an Apple monitor; i.e. not manufactured by Apple, not supported by Apple, not warranted by Apple, and not covered by AppleCare.

Complain to LG that you're looking for a display that also plays the role of an objet d'art, and that you're willing to pay a lot more money for a covetable display that can stand as testament to refined artistic taste.

For me, as a photographer, I'd much rather have a display that's accurate and technically better. In that regard, the LG 5K is far better than any display Apple has ever produced.
 
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Some of comments on here, make it sound like a bulky CRT monitor. I'm probably in minority when I say I like the display's simple, understated, minimalist appearance. The matt charcoal grey color works particularly well with space grey MacBook Pro. Haven't seen one in person yet but if the panel looks as nice as one 5K iMacs I'd be sold on it. As for the thick bezel. Really? Has anybody noticed thickness of bezel on the iMacs and Thunderbolt displays? To each is own though. I love industrial design too, but lately I'm less concerned with the look of products. I just want them to function to do what I need them to do.
 
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Has anyone seen a more informative review of this display? I have one on backorder for January as I thought the discount was expiring. Ordinarily I would not spend this much on a display but I'm not paying for the new 15" MBP so I splurged a little. While I've gotten used to 5k on the iMac and like the charge and display on one cable, the MST on this worries me. I was trying to wait for DP 1.3 but that seems like another 2+ years away from mainstream thanks to Intel's delayed schedule.
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doelcm82 said:
I think we can all agree that we can't all agree.
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I disagree but I digress.
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rdav said:
Right, but then the Lg/UltraFine monitors would have to be covered by AppleCare & Support (three years max) - but they are not.

Unfortunately, they are only covered by the LG "limited warrantee", which is just two years max, with all sorts of other restrictions. For example, the guarantee is non-transferable, which lowers the resale value a bunch.
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Thanks for that info. That might be a deal breaker for me.
 
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