“In a previous review, I mentioned that I wasn’t overly impressed with the LG UltraFine 4K, one of the monitors LG co-developed with Apple for use with the 2016 MacBook Pros,” Dennis Sellers reports for Apple World Today. “Thankfully, the UltraFine 5K addresses some of its smaller siblings’ shortcomings (which it should since it’s more expensive).”
“For example, the 5K has a built-in camera/mic for FaceTime calls, which the 4K lacks,” Sellers reports. “The bigger display also feels sturdier; the smaller monitor seemed a bit flimsy to me. That said, the LG display still looks boxy, clunky, and unsexy compared to the late Thunderbolt Display and that of the iMac.”
“Should you buy it?” Sellers reports. “If you’re a 2016 MacBook Pro user who wants to be able to connect to an external display, yes. The features are very Apple-like, even if the design isn’t. The UltraFine 5K works great. Just try not to look at any nearby 5K iMacs while you’re using it.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Slap an Apple sticker on it and you’re good to go. You’re supposed to be looking at the display, not its bezel, anyway.
That said, as we wrote last week, “Apple ceding the display business damages the Apple brand. Apple does not lead in an essential personal computing component and other companies logos are destined to be in Mac users’ faces all day long. Not smart. Cook & Co. should reconsider their decision and make and sell Apple-branded displays. Direct profits aren’t the issue, ancillary profits are; smart executives like Cook should be able to recognize the power of perception.”
SEE ALSO:
The Verge reviews LG UltraFine 4K: A great MacBook monitor – December 2, 2016
It’s sad to see Apple cede such iconic parts of its ecosystem – the routers, displays, hubs, and frankly even speakers, keyboards and mice could all benefit from focused attention to design with updates every 3 or 4 years. There are plenty of new Apple customers each year, and plenty in the cycle of upgrading, that there should be plenty of profit available to take from other companies.
It’s hard to fathom where all of Apple’s R&D money is going, as they are spending more than ever and putting out less each year. The rumors suggest a bunch of wheel-spinning, parallel projects, and no guiding mid-upper-level management to keep it focused or timely. And by other accounts, the visionaries who helped make Apple great keep leaving the ship.
I’m seeing a lot more innovation from Apple’s competitors – Google and Amazon in particular. I feel like Apple has finally become the new Microsoft, which I always feared would be the case as their success continued and they began chasing financial supremacy.
Make great again…Dump Pipeline Timmy.™
Make INSANELY great again.
Sad… true…( where is all that money going? )…. no imacs, no mac pros, same iphone design for 3 years… same watch design for 2 years… axing monitors.. axing routhers, some seriously stupid designs in some accessories, TV is as shallow as it gets for a moden product, AI and its implementation across the ecosys compared to the competition( goog, Amazon …) is a jurassic .
The only new inovative thing is a macbook pro( what apple choose to call it…..) with a touch stip?
Its a ness
But i dont think its too late to redirect the ship.
Bombard Tim, Phil, Apple with your feedback…. do it…. doing nothing wont accomplish anything. Take the time and write !
Its a mess, i meant
Ugly, outdated display.
Next gen HDMI is coming out supporting 8k. Even the current MacBook Pros don’t officially suppoet 8k monitors.
Here’s what I want:
-A minimum 34″ widescreen
-8k display
-Screen is bendable so it can curve to a user’s preference
-The screen supports multi-touch
-The screen has an innovative hinge so it can twist and pivot (e.g., for multi-touch).
Who cares what you want (I do)?
You will buy what they sell you and your support group will keep you in line. /s
Love the custom bendable idea !!!
Good ideas except for multi-touch- a 34″ screen would destroy my arm touching it all day- not to mention the fingerprints!
“You’re supposed to be looking at the display, not its bezel, anyway.”
yet, outside of it’s intended function, the display also occupies a physical space that is better served with something pretty rather than an uninspired slab of technology. LG can do better. (So can Apple).
yeah, but will it blend?!
Apple axing its displays is a marketing idiocy …. besides if Im investing in Apple premiums i like to have a complete comprehensive lineup of products with a consistent high end estetics too….. not patched up, mismatched uncoordinated mess.
On one hand Apple prides themselves in their design and merger of liberal arts and technology………on the other hand they tell us hey who cares if your desk looks messed up with all the clutter moved from our devices to the surface of your desks …… and now we have to add this ugly black thing next to our meticulously designed beautiful macs… or macbooks .. etc.?
Where is the coherence in philosophy there?
Apple axing monitors makes no sense no matter how one looks at it… its Stupid..
And again… it does not need to be an item for direct profits… do it for marketing reasons… and do it to look good…. yup look good. Isnt that a big part of Apples moto that we buy into at a premium ? !
Sadly, effective Apple Marketing ended when SJ died.
At least by reducing all of the hardware they release (monitors, routers, etc.) the next coffee table book they release can be a paperback or maybe just a “brochure”… There won’t be much hardware left to photograph, except for a few systems and some dongles.
I have a feeling the days of seeing an Apple computer next to an Apple monitor, with an Apple keyboard and mouse, a Apple Time Machine/Air Port, Apple Trackpad, SuperDrive, etc. on our desks are numbered. 🙁
Lol.. one page xeroxed !
Re your last point.
Isn’t that completely stupid… for a company the size and reputation of Apple?
While I may be looking at the display and not the bezel when in front of the computer I certainly do look at the whole device including its (very ugly) stand when in the room (but not directly in front of the computer). And it it really looks awful!!!! and ruins the overall look of my desk/workplace.
It’s the ecosystem, stupid!
And design is as much of the Apple ecosystem as is hardware, software and services!
Shame on Apple for not designing a proper display.
Personally, I don’t give a crap if Apple just buys LG displays and puts an Apple on them … as long as they assume ownership and provide end to end service so I don’t have to put up with a “so-called Genius” trying to blame OS or GPU issues on my “3rd party monitor or driver”. This is known as the “PC Paradox” where Windows sufferers get bounced back and forth between many hardware makers, and MSoft, each one claiming it’s the other’s fault. It is perhaps the single biggest reason why Apple gets far better service and satisfaction ratings. This move alone proves Cook is blinder than a bat.
Tim Cook, Steve’s biggest mistake