LG UltraFine 5K review: It's good but it's not Apple

When Apple debuted the latest generation MacBook Pro back in October, 2016, they debuted a new 27-inch 5K display along with it. It wasn't just high-density "Retina" quality either, it was wide color, able to show the same DCI-P3 gamut that digital cinema uses. It was everything everyone waiting on a new Mac display had been waiting for. Except for one thing — it was LG designed and branded, not Apple.

That's not to say Apple didn't have a lot to do with the engineering — everything that makes it work so well with a MacBook Pro using just one Thunderbolt 3 cable. But the outside, what we look at, is nothing like Apple.

There are also compromises here. That gorgeous image and convenient charging all in one cable comes at a price — there's precious little bandwidth left for other ports and peripherals.

So, is the display good enough that we shouldn't judge it by its branding, or are the lack of design and expandability deal-breakers? Let's take a look!

About this reviewI didn't get a review unit for the LG UltraFine 5K display. Instead, I ordered two of them the moment they became available. I wanted two so that, initially, I could test the double display set up on my 15-inch MacBook Pro 2016 review unit. Long term, though, I'm looking to simplify my computing experience. So, instead of a MacBook or MacBook Pro to travel with and an iMac in my studio, I want to go with a single new MacBook Pro that I plug into an LG UltraFine 5K display on the standing desk in my studio and, for off-hours, into the second display at the standing desk in my living room.

Over the last week I've tested both setups, the latter with both the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2016 with traditional function key row (MacBook "Escape") and the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2016 with Touch Bar and Touch ID. I made sure I attached everything I needed, including USB cameras, microphones, and drives, and Ethernet networking. I also tested it on the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2014, which can only drive it at 4K.

Yes, all with the requisite replacement cables or dongles.

In brief

The LG UltraFine 5K display is a gorgeous, high density, wide gamut panel enclosed in a somewhat drab, utilitarian case. It can transit 5K at 60 Hz and power all over a single Thunderbolt cable but that leaves only three 5 Gbps USB-C ports for peripherals. In other words, this is not the display Apple aficionados have been waiting for. It's a compromise. Technical limitations means there's not much we can do about the lack of ports but wait for future chipsets. The design, however, was entirely avoidable. It's simply not up to Apple standards.

It does offer a few features Apple wouldn't have, including a stand that can be raised or lowered vertically, not just tilted to adjust angle. LG also includes a VESA mount in the box. Kudos on that. But the stand does not feel as solid as the old Thunderbolt one, nor the tilting mechanism as smooth. It also doesn't match the finish on Apple's current Retina displays.

For those who dislike or simply don't care about Apple's sensibilities, all of the above might be seen as a positive. Most Apple customers, though, do care.

I bought the LG UltraFine 5K display because there simply is no other option from Apple. If there had been, though, I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

Apple announced the LG UltraFine 5K alongside the new, 2016 MacBook Pro, and that's really what it's designed for. Using the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2016, you can drive one 27-inch LG UltraFine display at its full 5K resolution at 60 Hz. Using the 15-inch, you can drive one on each side for a total of two.

You can also use it with an older MacBook Pro but with a few of caveats:

• You can only drive it at 4K, not the full 5K.

• You only get sRGB color space, not DCI-P3.

• You need a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable for the connection.

• You won't get a charge from that cable, so you'll need to plug in power separately.

I tested with that set up using my old 13-inch MacBook Pro 2014 and it worked fine and looked great. It just wasn't as clean or as dense as using it with the new MacBook Pro 2016.

Here's Apple official compatibility list:

5120 x 2880 @ 60Hz

• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)

• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz

• Mac Pro (Late 2013)*

• MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) and later

• MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) and later

• iMac (Retina, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later

• iMac (Retina, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)

• iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)

• MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

• MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)

3200 x 1800 @ 60Hz

• Mac mini (Late 2014)*

That asterisk is Apple recommending younotuse the LG display as the primary display on a Mac mini or Mac Pro, since it may not light up until after you boot, rendering pre-boot options unusable. Sadness.

Ultimately, it's only worth driving the LG UltraFine 5K off an older Mac if you plan on updating to a new, Thunderbolt 3 Mac fairly soon. Otherwise there are a

lot of good alternative displays out there

.

(iMore)