Apple Studio Display vs. LG Ultrafine 5K vs. Others: The Best Computer Monitor? | WSJ 

"That's why I brought someone with better eyes than me". Dude with specs walks in!

Apple goes and creates a premium product priced accordingly, yet somehow forgets what its primary purpose is. A monitor isn’t a webcam or a surround-sound system-it’s a display first and foremost. I would gladly ditch the A13, Center Stage, and 6 speakers for HDR and ProMotion. But a 60 Hz SDR display with the same display specs as the old 27” iMac, at that price, is hard to justify. Looks like they didn’t learn from the commercial disaster that was the HomePod.

Love Joanna’s takes on tech. I agree, for me a standard 4K USB-C monitor is more than enough for docking my MacBook Pro. It boggles me the Studio Display costs so much but still acts like a standard monitor and can’t do XDR like my miniLED laptop display neither does it have the adaptive 120hz refresh rate (ProMotion) I absolutely love, and now you’ve also proven the pretty good 1080p MacBook Pro webcam is still better than the 12MP one that should theoretically be able to do 4K.

I just love Joanna’s reviews! She is able to do non biased reviews well

Respect her for this hot take. Feel like these days most of the tech review guys would never objectively finish a sentence degrading apple.

Quite an excellent video. Would definitely like to see you compare the matter vs glossy vs semi/glossy filters.

Thanks for the review! Excellent content and to the point!

Not only does the heigh-adjustable stand cost an extra $400, unlike its more expensive Pro XDR counterpart it doesn’t allow for rotation. If you want that functionality you’ll have to get the VESA mount version and use your own monitor arm/stand.

You should have mentioned stuff like image scaling and clarity of text. I don’t use my computer to watch films.

Thank you for making this video Wall Street Journal. I was looking for a new monitor, and I'm trying to incorporate a 4k+ monitor into my work station. I am upgrading from dual 32 inch, 165hz, 1440p curved monitors, and a 27 inch IPS 1080p (portrait mode). I find it so weird that all these monitors were quite expensive and varied across the board. Buying a 4k+ monitor with IPS, 10 bit color, HDR, and P3 coverage can get pretty pricy, as high as $600 - $1000. I hope they're able to bring down the costs in the future. I'm going to just stick with my 1440p curved displays maybe for another couple years.

Thanx so much, Joanna! Which LG Monitor do you have? Is there a new 32" version?

I thought everyone now uses separate headphones or dedicated speakers instead of monitor speakers. The lack of adjustable height and rotation is pretty shocking on the other side.

Another good informative video. I have heard the LG Ultra Fine 5k monitors are having serious issues maintaining a consistent connection with the new M1 chip on the MBP. Have you heard or experienced this?

Thank you, Joanna! Love your fun and factual reporting 😍

Hey, the lg 5k and the studio use the excact same panel!

Super Great Video! Thanks a lot for this comparison

Dude! Dan Silverman! I haven’t seen you since back in our days at Technicolor. That was like 15 years ago. Nice to see you man! Thanks for this review, very helpful.

Superb review - no punches pulled, and a touch of humour to stop it getting too dry. Integration with OS X controls (brightness; volume; etc) is nice to have, but the average specifications and performance (compared to competitors), plus very poor webcam performance and limited adjustability on the stand, really doesn't justify Apple's price tag.

i wish all reviews would be so fun, short and informative

This was a great test

Great review, thanks. Picking up the LG 4k 20% off on Prime Day. Just switched back to Mac and seems like a good pair for the M1 Mac Mini (and future Macbook Air). I already have an older LG 4k 34" Ultrawide and this 27" is exactly the same height. Just found out about LG's controlling software as well, never knew about it! Thanks again.

nice video, amazing test

I subscribe to WSJ for Joanna's content

I have the exact same monitor as joanna, thanks for making me feel good about a purchase i made years ago!!

thank you for this review! What ist the exact name and number of your Ultrafine 4k displays - I find different models in the range of 400 up to 600. (UN or UL etc)

Thank you, Joanna! This was fun!

How are the bezels? Are they too thick, or is it managable?

I love Joanna’s review!

I really appreciate this comparison. So few people are comparing the existing (and cheaper) LG Ultrafine 5k to the newer -more expensive- Studio Display.

Amazing video 🤩🤩

What about motion blur? What about text sharpness and reading experience? What about reflections? What about contrast and brightness? What about supported standards of video reproduction? ... Seriously, while a comparison video review is a nice idea, the methods and lack of basic knowledge (or maybe targeting a dumb audience?), makes it really useless.

If I connect an xbox/ps5 or apple tv to the display how can I change the source? I don’t see any buttons to do that

I just happen to have that same cheap LG 4k display lol. Thanks for the comparison!

The problem is, there isn't really another 5k 27" on the market. The Ultrafine isn't available in most stores anymore. And there is nothing comparable with this build quality. But it's just very expensive

Does it work with windows 10 laptops and PCs with thunderbolt port???? Please i need to know because I'm thinking of pairing it with my Dell XPS 15 9560 2017 model.

Specifically, what LG model number do you currently have? Thanks!

What scaling do you use for 4k on a Mac?

I Only Watch this Because of Her! the Content actually just Replay mostlly. Love Her!

Awesome & Thanks :)

What's the model number of the LG Ultrafine 5K?

I found this a hilarious monitor review. Thanks!

Awesome video.

Would have been good to compare to cheaper monitors with local dimming, HDR, more brightness, quantum dots etc

This is most likely the same, somewhat dated, panel that is in the LG. The webcam HAS to be improved by software. Some discussion of the speakers and sound quality along with Hey Siri functionality that is not found in the LG should have been mentioned. Hopefully Apple can revise this monitor in the future as the display needs improvement to match current standards.

No Eizo ColorEdge?!?

Most people just need a $200 4k monitor. Your $400 is kinda good already

Do you remember how Apple said you could "order the Studio Display with the tilt stand and bring it to your local Apple store to install the height-adjustable adapter?" Well, forget it. I set up a Genius Bar appointment and then called just to be sure they had the part. I was told that (1) I must come into the store first, (2) the appointment is treated as a repair ??? and they could then order the part, and (3) when the part comes in, you schedule a visit again. What is really bad (in Seattle area) is that distribution doesn't even have the part!?!?! When I ordered the Studio display, the height-adjustable version (+$400) would take another 3-4 weeks and I didn't want to wait. Anyone else running into this?

This makes me feel so good about my LG 5K

Joanna is simply the best on the business

Oh no, the LG 5k is out of stock. Jeremy Clarkson: oh no.

omg can you guys review more monitors

So it is better? I loved the format, but I wish it went more in depth… in the end it seemed to be the better product, but the phrasing did not communicate that enough…

What a pleasure to see her using same monitor I got. The LG monitor is totally worth bang for buck

I’d like to see how the Dell 4k and 6k monitors with IPS black panels compare.

The production value of this video is good, and there was a lot of time and effort put into making it, which I appreciate. However, the audio levels are wildly inconsistent.

Love this presenter 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 keep up the great work!

great intro and fun comparison

I just bought 2 Dell U2723QE for $624 and they are pretty nice displays. Just released w/ 2000:1 contrast, HDR400, 4K with a new black level tech. Couldn't be happier.

Which is the LG 4k model number?

Such a good idea! But you should have compared to EVE Spectrum which have better specs and it’s half of the price! Missed opportunity.

Hi. Reformed Apple fanboy here. Having used the LG monitor, I have to say that even though the quality of Apple’s monitors’ build is superior in every way, the quality of the displays and the software support are comparable, which really surprised me because I used to think that there’re no other companies that can do it as well as Apple.

they all look very soft compared to Dell UP3218K

It would be nice if you linked the monitors tested rather than asking us to take a screen shot. Good video. Thank you.

Very nice.

i love my LG 4k display .. except that it doesn't have web cam and not the best speakers. for the price I paid its pretty good

Good video. But not everyone does color grading. For productivity and development 5k makes a massive difference compared to 4K when you spend your day staring at text. 5k may not seem much more than 4K but it’s actually about twice as many pixels.

a15 Bionic in a calculator would be best use of an SOC

Let’s get some 1440p or 2160p next Joanna video !

Also you cant remove the power cable

Basically apple released 5K iMac in 2014 and in 2016 they put the same panels in LG ultra fine and now they use it in studio display. So technically speaking studio displays and ultra fine is the same just higher brightness by 100 nit

Well edited and concise video!

What model of LG Ultrafine 4k uhd ips are you testing in this video? And the one that you love? :)

I'm so spoiled by the MacBook 16" screen. I'd really like a monitor that supports an HDR workflow

i got the 6K XDR so i’m set for the Mac Studio.

High resolution monitors are good for photos and videos. Photos out of focus can look as in focus on high resolution monitors. But text sizes are too small, though you can select larger fonts for text. The distance between the eye and the monitor is important. If the distance is the same, 32-inch monitors (like four suns in the solar system) are brighter or greater in light intensity than 16-inch monitors (only one sun!) by 4, not 2. Your eyes can be easily fatigued when you select a 32-inch monitor or larger at a near distance. And you may prefer a dark theme to a default theme. I'm using a 32-inch monitor (maximal resolution of 2560*1440 QHD) with reduced resolution of 1920*1080 HD and with distance of 60-70 cm (about 24-27 inch) between the eye and the monitor. And I reduced the brightness of my monitor to a large extent without a significant change of the contrast. The monitor should be placed or arranged so that some annoying light, reflected from the monitor or directly from a room light, cannot enter your eyes too much.

If/when we meet, drinks are on me. I love your videos.

Even though I bought the Studio Display, I still think this review is spot on.

I currently use a 5K 27" 2020 iMac and a 4K 27" LG 4k. It isn't even close. the 5K Apple is in a different class when it comes to both detail and brightness. Worth $1,100 more? Well......, maybe so.

Glad to see Gilfoyle is keeping up fine after Pied Piper

In a practical sense, there is one issue that your comparison glosses over: The Apple Studio Display, to my knowledge, is the only high-quality 5K display that has the ability to pivot 90º for viewing in "portrait mode", which can be very useful for desktop publishing and coding and perhaps other tasks requiring a vertically oriented display. The LG UltraFine 5K apparently lacks this feature. Lesser 4K monitors like the LG Ergo UltraFine 4K do have this ability, but lack full 5K resolution.

She literally is our new Dieter now that he abandoned us

Your incredible generosity and thoughtfulness shone through in their job, this team 👆 are transparent

What a camera blunder right off the bat! Everyone is comparing monitors. I wish you had compared the whole bunch to the 5K 2020 iMac which is still at least if not better than the studio monitor and you can get it refurbished for a steal!

I think there are some awesome 4k monitors for half the money. But what about the scaling issues from macbook pro to 4k? Slowing down GPU performance and make pixels blurry? I would appreciate comments by 4k monitor owners very much!

I fall in love 😍 with this woman since 2017 ...I need hug from her.

i used lg 15 inch monitor for almost 20 years lg makes great monitor

Watching this after Linus' rant about the hardwired power cable on the WAN show 😂😂😂😂

It's interesting that Apple doesn't see the absurdity in the pricing of their studio monitor , versus what's available in the market. $450 for a monitor ? It's still a decent amount of money for a monitor - not cheap .

I really like Joanna

Perhaps the test should have included the graphics card's resource consumption. If the implicit use case is the choice of a monitor for an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, it's important to know when the GPU is called upon for display. And here, apart from the 5K pixel ratio, there's no saving grace… This reinforces the final ranking result.

So Candid...

Thanks for the comparison. Think I'll stick with my 2002 Apple Cinema Display HD (23-Inch) with M1 Mac Mini for now. The 1920x1200 ratio is such a nice change from short widescreen monitors. Still going strong!

Take the 4Ks out of the mix. Add in the outrageous priced hight adjustable stand option for the Apple gouge.

First fair review of this monitor. Bravo.

Nice to se eone of howard sterns three daughters doing something! Good job!! Btw, apple has resale value the longest.

they came a long way from that garage in california, Apple is not for the average computer user, thanks for keeping it real, i cant believe STEVE JOBS would want to go in this direction.

A monitor for Mac os review without PPI is not a review. 4K on a Mac is useless for retina.

why didn't apple just add and a HDMI input port to the iMac, would have bought that one!!

youre a tech journalist for the WSJ, why arent you in 4k?

Great video by Joanna. One thing I don't understand though is who needs a 27" 5K monitor.. I have a Dell 27 2.5K 165Hz G-sync monitor and font is already kinda small...