Apple refreshes LED Cinema Display line with 27-inch variant

by Steven Mostyn - Jul 28 2010, 05:30

Seems Apple really is focused on deflecting attention away from its problematic iPhone 4 at the moment. Having already unveiled a new Magic Trackpad and a sexy revamp of its Mac Pro, the Cupertino tech giant has now whipped the covers off a 27-inch variant of its LED Cinema Display.

Boasting a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and 60 percent more “screen real estate” than its 24-inch stablemate, the 27-inch LED Cinema Display comes complete with a built-in iSight video camera, microphone and speakers, and a universal MagSafe connector.

Described as “an ideal companion for the MacBook family or a Mac desktop” the latest entrant to Apple’s line of Cinema Displays features the clean-edged aesthetics typical of Apple’s popular product portfolio.

But it’s not just the slick 16:9 edge-to-edge glass display atop a hinged aluminium stand that’s likely to stoke the fires of consumer desire. Specifically, the 27-inch LED Cinema Display also offers an ultra wide 178-degree viewing angle, along with vivid colours and “exceptionally high contrast” thanks to premium in-plane switching (IPS).

Other contributing aspects packed into Apple’s latest offering include a built-in Mini DisplayPort connectivity, a powered three-port USB 2.0 hub for iPod and iPhone charging, and a new ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts display brightness based on external lighting conditions.

“With its massive 2560 x 1440 resolution, the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display is a perfect fit with our new Mac Pro, and it gives iMac users an easy way to double their screen estate,” trumpeted Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Of course, dumping your old Mac monitor in favour of the 27-inch LED Cinema Display doesn’t come cheap – this is Apple after all. Moreover, while the display is certainly feature packed, consumer desires might by tempered somewhat by the accompany $999 USD price tag when it arrives in September.

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