Back at CES in January, LG unveiled its UltraGear evo GX9 (39GX950B) display , which it claims is the world's first 39-inch ultrawide 5K2K OLED gaming monitor, offering a large curved canvas in the increasingly popular 21:9 aspect ratio with the added benefit of OLED technology for enhanced contrast with true blacks, standard refresh rates of up to 165Hz, and more. While LG began taking pre-orders for the UltraGear evo GX9 last month and a few early orders have already trickled out through various channels, LG says that the official kickoff of order shipments starts next week. LG touts the gaming prowess of the UltraGear evo GX9, but its specs mean it can deliver a premium experience across a variety of use cases, from productivity to media consumption and more. OLED technology delivers a contrast ratio of 1,850,000:1 across the ultrawide display's 5,120 x 2,160 resolution. At a large 39-inch display size with a 1500R curve, this translates to a density of 143 pixels per inch, which is solid but not enough for true retina-level quality. Still, the large, curved display means many users will often be sitting further from the display than usual to be able to take in the full scope of content on the display, and that should prove plenty sharp in most situations. The Tandem OLED panel in the UltraGear evo GX9 supports up to 335 nits of typical brightness, which is likely sufficient for most uses but does lag behind some other displays including ones in Apple products. The OLED contrast, color fidelity at up to 98.5% of the DCI-P3 spectrum, and HDR support that can push brightness to 1,500 nits at 1.5% APL and 600 nits at 10% APL should, however, all help to offer a quality viewing experience. For those who do want to game on this display, the UltraGear evo GX9 features AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC support, as well as 0.03ms response times to keep up with fast-moving content. On the connectivity side, the UltraGear evo GX9 offers a USB-C port with 90-watt power delivery to a connected computer, as well as DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1. We'll be looking to go hands-on with the LG UltraGear evo GX9 as soon as we can, and we'll report back on how well it works for Mac users, but for now LG is taking orders on its own site priced at $1,799.99, and it's also available at Amazon for the same price with delivery quotes starting around June 8. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with LG and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Tags: LG , OLED This article, " LG's 39-Inch Ultrawide 5K2K OLED Display Officially Begins Shipping Next Week " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
A few months ago, Apple released the MacBook Neo , its most affordable MacBook ever. At the time, an ASUS executive admitted that the laptop came as a "shock" to the Windows PC industry, which is now in the process of responding. Acer today introduced a Swift Air 14 laptop, with U.S. pricing starting at $699. By comparison, the MacBook Neo starts at $599 with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, or at $499 for college students and educational staff. However, the MacBook Neo costs an equal $699 when configured with a doubled 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button. Powered by a new Intel Core Series 3 processor , the Swift Air 14 features a 14-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1,920 × 1,200 pixels, up to a 512GB SSD, up to 16GB of RAM, an all-aluminum enclosure, and quad speakers with DTS:X Ultra audio. Like the MacBook Neo, the laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E. Acer's Swift Air 14 The laptop is equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Acer says a 70 Wh battery provides up to 19 hours of battery life for video playback and up to 16 hours of battery life for web browsing. Like the MacBook Neo, the Swift Air 14 is available in colorful finishes, including sage green, frost blue, blossom pink, and lilac purple. Acer said the Swift Air 14 will be available in North America starting in August. Meanwhile, Qualcomm this week announced the Snapdragon C , a new processor designed for "entry-tier laptops" priced at "$300 and up." Qualcomm said the processor delivers "responsive everyday performance" with "breakthrough power efficiency." The first laptops powered by the Snapdragon C are expected to launch later this year, with committed brands including Acer, HP, and Lenovo, according to Qualcomm. Qualcomm's Snapdragon C processor Indeed, Acer has previewed the Aspire Go 15 , the first laptop powered by the Snapdragon C processor. The laptop will have an "affordable" price point, but Acer did not provide specific pricing or a release date. Key specs include a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 pixels, up to a 512GB SSD, up to 8GB of RAM, a 1080p webcam, two speakers, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Acer said the Aspire Go 15 is made from 100% recyclable materials and has some components made from recycled plastic, so it sounds like the laptop will not have an all-aluminum enclosure like the MacBook Neo and the Swift Air 14. Finally, ASUS commented on the MacBook Neo again during its annual shareholders meeting today. According to Taiwan's Economic Daily News , ASUS's chairman Jonney Shih said that the company can learn from Apple's cost-efficient strategy with the MacBook Neo and views it as an opportunity. Stay tuned, he said. On an earnings call last month, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo had been " off the charts " since its launch. Apple was very optimistic about the MacBook Neo before announcing it, but the company still "undercalled" the level of enthusiasm that the laptop would generate, according to Cook. He said that MacBook Neo demand exceeded Apple's expectations and helped to drive a record number of first-time Mac buyers last quarter. "We could not be happier with how things are going at the moment," said Cook. As for the Windows PC industry, perhaps not so much. Related Roundup: MacBook Neo Tags: Acer , Asus , Intel , Qualcomm , Windows Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now) Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, " Windows PC Industry Reacts to Apple's Most Affordable MacBook Ever " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
A new wave of Samsung monitors is targeting Mac users with OLED panels, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and workstation features that Apple still doesn't offer in its own display lineup. Samsung launches next-gen Odyssey gaming and ViewFinity monitors. Image credit: Samsung Samsung's new lineup includes the 40-inch ViewFinity S8 S85TH, the 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8, and the 27-inch Odyssey OLED G8. The company built the displays for productivity and gaming, while adding features that fit naturally into MacBook, Mac mini , and Mac Studio setups. Together, the monitors target capabilities Apple still doesn't offer across its own display lineup. Apple's desktop display lineup remains limited to the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR . Apple doesn't sell an OLED desktop monitor, an ultrawide display, or a monitor with integrated KVM switching and Thunderbolt 5 docking. Samsung's latest displays target each of those categories. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Amid ongoing MacBook Neo shortages, Apple has reportedly tasked suppliers with doubling its original order to 10 million units in an attempt to satiate demand. MacBook Neo has proven hugely popular Buying a new MacBook Neo today remains an exercise in patience, with deliveries taking multiple weeks. The 13-inch, $599 laptop has proven hugely popular among students and mobile workers alike, so much so that Apple can't keep up. Now, a report by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple has told its suppliers to produce more MacBook Neos than ever before. After an initial five-million-unit order, Apple has now doubled the figure to 10 million units. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
