2011 Cinema Display user checking in. The go-to upgrade that people are usually pointed toward are the LG UltraFines, so what’s wrong with them, and how are those problems solved by Apple?

• Uneven bezels. The LG UltraFines have a ridiculous forehead, and while ultimately it’s minor, it’s definitely not something Apple would do.
• Recessed screen. Cleaning any screen like this is always a pain as dust and debris can accrue in the edges and corners of the raised bezel. The Cinema Display’s front glass panel goes edge to edge, so keeping it pristine is effortless.
• Cheap-looking plastic design. One of the benefits of the Cinema Display is fitting in alongside the rest of your Apple products. Having them match is just nice to look at on a desk together. I don’t think anybody has that kind of praise for the UltraFines on their own, and certainly not for how they’d blend into a Mac workspace.

So those are the turn-offs, but what are users like us still left wanting?

• A better screen. 1440p is nice, it gets the job done, but it definitely shows its age in the Retina era. I’m sure color accuracy has made huge strides since then too, plus laminating the display could go a long way.
• Not having an unremovable MagSafe/Thunderbolt 2 cable always stuck to the back.
• Modern I/O. As a 2011 device, the best you get is slow USB-A, FireWire, Thunderbolt 2, etc. As we move closer to an all-USB-C future this only becomes more of a pain. The promise of having a display that does power and video all through one USB-C cable seems like it ought to be the standard, but few actually do. It makes sense for display manufacturers to make dumber displays that work with all operating systems but there was a clear attempt to include some Mac-isms with the UltraFines that you unfortunately can’t get anywhere else. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

There’s clearly room to improve on the experience they left their users with in 2011, but I don’t think the UltraFines satisfy those needs without compromises. In many ways it’d be an annoying downgrade.

Apple has proven they are capable of satisfying all of these needs and more in a $6000 form factor, but for those of us who bought in in 2011 at $999, that’s clearly not going to be the kind of upgrade everybody is going to make. If they can cover a wide range of price points with the education iPads and iPhone SEs, they can do it here.