New Apple Cinema Displays Finally at MWSF 2009?

Readers interested in new Apple Cinema Displays may have to wait just a bit longer.

Apple has not significantly updated their Cinema Displays in years. Apple currently offers 20", 23" and 30" monitors at $599, $899, and $1799, respectively. While Apple has introduced routine price drops and minor spec improvements, the displays have remained largely unchanged since June 2004.

MacRumors has heard that Apple is prepping for Cinema Display refreshes for the Macworld San Francisco 2009 conference which takes place between January 5th-9th, 2009 at the Moscone Center. The new Cinema Displays are expected to incorporate LED backlights to fulfill Steve Jobs' promise that Apple would completely eliminate flourescent-backlit displays. The transition timeframe depended on "how fast the industry [could] transition to LED backlighting for larger displays."

While LED displays as large as 30" are commercially available, they still appear to be cost prohibitive with Samsung's 30" LED display priced at $4735. We're uncertain how this price discrepancy with Apple's current displays will be reconciled.