LG has launched two new 1080p monitors featuring mobile high-definition link (MHL) support, allowing users to play video from a variety of smartphones and tablets while charging their devices, a key advantage over HDMI. Dubbed IPS7, the line comes in 27-inch and 23-inch variations, and is built with what the company terms an "almost invisible" 1.2mm bezel, useful for multi-monitor setups.
While perhaps not fancy enough to justify LG's "premium" label, the monitors have an overall depth of just 14.1mm, making them pretty sleek. They will be available first in LG's home market of South Korea as well as China (including Hong Kong), before a broader international roll-out — pricing information has not been disclosed.
The announcement follows the launch of a very similar series of monitors by Samsung back in May, with MHL likely to make its way into more monitors and TVs over the course of the year. Mobile devices which currently support the standard include Samsung's Galaxy S II and III, HTC's One S and X and LG's own Optimus LTE.
Update: It looks like LG has used some tricky math to calculate the bezel on these monitors, counting the glass plate but not the material surrounding it. The result is a real bezel of more than a centimeter, as shown in this video from TechCentury. Not surprisingly, the misleading figure has many early buyers up in arms.