Apple on Wednesday introduced the Thunderbolt Display, a 27-inch monitor with built-in Thunderbolt high-speed I/O interface, integrated FaceTime camera, audio, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 interfaces. It’s designed specifically with Apple’s laptops in mind, and it’ll cost $999 when it hits stores sometime in the next 60 days.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Billed by Apple as “the world’s first Thunderbolt display,” the monitor uses a 16:9 aspect ratio and features In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology to provide a 178-degree viewing angle. It features a native resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels.

It includes a built-in 2.1 speaker system and also has a built-in MagSafe charger to help power up a connected laptop. A built-in ambient light sensor can automatically adjust brightness depending on external lighting conditions.

Three USB 2.0 interfaces, one FireWire 800 port, one Gigabit Ethernet port and a Thunderbolt port round out the available interfaces on the Thunderbolt Display. Apple notes the Thunderbolt port can be used to daisy-chain up to five Thunderbolt devices.

To connect to the Thunderbolt Display, you’ll need a Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or iMac.