monitors

The Arovia Splay Portable Foldable Monitor and Projector is a truly remarkable piece of kit. Not only does it promise a 25-inch, 1080p screen that can fold down to the size of a book, it actually delivers… with a surprisingly bright, clear image that doesn’t need a darkened room.

As the name indicates, it can also be used as a small portable projector.

I watched hours of TV shows on the Splay, and used it for work, too. I’m truly impressed with the performance. I’m less pleased about the price, though.

As you’ll read in our hands-on review of the BenQ DesignVue PD2730S, this Apple Studio Display alternative offers similar specs at a lower price. The new BenQ display delivers the same 27-inch screen, 5K Retina resolution, frame rate, color gamut and Thunderbolt connectivity as Apple’s pricey monitor.

This formula might ring a bell — BenQ’s new high-end display is the second Studio Display alternative to hit the market. The BenQ display proves nicer than the Asus ProArt 5K I reviewed two months ago, but it also costs more ($1,199 compared to $799).

One thing is for sure: Both are still a steal compared to the Studio Display, which starts at $1,599. Read on to see how these monitors stack up.

Asus’ new ProArt 5K desktop monitor costs just half of what you’ll pay for Apple’s Studio Display but offers many of the same features. The Asus ProArt 5K PA27JCV boasts the same 27-inch screen, Retina resolution, standard framerate and P3 wide color gamut as Apple’s midrange monitor. It also comes with a built-in USB hub and KVM, which proves great if you still use a few USB-A accessories or flash drives.

Admittedly, Asus’ 5K desktop monitor misses some of the Studio Display’s premium features. The stand wobbles and the body is made of creaky plastic. Plus, the panel isn’t quite as bright as Apple’s display, and it doesn’t come with a webcam.

Still, with very similar specs — and a budget-friendly $799 list price, compared to the Studio Display’s $1,599 (or $1,999 if you dare to desire an adjustable stand) — Asus is making an offer that’s hard to refuse. Keep reading or watch our video review.

Samsung showed off three transparent microLED displays at its First Look event Sunday just ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, according to reports. Two of them are tinted, but the totally clear one can have an especially hologram-like effect.

Don’t get too excited, though. With no availability or pricing information available yet, it might be a while before even any rich people you know can buy these.

What’s the best monitor for your Mac? Desktop displays aren’t just for desktop computers anymore — 77% of you are buying MacBooks, but you probably want a nice setup when you’re at home. And if you do have a Mac mini or Mac Studio, you want to make sure you’re picking the right display.

Apple introduced its own Studio Display last year, which has been well-received and is reasonably priced (at least compared to Apple’s other offering). But what does the broader market for midrange displays look like?

Here’s a display buying guide to help you find an appropriate monitor to go with your Mac.

The Arzopa Portable Monitor A1C is a 15.6-inch, 1080P monitor ready to be connected to a Mac, iPad or gaming device over USB-C or HDMI. Given its relatively low price, the screen is one of the better options available for those on a tight budget.

It’s currently available at a price below $100, which is significantly lower than the cost of rival products.

I tested the portable display in my home office and on a recent vacation. Here’s what I found.

The BenQ PD3420Q is a ultrawide monitor designed to appeal to creative professionals with its atypical shape and color consistency with MacBooks.

The 34-inch screen has a 2K resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio. And there are some nice additions, like a HotKey Puck and built-in KVM.

I tested the PD3420Q in my home office, exploring the advantages and drawbacks of the very wide screen.

BenQ recently added its 27-inch PD2706UA Design Monitor for home productivity to its lineup of screens that ship with the Ergo Arm. It follows the 27-inch PD2705UA and the 32-inch PD3205UA, both aimed more specifically at designers for their color accuracy.

All three displays offer customizable ergonomic design with plenty of options for movement on the Ergo Arm.

Mobile Pixels started a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign Wednesday for Geminos, its new stacked, dual-screen desktop monitor intended to enhance workstations.

This follows last month’s launch of the LG DualUp, a 28-inch screen with a 16:18 aspect ratio, somewhat like two stacked screens in one.

The products aren’t quite the same, but could this be the start of a trend toward tall, oddly shaped monitors?

LG’s new DualUp Monitor with Ergo is a 28-inch panel with a 16:18 aspect ratio — tall and nearly square. The seemingly unique display features 90W USB-C passthrough charging and more.

Essentially, it’s like two stacked 1440p monitors in one display. And it could be a multitasking powerhouse.

The $1,599 price for the new Apple Studio Display makes it somewhat controversial. Samsung’s response is the $700 Smart Monitor M8, which measures 32 inches and has a UHD resolution.

Samsung clearly has its eye on Mac users. It built Apple AirPlay 2 into the screen. And an image of the display playing Apple TV+ is a prominent part of the press release.

When you see a computer setup with two monitors stacked on top of each other, what do you think? Maybe something like … doesn’t the person have to crane their neck to look at the top one? Isn’t it uncomfortable? Where does the webcam go? What’s wrong with side-by-side, maybe with one in portrait (vertical) mode instead of landscape?

The person behind today’s featured setup is confronting those very questions on the way to deciding a common multi-display conundrum: to stack or not to stack? That is the question.

The LG 32” UltraFine Display OLED Pro Monitor is a new option for creative professionals who need a top-tier display. It offers a million-to-one contrast ratio and a very wide color gamut.

The screen is aimed at the same market as Apple’s Pro Display XDR. And has a price tag to match.

Laptop screens are large enough to enjoy movies and work efficiently, but sometimes a little more screen space proves beneficial. Whether you’re developing crucial IT skills or writing the next great American novel, having an additional screen provides more space to work.

That’s why this portable second screen from Ofiyaa is a must-have for laptop-toting professionals. And it’s available for a limited time at just $249.99.

Having the perfect portable gadgets by your side makes traveling simpler, more efficient and more fun. From Bluetooth accessories that take your smartphone to the next level, to super-cool gift ideas and the best wireless headphones for any trip, we found all these products on sale for a limited time — at prices that are even better than Amazon!

A second screen can make a huge difference in productivity. For some people, it’s a critical part of their workflow. But even more interesting is the possibility of adding a screen with full touchscreen capabilities, so you can essentially use it as an extra monitor or a tablet.

Few things improve productivity like having more screen space to play with. Plenty of us rely on two screens to keep our workflows straight. And if you’re a gamer, you might want even more screen so your experience is truly immersive. With this lightweight add-on, you can get all of the above straight from your laptop.

An epic screen is the hallmark of any great setup, and Gary Dee’s video-editing suite is certainly no exception. Dee, a cinematographer and drone pilot, previously used two monitors, but he decided to declutter his desk and replace them with an UltraWide 34-incher from LG Electronics. The massive monitor still leaves him with plenty of screen real estate.

In terms of audio, a pair of Bose speakers give him banging sound. And he uses a high-quality Røde microphone. To complement his minimalist desk, he uses a Rain Design mStand to hold his MacBook.

MacBooks are wonderfully portable but a laptop display can be cramped for getting serious work done. The Lepow 15.6-Inch USB-C Portable Monitor is so slim and light it can easily go with you and double your available screen space.

I fully tested this surprisingly affordable USB-C monitor. Read my review to see how well it performs in the real world.

Nvidia has unleashed the world’s first lineup of big-screen TVs fit for gaming.

They’re called BFGDs (Big Format Gaming Displays) and they’re capable of displaying 4K content at an ultra-fast 120Hz. They boast support for Nvidia G-Sync and HDR — and they have a Shield TV built right in.

The upcoming 2016 MacBook Pro is rumored to feature only USB-C ports, much like last year’s MacBook refresh.

If you’re hoping to get an external display to go with your shiny new laptop, right now the options are somewhat limited. Luckily, the stunning new LG Electronics 27UD88 monitor will provide you with everything you need.

Check out our video review below.

Imagine futuristic and innovative design engineered into a display that’s capable of changing the way work with our computers as well as the way we view what we’ve created. And what if that display is the perfect tool for energetic collaboration?

Before you say anything, check out this new video from LG Electronics, which recently collaborated with artists who are passionate about genuine creativity.

Look at this graph. Just look at it. The colored section represents all color visible to the human eye. The large black triangle shows the Adobe RGB color space, which is the space used by pro apps to process images, and can be captured by some cameras.

And the little white triangle, sat in the middle cutting out a fraction of the available colors? That’s the standard sRGB color space, which is what you’re looking at now on your Mac or iPad or iPhone (but probably not on the Retina iPad mini).

That’s because monitors don’t usually display so many colors. But the Eizo ColorEdge CG247 not only displays the full gamut of Adobe RGB, it calibrates itself too.

Mavericks has revamped Apples support for external displays, making everything a lot easier when using a second or third monitor.

In previous versions of OS X, the dock was only accessible on your main display, however, and it seems the same way in Mavericks.

Until you realize, though, that there is a new, simple way to get the Dock on an external monitor.

The “world’s first panoramic monitor” might not sound appropriate for the Cult of Mac, but when you find out about some of its tricks, you’ll see why I’m bothering to tell you about it.

The monitor is from LG, measures 29-inches on the diagonal and has a wide, wide aspect ratio of 21:9, and a rather lame resolution of 2,560 x 1,080.