Portable monitors have become the go to device for people who are looking to create a dual monitor setup. More and more people have understood the benefits of a portable monitor compared to a secondary computer or a display.
A portable monitor such as the Lepow can easily double up as a secondary device for work or an entertainment device to connect to a PS3 or even as a display device. The use case for the Lepow monitor is immense.
The Lepow monitor’s reputation has been nothing short of perfect. It has a perfect amazon rating score of 4.5 stars with more than 600+ ratings just on Amazon. It’s been recommended throughout.
I thought, let me test out the Lepow portable monitor and see what makes it the premium monitor that everybody has been raving about.
Check out the Most Popular Lepow Monitor on Aliexpress
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The Lepow Monitor isn't the only Chinese Portable Monitor that we've reviewed. It warranted a separate review because of its popularity.
Lepow Monitor - In the Box
With a portable monitor, the most important accessories apart from the monitor itself are the cables. Let’s see what’s inside the Lepow Monitor box.
- 1.5-6-inch portable monitor
- A screen protector to protect the display - Doesn’t affect the display quality
- USB type-c to type-c cable
- USB type-a to type-c cable
- HDMI to mini HDMI cable
- Lepow Monitor’s User Manual
- Magnetic case protector
Lepow Monitor Display & Design
The Lepow Monitor’s display is a 1080P IPS 15.6-inch screen. It has a 1920 X 1080 full HD resolution. The display is powered by a USB-C connection to power the device.
The quality of the display is astounding. When I placed it side by side with my Macbook Pro Retina, I did not see much of a difference. The colours pop and it’s perfect for gamers who are looking for the finer details.
The other aspect is the brightness of the display. It’s honestly brighter than a lot of the other laptops out there and considering it’s constantly powered, it doesn’t lose the brightness factor.
So if you are stuck with a laptop with low brightness and you don’t want to invest in another laptop, then this monitor is a good idea to invest in.
The display itself has a 85-degree viewing angle and I’ve seen that to be accurate. It has a 1000:1 dynamic contrast. For the technical people who require the perfect display contrast while you are designing or editing, then you can use a hardware display calibrator to get the contrast and tone of your choice.
The display unit also comes with a HD screen protector to protect from scratches.
The portability factor is very important because portable monitors are more sought after than regular monitors. It’s pretty slim and is only 0.34-inches thick.
It weighs about 700 grams, which is lighter than most laptops out there. It can be easily carried in a laptop backpack or a laptop sleeve.
One of the biggest concerns with displays has been the strength of the body. A lot of displays break into pieces on the slightest fall and that’s because they don’t have a casing protection that a laptop offers and it’s mostly display.
The Lepow monitor is made with ABS Plastic that’s pretty sturdy. One the left side of the display is the HDMI port, 3.5mm jack and USB-C port. On the right side there’s the PD port for powering the device and a menu button.
One missing element is the stand that is offered by other monitor companies. But you needn’t worry, as the magnetic case that is shipped with the monitor doubles up as a stand. If you require a specific position, then you’ll need to purchase a custom stand separately.
Connections
According to Lepow, the monitor can be connected to various devices that includes laptops, desktops, smartphones, PS3, PS4, Xbox and Ninentendo switch. All you need to do is plug-in your controller to your device and plug that to the Lepow monitor and you are good to go!
In terms of connecting the Lepow monitor to your devices, you just need a HDMI cable or USB-C to connect to your laptop or smartphone or PS3. This is quite seamless across devices. And the best part is, both these cables are provided by Lepow.
The best part about connecting the Lepow to your other devices is, it doesn’t require any external driver or software. It’s literally plug & play and works right out of the box.
I tested it out with my old PS3, my Macbook and my smartphone and it works seamlessly without any hassles.
There are multiple USB-C ports on the display, which means you can simultaneously charge your smartphone through the display unit while you are mirroring your screen.
Display Modes
The portable monitor has three display modes.
Mirror Mode
This is fairly obvious. You can mirror what’s displayed on your laptop or your smartphone and this works really well when you want to use the monitor as a display unit or you are presenting something or if the information needs to be in two places at once.
Extension Mode
This is probably the most sought after feature and this makes your work life much easier. Different pages can be displayed on the separate monitors you have which saves a lot of time and helps you multitask much better.
Second Screen Mode
In this particular mode, the monitor displays the content even when the main device’s display is turned off hence giving you the information without having your main device turned on. This is quite useful to display information.
There is also an option to view the contents vertically or horizontally which is another nifty feature for people with space constraints or prefer a different viewing angle. Having said that, the vertical mode is literally vertical and can be a hassle for a few folks. It also sits on the menu button which sometimes pops-up, which can be quite annoying.
Use Case
Now who should buy this?
The display is truly multi functional. It can be used in an office environment just to display some information or numbers. It can be used as a display monitor in a store.
It can be used by developers and designers as a secondary screen to have more information in front of them without having to buy another laptop or a desktop or something that is too big. The designers, if they are working on a Mac, might find a color difference as the Lepow monitor has a color gamut of 72% which means lesser colors than that on the Mac. If you are very particular about color, you might want to pick something a bit more expensive.
It’s perfect for gamers, especially console gamers who don’t have a television in their house or want to get a more closer and immersive experience. The display can handle 60 frames per second which is good for gaming.
One of the best use cases I’ve seen is to use it as an entertainment device as a secondary television in the house. Most entertainment apps like Netflix can be mirrored through the phone on the display and it’s perfect when you want to have your own television experience.
Audio
Coming to the audio, the monitor has built-in audio, but it isn’t too great. It has a dual stereo speaker which means you get sound from both the sides of the display.
But if you are in an area with a lot of ambient noise, the built-in audio might not be sufficient. But fortunately it has a built-in 3.5mm port that lets you plugin a jack and the sound quality is fantastic.
Final thoughts
Pros
- Aptly priced at under $200
- Brilliant display quality
- Compatible with a wide range of devices
- Super light weight at only 700 grams
- Easily portable and can be carried inside a backpack with ease
Cons
- Does not have an in-built battery and needs to be constantly powered
The Lepow Portable monitor is the best budget portable monitor. For people who are looking for a secondary monitor for work, don't need anything else, because this does the job. It’s perfect for frequent travellers as it’s light and easy to carry.
For gamers on the other hand, if you want a starter monitor, this is a perfect device, but if you do advanced gaming, then you need to pick a gaming specific display.
For graphic designers, the colour variation and the lack of the full color gamut might be a problem. If that’s the case, you can pick a more powerful monitor.
For the everyday user, there is no portable monitor that is better than this in terms of price, features, value, durability and more. It comes with a 3 year manufacturer warranty at no extra cost. But make sure to register your device to avail the warranty.
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