Tag Archives: monitors

Acer’s IFA 2026 Spans Paper-Like Monitors to a Rubber Duck Projector

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Acer’s IFA 2026 lineup plays out like a full day mapped across screens, starting with quiet focus and ending with a projector shaped like a rubber duck. Instead of pushing one flashy hero device, the company spread its design energy across seven products, each solving a specific friction point, from eye strain to cramped desks to tablets built for daily wear. Together, they map how Acer sees screen time evolving.

The Acer EP130K opens that story with a monitor built for people who’d rather not stare at a glowing backlight all day. Its ePaper panel mimics the natural feel of paper with glare-free use, aimed at professionals doing deep work, avid readers, and anyone working outdoors. Resolution climbs to 3200×2400 in black-and-white mode, and touch support lets a stylus or finger write directly on the display.

Designer: Acer

What makes the EP130K linger past a single session is its bi-stability, letting the image stay locked in place even after every power source disconnects. A single USB-C cable handles power delivery from a laptop or tablet, so the whole setup travels light. It’s less a display and more a portable reading nook that happens to sync with a work laptop whenever needed.

From single-screen focus, Acer scales up to the Acer PD163Q P3, a triple-screen extender built for hybrid professionals juggling more browser tabs than one laptop lid can hold. Three 15.6-inch FHD panels fold out from a central hub, adding up to four total displays once paired with a laptop screen. Each panel runs independently, supporting extend or clone modes so a spreadsheet, a call, and reference notes each claim space.

A single USB-C connection keeps cable clutter to a minimum, while uniform brightness controls across all three panels mean no single screen fights for attention against the others. It’s the kind of setup that turns a coffee shop table or hotel desk into something resembling a proper workstation, without requiring a suitcase full of dongles or a second trip back to the office for a bigger screen.

Acer prices both productivity tools to slot easily into a home office budget. The EP130K starts at $749 when it arrives in North America during the first quarter of 2027, with EMEA and Australia following at comparable rates. The PD163Q P3 comes in considerably lower at $349, making a three-screen upgrade almost as affordable as a single external monitor from a few years back.

Once work wraps up, the Acer C350e projector picks up where productivity leaves off. Acer built it to double as an AI-powered companion rather than a device that only wakes up during movie night. Its detachable AI Badge doubles as a remote control and stays active between screenings, cycling through personal photos, useful widgets, and Google Gemini-powered interactions even when nothing is being projected onto a wall.

When it is running, the C350e pushes Full HD resolution through an 8,000-lumen LED light source, with 360-degree rotation and 120-degree tilting that make setup painless in tight apartments or backyard movie nights alike. Auto focus and 4-corner correction handle the fussy geometry automatically, while a 30,000-hour lamp life means it’ll outlast several rounds of furniture rearranging before finally needing a replacement bulb.

Pricing follows the same accessible logic. Acer lists the C350e at €199 (around $215) for EMEA buyers, undercutting most portable projectors with comparable lumen counts. That price makes the AI Badge feel like a bonus rather than a justification for the cost, a smart move for a device competing against projectors that only turn on when something needs to be shown on a wall.

Acer Iconia X16-21

Acer Iconia X16-21

Rounding out the lineup, Acer’s Iconia tablets split into two clear tiers built around the same entertainment and education goals. The premium Iconia X16 and X14 pack OLED screens into a metal chassis, running on MediaTek Helio G80 silicon with dual USB Type-C ports, one dedicated purely to video input for easy screen casting during homework sessions or weekend movie marathons.

Acer Iconia X14-21

Acer Iconia X14-21

The entry-level Iconia A16 and A14 carry the same processor and port layout into a Vapor Silver chassis with IPS displays instead, trading OLED contrast for a friendlier price point without giving up the tripod kickstand design both series share. That kickstand, paired with optional styluses and attachable keyboards, turns either tablet into a portable classroom, a couch companion for reading, or a yoga mat sidekick during a guided session.

Acer Iconia A16-21

Acer Iconia A16-21

Acer Iconia A14-21

Acer Iconia A14-21

Seen together, these seven devices treat screens less like fixed appliances and more like furniture that rearranges itself around whatever someone needs next. Acer’s decision to launch a paper-like monitor, a folding triple-screen rig, an AI-infused projector, and four tablets on the same stage suggests the company is betting that flexibility, not raw specs, is what actually makes technology feel personal.

The post Acer’s IFA 2026 Spans Paper-Like Monitors to a Rubber Duck Projector first appeared on Yanko Design.

BenQ Just Made a $189 iMac Light Bar That Looks Like Apple Designed It

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The iMac has always had a light bar problem. You could put any number of BenQ ScreenBars on top of one, but they’d cover the camera, block the microphone, or clip over the Apple logo on the back. None of them were made for it. The BenQ iScreenBar is the first that actually is, and it arrives at $189, looking like it was designed by the same people who designed the computer it sits on.

The construction makes the case immediately. Unibody aluminum with a glass touch panel, finished in Silver to match the iMac directly, mounting via a custom magnetic clamp on the back rather than a standard monitor clip. A magnetic cable clip routes the USB-C power cord out of view. The rear logo, the camera, and the microphone all remain unobstructed. It’s the kind of detail that should have been obvious from the start but apparently wasn’t until now.

Designer: BenQ

Compatibility is specifically tuned to the 24-inch iMac from 2021 onward. That USB-C connection does more than just carry power. It lets the iScreenBar communicate with the iMac directly, enabling a dedicated macOS app for software control of brightness and color temperature. It also means the light bar knows when the camera is active, which feeds into one of the more useful features here.

That feature is Video Mode. When the iMac’s built-in webcam turns on, the iScreenBar automatically shifts its output to reduce bright spots on the user’s face, giving calls and recordings a more balanced, flattering light rather than the harsh overhead glow that most desk setups produce. Nobody wants to look like they’re being interrogated from below during a team call, and Video Mode addresses that without any manual intervention.

The light itself uses BenQ’s ASYM-Light optical design, which angles illumination downward toward the desk rather than toward the screen. That means no glare, no hotspots reflecting back from the display, and lighting that reaches an area of roughly 33.5in x 19.7in at 500 lux. The glass touch panel on the bar handles brightness and color temperature adjustments directly, and auto-dimming keeps the workspace at a consistent level as conditions change.

Blue and Green colorways, two of the iMac’s most popular colors, are planned for late 2026. The Silver version is the only one available at launch, which is also the most versatile option since it matches every iMac color reasonably well. For buyers committed to a Blue or Green iMac, the wait might be worth it for a more cohesive result, but the Silver still looks deliberately matched rather than generically attached.

BenQ’s existing ScreenBar lineup has been a reference point in desk lighting for years, with options ranging from $109 for the standard bar to $179 for the Halo 2 and $289 for the new ScreenBar Max built for dual-monitor setups. The iScreenBar slots in at $189, making it competitive with the premium end of that range while offering something none of the others can: a mount that actually fits the iMac the way it was intended, rather than sitting on top of it like an afterthought.

The post BenQ Just Made a $189 iMac Light Bar That Looks Like Apple Designed It first appeared on Yanko Design.

Get Ready for the Color E Ink Monitor That Finally Runs at 60fps

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E Ink displays have earned a devoted following among people who spend long hours reading or writing. The technology produces virtually no flicker, doesn’t use the same harsh backlight as a typical LCD or OLED, and is considerably easier on the eyes over extended sessions. The catch has always been speed; these screens refresh slowly, making them suitable for e-readers but impractical for real-time interaction.

Color E Ink made things more complicated. Adding a color layer came at the cost of even slower refresh rates, keeping these monitors firmly in the reading-only category for most users. Bigme’s B251 Pro takes direct aim at that limitation, pushing a 25.3-inch color E Ink screen to reach up to 60 frames per second, a meaningful first for this panel type.

Designer: Bigme

The screen uses Kaleido 3 technology at a 3200×1800 resolution, and at 145 DPI, it’s modest by LCD standards but respectable for E Ink, where the color filter layer tends to soften detail. The panel supports 4,096 colors and 16 levels of grayscale, while an adjustable front light with warm and cool modes lets you set the tone for your workspace.

What 60 frames per second changes practically is the range of tasks the monitor can handle without resistance. Scrolling through a long document doesn’t leave a trail of ghost images. A video clip doesn’t dissolve into motion blur on every cut. It’s not yet the fluidity of an LCD, but it’s the first time a color E Ink monitor has felt fast enough for an ordinary workday.

The B251 Pro accepts input through HDMI and DisplayPort. The USB-C port is reserved for firmware updates only, not video signal, which is worth knowing before assuming you can use it with a laptop’s Thunderbolt port. A wireless mirroring option covers that gap for cable-free setups, and the monitor ships with a remote control for switching display modes from your desk.

Spend enough hours at a standard monitor and eye strain becomes a familiar background discomfort: dull headaches, dry eyes, and that particular kind of fatigue that sets in before the day is even over. The B251 Pro is built for people in that position, specifically those whose work keeps them at a screen for most of the day and who’ve started looking for a less punishing alternative.

Bigme lists the B251 Pro at $1,599, currently reduced to $1,279 at launch. That’s a significant sum for a monitor that tops out at 4,096 colors and 145 DPI, and it won’t appeal to anyone who needs accurate color for professional photo or video work. For people who simply need a large, easy-to-live-with display and have started counting the hours their eyes spend under artificial light, the math looks different.

The B251 Pro doesn’t ask you to trade speed for eye comfort, and that compromise has defined this category since its beginning. Writers, coders, and anyone whose work is mostly text and reference material will find the 60FPS upgrade more compelling than any spec sheet can convey. The original B251 already built a devoted following at lower speeds; this version gives that crowd considerably less to apologize for.

The post Get Ready for the Color E Ink Monitor That Finally Runs at 60fps first appeared on Yanko Design.

This $789 Portable Monitor Still Works Outdoors With Its Backlight Off

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Portable monitors have become a practical extension of the laptop workflow, letting you carry a second screen to coffee shops, airports, and co-working spaces. The catch is that almost every portable monitor on the market uses a standard LCD or OLED panel, which means bright environments are its natural enemy. Step outside on a sunny afternoon or sit beside a sun-drenched window, and the glare turns your screen into a mirror.

The Radiant Monitor 2 takes a fundamentally different approach to that problem. Rather than packing in more backlight power to overpower sunlight, it uses a transflective LCD panel, a display technology that works with ambient light instead of against it. The brighter the environment, the better the image becomes, which flips the script on how portable monitors have traditionally handled outdoor conditions.

Designer: Eazeye

The panel pairs transflective LCD technology with Eazeye’s proprietary UHR™ coating, which helps the display channel ambient light into better visibility, reduce glare, and sharpen image clarity without leaning on its LED backlight. On particularly sunny days, you can switch the backlight off entirely, dropping power consumption down to around 3W, and the screen remains fully usable, bright, and legible.

That backlight isn’t an afterthought, though. Eazeye fitted the Radiant Monitor 2 with a custom full-spectrum LED strip that uses a natural daylight spectrum and emits low blue light, making evening work sessions noticeably easier on the eyes. At full brightness, it draws around 8W, which is modest for a portable monitor, and it pairs with a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 5ms response time.

Imagine working from a café with floor-to-ceiling windows, the kind of place where a regular monitor becomes completely unworkable midday. The Radiant Monitor 2 handles this without any special positioning or shade hunting. Plug it in via USB-C or HDMI, prop it up with the redesigned magnetic folio stand, and it’s ready in seconds. The 10-point capacitive touchscreen adds another layer of interaction without needing a mouse.

E Ink monitors are the other common choice for eye-friendly screens, but they top out at around 1 to 10 Hz, making them choppy and impractical for scrolling, video, or general multitasking. The Radiant Monitor 2 runs at 60 Hz with smooth, ghost-free performance that holds up through video calls, spreadsheets, and anything else that demands a responsive, full-color display without the visual noise of dithered E Ink output.

The monitor weighs 1.7kg and sits in a gray aluminum frame, durable enough for daily travel without feeling overbuilt. The magnetic folio doubles as a stand, redesigned to be more stable and easier to position than the original. Connectivity covers USB-C and HDMI inputs, with 75mm x 75mm VESA compatibility for desk setups, and an optional height-adjustable stand is sold separately for $99.

The Radiant Monitor 2 retails for $789, which puts it well above the typical portable monitor price range and reflects the specialized nature of its display technology. The 65-degree viewing angles are noticeably narrower than standard LCD panels, so it’s best experienced head-on. It’s one of the few portable monitors that doesn’t ask you to find a darker spot every time the sun gets too bright.

The post This $789 Portable Monitor Still Works Outdoors With Its Backlight Off first appeared on Yanko Design.

PC Gamers Have Too Many Windows, ROG’s $199 Screen Fixes That

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Gaming setups have grown considerably more complex, and the demands on screen real estate have grown right along with them. A serious session today might involve a game running on the main display, a chat window competing for space, system performance stats tucked into a corner, and a streaming interface sharing the same screen. Managing all of it in one place means cluttered desktops and tab-switching at exactly the wrong moments.

ROG’s answer to this is the Strix XG129C, a 12.3-inch secondary touchscreen designed to sit beneath a primary monitor and take over all those support duties. Rather than competing for real estate on the main screen, it gives peripheral information its own dedicated space, keeping the game in full focus without losing sight of everything running alongside it. It’s a small display with a very specific job in mind.

Designer: ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers)

The screen uses a 24:9 aspect ratio with a 1920 x 720 resolution, a less common format that works decidedly in its favor here. Unlike typical 32:9 companion displays, this configuration provides more vertical viewing area, which means less scrolling through chat threads, fewer black bars on 16:9 content, and a layout that reads more naturally at a glance. A slim profile and adjustable kickstand let it slide neatly under most primary monitors.

The XG129C comes bundled with a one-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription, a hardware monitoring tool that turns the screen into a live readout of CPU temperatures, GPU load, fan speeds, memory usage, and more. For anyone running demanding games or keeping an eye on thermals, having that data on a separate screen rather than overlaid onto the game changes the experience considerably. It stays visible without ever getting in the way.

Live streamers and content creators get a different kind of value from the XG129C. Discord conversations, OBS controls, viewer chat, and music playback can all live on this screen while the main display stays dedicated to whatever’s being recorded or played. Tapping the screen to adjust a streaming setting or mute a channel doesn’t require switching windows or minimizing anything, keeping the workflow moving without interruption.

The 10-point multi-touch IPS panel handles that kind of interaction with enough precision for hotkeys, app shortcuts, and quick swipe inputs. Reaching over to pull up a game guide, tap a lighting shortcut, or adjust a fan profile doesn’t require a mouse or keyboard, which matters when both hands are on a controller or tied up on the main display. It responds the way a well-built touchscreen should.

A single hybrid USB-C cable handles power, video, and touch data simultaneously, keeping the desk clean and the cable run minimal. There’s also a second USB-C port with 20W Power Delivery and an HDMI 1.2 port for broader device compatibility. For setups where desk placement isn’t straightforward, a built-in 1/4-inch tripod socket makes it possible to mount the display on an arm or stand instead.

The IPS panel covers 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 125% of sRGB, notably strong for a display that isn’t the main event. Colors hold up alongside most primary monitors without the visual mismatch that cheaper companion screens tend to produce. It earned a Red Dot Award in the gaming and streaming design category, and at around $199, it’s a focused solution for setups that have simply outgrown a single screen.

The post PC Gamers Have Too Many Windows, ROG’s $199 Screen Fixes That first appeared on Yanko Design.

The best monitors for every budget in 2025

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We spend a lot of time staring at our screens, so it’s worth finding one that actually feels good to use. The right monitor can make your desk setup feel faster, brighter and easier on the eyes, whether you’re deep into spreadsheets, watching a show or chasing higher frame rates in your favorite game.

What the best monitor means, though, depends on what you do. Gamers might want smooth, fast refresh rates. Creators usually prioritize color accuracy. Office workers and students just need something clear, comfortable and reliable. Thankfully, monitors in 2025 cover all of those needs, with options that range from compact 24-inch displays to massive ultrawides built for serious multitasking.

We’ve tested a variety of monitors across price ranges and use cases to find the ones that stand out for everyday use. No matter your budget, setup or screen-size preference, these are the monitors that make your PC, and your time in front of it, a little better.

The cheapest monitors are still TN (twisted nematic), which are strictly for gamers or office use. VA (vertical alignment) monitors are also relatively cheap, while offering good brightness and a high contrast ratio. However, content creators will find that LCD, IPS displays (in-plane switching) deliver better color accuracy, pixel density, picture quality and wide viewing angles — making them a strong option for general computer monitor use.

If maximum brightness is important, a quantum dot LCD display is the way to go — those are typically found in larger displays. OLED panels are now available and offer the best blacks and color reproduction, but they lack the brightness of LED or quantum dot displays. Plus, they’re expensive. The latest type of OLED monitor, called QD-OLED from Samsung, is now common among gaming monitors. The most notable advantage is that it can get a lot brighter, with recent models hitting up to 1,000 nits+ of peak brightness.

MiniLEDs are now widely used in high-end displays. They’re similar to quantum dot tech, but as the name suggests, it uses smaller LED diodes that are just 0.2mm in diameter. As such, manufacturers can pack in up to three times more LEDs with more local dimming zones, delivering deeper blacks and better contrast. MiniLED displays also tend to offer excellent backlight control, making them a great choice for HDR content and video editing.

Where 24-inch displays used to be more or less standard (and can still be useful for basic computing), 27-, 32-, 34- and even 42-inch displays have become popular for entertainment, content creation and even gaming these days.

Nearly every monitor used to be 16:9, but it’s now possible to find 16:10 and other more exotic display shapes. On the gaming and entertainment side, we’re also seeing curved monitors and widescreen ultrawide monitors with aspect ratios like 21:9. If you do decide to buy an ultrawide display, however, keep in mind that a 30-inch 21:9 model is the same height as a 24-inch monitor, so you might end up with a smaller display than you expected.

A 4K monitor is nearly a must for content creators, and some folks are even going for 5K or all the way up to 8K. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need a pretty powerful computer with a decent graphics card to drive all those sharp pixels. And 4K higher resolution should be paired with a screen size of 27 inches and up, or you won’t notice much difference between 1440p. At the same time, I wouldn’t get a model larger than 27 inches unless it’s 4K, as you’ll start to see pixelation if you’re working up close to the display. That’s when a lower resolution monitor shows its limits.

One new monitor category to consider is portable monitors designed to be carried and used with laptops. Those typically come in 1080p resolutions and sizes from 13-15 inches. They usually have a lightweight kickstand-type support that folds up to keep things compact and maximize portability and functionality.

HDR adds vibrancy to entertainment and gaming – but be careful before jumping in. Some monitors that claim HDR on their marketing materials don’t even conform to a base standard. To be sure that a display at least meets minimum HDR specs, you’ll want to choose one with a DisplayHDR rating with each tier representing maximum brightness in nits.

However, the lowest DisplayHDR 400 and 500 tiers may disappoint you with a lack of brightness, washed out blacks and mediocre color reproduction. If you can afford it, the best monitor to choose is a model with DisplayHDR 600, 1000 or True Black 400, True Black 500 and True Black 600.

Where televisions typically offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision or HDR10+, most PC monitors only support the HDR10 standard, other than a few (very expensive) models. That doesn’t matter much for content creation or gaming, but HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services won’t look quite as punchy. In addition, the best gaming monitors are usually the ones supporting HDR600 (and up), rather than content creation monitors – with a few exceptions.

High refresh rate is a key feature, particularly on gaming monitors. A bare minimum nowadays is 60Hz, and 80Hz and higher refresh rates are much easier on the eyes. However, most 4K displays top out at 60Hz with some rare exceptions and the HDMI 2.0 spec only supports 4K at 60Hz, so you’d need at least DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 120Hz) or HDMI 2.1. The latter is now available on a number of monitors, particularly gaming displays. However, it’s only supported by the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000- and 4000-series, AMD RX 6000-series GPUs. Support for G-Sync and AMD FreeSync is also something to look for if you want to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering during fast-paced gameplay — especially when paired with a high refresh rate.

There are essentially three types of modern display inputs: Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI. Most monitors built for PCs come with the latter two, while a select few (typically built for Macs) will use Thunderbolt. To add to the confusion, USB-C ports may be Thunderbolt 3, and by extension, DisplayPort compatible, so you may need a USB-C to Thunderbolt or DisplayPort cable adapter depending on your display.

Serious content creators should consider a more costly 10-bit monitor that can display billions of colors. If budget is an issue, you can go for an 8-bit panel that can fake billions of colors via dithering (often spec’d as “8-bit + FRC”). For entertainment or business purposes, a regular 8-bit monitor that can display millions of colors will be fine.

The other aspect of color is the gamut. That expresses the range of colors that can be reproduced and not just the number of colors. Most good monitors these days can cover the sRGB and Rec.709 gamuts (designed for photos and video respectively). For more demanding work, though, you’ll want one that can reproduce more demanding modern gamuts like AdobeRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts, which encompass a wider range of colors. The latter two are often used for film projection and HDR, respectively.

OLED is better than mini-LED in many areas but not all. Here are the advantages of OLED panels:

  • OLED monitors don't have any "blooming" or halos around bright parts of the image.

  • OLEDs have blacks with zero brightness, which is not achievable on mini-LED. That means they also have higher contrast ratios.

  • OLEDs consume less energy.

  • OLEDs have faster response times for gaming.

And here are the advantages of mini-LED monitors:

  • They are brighter (often much brighter), so it can be better for HDR content.

  • They don't suffer from burn-in like OLED can.

This depends on the individual. For normal use, 27-32 inches is the sweet spot. If you're one who likes many windows open at a time (like a stock broker), then you might want to go up to 37 or even 42 inches.

If you need as much speed as possible, a curved monitor lets you rapidly look around the screen without changing focus or moving your head as much compared to a flat screen. It also provides more immersion. The drawback is that curved displays tend to be wider so they take up more desk space. They're also generally more expensive.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-monitor-130006843.html?src=rss