ASUS ZenScreen GO MB16AP review: A portable display that won't drain your PC battery

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ASUS ZenScreen GO MB16AP review: A portable display that won't drain your PC battery

If you similar working with multiple displays, you can now do so while traveling, thanks to the ZenScreen Go.

The idea of portable displays is relatively new and information technology is because of the rising of USB Type-C, which allows ability and data to flow through a single cable. Looking on Amazon, you tin can discover nearly a dozen such devices, including ones from HP, which we recently reviewed, AOC and ASUS.

The ASUS ZenScreen GO MB16AP is strikingly similar to last twelvemonth'southward ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC, which we also reviewed, save for i affair: a congenital-in battery. The ZenScreen GO MB16AP packs a 7,800 mAh internal battery that can power itself for up to four hours without draining your laptop battery. And it can at present piece of work with Android phones, too.

Second screening

ASUS ZenScreen Become MB16AP

From $299

Lesser line: ASUS added an internal bombardment to its pop portable display, and while information technology'southward even so an odd device, it's much more useful this yr.

Pros:

Light and portable.
Tin use Type-C or Blazon-A ports.
Doesn't bleed laptop battery.
Works with Android smartphones.

Cons:

Origami cover is just OK.
Pen-stand is weird.
No touch support.
Build quality is poor.

Who needs a ZenScreen Go?

Before we bound in, permit's talk virtually why portable displays exist, and who they are for.

Many of u.s.a. work backside desktops with two or fifty-fifty three monitors. This lets you glance at ever-irresolute data like visitor messaging rooms, Twitter, stocks, and video, on the side while focusing on a word processing app in the center. Once you lot switch to this style of piece of work, information technology's hard to break information technology, and a portable brandish for travel makes such a transition easier.

Other uses include traveling business folks who don't always have access to a wall projector or Idiot box. Having a secondary display – that is as well larger than your laptop's – can be useful. Some programmers like to use a secondary display in vertical orientation so they tin see more code.

ZenScreen Get specs

The ZenScreen Become is a 15.6-inch Full Hard disk IPS brandish with reasonable color accuracy and a magnetic smart comprehend that wraps effectually the front and back to protect it.

It's powered by a USB Type-C cablevision (included) that is used for data and to recharge the internal battery. That battery is well-nigh twice the size of a loftier-end smartphone bombardment these days. Information technology can also exist quickly charged cheers to the inclusion of Quick Charge 3.0.

Category	ZenScreen Become MB16AP
Console size	Wide Screen 15.6 in (39.6 cm) 16:ix
Console blazon	IPS Flicker free
True resolution	1920 ten 1080
Brandish viewing expanse (H x V)	344.xvi mm x 193.59 mm
Display surface	Glare
Pixel pitch	0.179 mm
Brightness (Max)	220 cd/㎡
Contrast ratio (Max)	800:1
Video preset modes	nine modes (sRGB Mode/Scenery Way/Theater Mode/Standard Mode/Night View Mode/Game Mode/Reading Mode/Darkroom Mode/ECO mode)
Low blueish light	Yes
HDCP support	Aye
Auto-rotate	Yes
Weight	0.85 kg (1.87 lbs) 1.29 kg (2.83 lbs) west/encompass

The specs are modest but in line with other productivity-focused portable displays. While a higher resolution would be welcomed, the bespeak of this screen is to make that internal bombardment concluding longer, and a sharper brandish would negate that characteristic.

ZenScreen Go USB-A hush-hush sauce

The ZenScreen Get comes with a USB Type-A adapter in the box. When combined with some Asus software drivers, the display tin be used on older laptops that do not have a USB Type-C port. Using this on the Surface Pro or Surface Laptop, for instance, is now doable. That's non possible with other portable displays like HP's very adept EliteDisplay S14, which is a shame.

If, notwithstanding, you have a USB Type-C port and information technology supports display-out, using the ZenScreen Become is a pure plug-and-play experience with no extra drivers needed.

ZenScreen Go now for Android

The downside to a portable display with a single Blazon-C port is it cannot be used on Android (or even Windows) phones. Smartphones cannot output that much power to run a 15.half-dozen-inch display and continue running.

That trouble goes away once you lot give the ZenScreen Go its own seven,800 mAh battery. Now, when you lot plug information technology into a Samsung Galaxy Note9, it jumps into Samsung DeX for a full-screen experience. Add a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you lot have a semi-PC-like arrangement that's extremely portable.

This feature works with other Android phones, too, but you volition need to apply the Asus software APK or download a 3rd-party screen app. That experience is merely mirroring your Android telephone, but it'due south nonetheless useful, particularly in vertical mode.

So should yous buy ZenScreen Get?

Coming in at just under two pounds, the ZenScreen Go is non super low-cal, only it'south not heavy either. Most of that weight comes from the double-sided cover, which is needed to protect it during transport.

That encompass is also the origami-blazon that folds in on itself to act equally a kickstand. While not a terrible solution, there's a reason why the Surface Pro uses a built-in kickstand with a hinge, and such a pattern would work amend here.

Of course, y'all could ditch the embrace and utilize the included ASUS pen (not a stylus) to prop upwardly the ZenScreen Get. ASUS did this before on the previous version, and it'south weird as heck, merely it does work. I retrieve it's a messy solution that'south non very elegant, but it'south smashing in a compression.

Both the cover and pen trick work when used in landscape or propping up the brandish in a vertical orientation. The screen has a gyroscope congenital in so it auto-rotates, which is cool. You can also disable information technology if it bothers you.

The brandish is decently vivid but won't piece of work that well exterior in the sunshine. The colors are surprisingly punchy with good contrast, making it great for video.

ASUS offers loads of presets and configuration options. Every aspect of brightness, sharpness, and contrast, can be configured, and nine dissimilar presets let you lot speedily bound between movie mode, sRGB, gaming, and more than.

That configuration is done using the on-display buttons and menu items, which, every bit with all monitors, is ho-hum. Merely users can install the ASUS DisplayWidget software that lets you do it all on your main PC's screen through mouse clicks.

The battery for the ZenScreen Go is large enough to power the display on its own for an estimated 4 hours. In my experience, that's shut but information technology depends on your effulgence settings. Having that bombardment means you don't demand to drain your laptop'due south power, but that's besides an pick. When you first plug information technology in, the display asks which you would like to use to power the screen. If the display's battery dies, information technology volition merely draw power from the laptop.

Similar all things ASUS, the details in design get out us wanting. The bezels await cheap, the origami cover is weird, and the pen-stand feature is unusual.

That said, the USB-A hybrid indicate solution is unique and essential for those of who have older laptops (or a Surface Pro). The screen looks really good for video, photos, or reading, and the software options for configuration requite you lot command over everything.

What'due south great about the battery it is it doesn't experience like a cede. This year'due south model is 2.83 lbs versus last yr'due south battery-free model at ii.8 lbs. Information technology is more expensive, though, coming in at $300 instead of $250. There's too nothing else really on the marketplace that offers this feature prepare, and so that's maybe worth the extra greenbacks.

ASUS is supposed to release a touch-enabled version of this display sometime in the side by side year that also supports inking. That screen volition probable be even more expensive, but it will open the door for some new abilities.

Whether a portable secondary display is worth it to you depends on your profession and piece of work habits, but if you need one and want something this size, the ASUS ZenScreen Get gets the job done, and information technology does it well.

Moar screens

ASUS ZenScreen Go

A portable screen that doesn't bleed your laptop'southward battery then you can piece of work longer.

The ASUS ZenScreen Go has a 7,800 mAh battery that doesn't depict power from your laptop and lets you utilize it with a smartphone. There'due south no other product similar it, and it but works.

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