Review: AOpen 15.6 inch portable monitor – a great addition to a mobile gaming setup

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Nowadays, there are all kinds of portable monitor options available for those of us looking for an extra screen that we can take with us on the go. Today, I’m going to be taking a look at one of those monitors, the AOpen 15.6-inch touchscreen portable monitor.

This particular model, the 16PM6QT, features a full HD 1080p display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It features a wired connection, either through Mini HDMI or USB-C, and has a fully adjustable stand so you can place it at the perfect viewing angle.

At $261.99, this monitor offers decent portability and versatility with its connections and touchscreen capabilities. I’ve been using the monitor with my laptop and cellphone for a little over a week now, so let’s see what I’ve found.

The AOpen 16PM6QT has great color

First, I want to talk about how the AOpen 16PM6QT (I’m just going to call it the AOpen monitor from here on out because that model is a pain in the ass to type) looks. The monitor has an ultra-slim design, at just a little over half an inch in width. It also features an IPS display, so the picture stays nice and clear from just about any angle.

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The monitor also only weighs about 2.5 pounds, which is definitely a plus in terms of portability. It comes with a nice, cloth case so you can be sure that it’s not going to scratch while you’re transporting it around.

The monitor is also extremely versatile. It features both a USB-C and Mini HDMI port as input connections, so you can connect just about anything, from a phone to a laptop to even a gaming console, and you’ll be good to go.

I’ve used the AOpen monitor mainly on my laptop, but I have tried it out on my phone a few times. The touchscreen works really well, and I’m able to navigate my Samsung Galaxy S20 using the monitor just like I would my phone.

This model of the AOpen monitor also has a speaker at the base. The included speaker is nothing to write home about and I definitely preferred my laptop over it, but it will get the job done in a pinch. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack that you can use to hook up a headset or a pair of headphones.

The monitor’s portability is somewhat questionable

Calling this monitor portable is definitely fair, considering its lightweight aspect and the versatility that comes along with it. But I can’t quite get over the fact that it needs a power supply.

And it seems like the power needed is pretty substantial. I tried powering the monitor both with my laptop and with a couple of power banks that I had lying around to no avail. So far, the only way that I’ve found to power the AOpen monitor is through the USB-C power adapter that came with the monitor.

And while we’re on the topic of the provided cords, the cables that come with the AOpen monitor are pretty short. I found that my options were pretty limited when hooking up the device to my laptop, either via Mini HDMI or USB-C. The cords just didn’t provide enough length to adjust the monitor the way I wanted to.

Again, I tried some longer USB-C cables for the display to see if they would work, but to no avail. The AOpen monitor’s handbook says to be sure and use the cables provided for the monitor to work correctly, and that seems to be pretty good advice.

Should you buy the AOpen monitor?

Even though the term “portable” is used pretty loosely when describing the AOpen monitor, that doesn’t mean that this monitor doesn’t have a place.

Sure, there are probably better options to at if all you are looking for is a second monitor for your laptop. When using a laptop, it’s nice to not have to worry about finding an additional power source to boot up a monitor. So an option that doesn’t require an extra power source, like the Duex Plus, might be better for a laptop.

But this isn’t just an extra monitor for your laptop. It features an extra level of versatility that makes it capable of being used with many other devices. The touchscreen aspect of the AOpen monitor makes it a great option for making your phone screen bigger.

I could also see this monitor being really useful for gaming on the go. It is lightweight and portable and can be set up virtually anywhere with a power outlet. The AOpen monitor could be a nice upgrade for people playing games either on their smartphones or on something like the Nintendo Switch.

So the AOpen monitor really fills a unique role. It’s not as portable as some monitors, with its additional power requirements, but it could definitely make for a good portable monitor for gaming on a Nintendo Switch or a smartphone.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.