Monitor2Go Hands On: A 15.6-inch, 1600 x 900 Mobile Display for Laptops, Smartphones, and Tablets

January 12th, 2012 by Kenneth Butler, LAPTOP Web Producer/Writer

LAS VEGAS — Guess MMT thought last year’s Monitor2Go just wasn’t mobile enough. That 15-inch display connected extended laptop screens via USB and folded up neatly to carry from city to city with ease. Now the company’s back with a new Monitor2Go that works with any mobile device, including an iPad, iPhone, Android phone or tablet.

You’ll have to see it to believe it, but the panel in the new Monitor2Go made us stop in our tracks at CES 2012. The 1600 x 900 pixel resolution might have something to do with that. It was bright, crystal clear and the coloring was lush and accurate. The fact that the device was presently connected to iPhone 4S via an HDMI adapter was an even bigger shocker.

All told, the Monitor2Go offers HDMI input, USB mini-B input, two USB A inputs and audio out, which allows it to daisy chain up to six other monitors. To plug in a tablet or smartphone without an HDMI port (like the iPad or iPhone), users will need an HDMI adapter. Also, since there’s no built-in audio, pairing the monitor with a phone or tablet means you’ll want to connect peripheral speakers for better audio. Still, this display might be worth the extra scratch, especially when docking a tablet. Larger touchscreen devices like those get docked on the bottom of the device. How do you use the tablet if it’s below the Monitor2Go, you ask? There’s a cut-out along the bottom that lets you manipulate the touchscreen.

The new Monitor2Go is very thin, just 1 inch thick. Throw in a weight of 3 pounds, and you’ve got a new portable display that’s significantly less hefty than its 4.2 pound predecessor. The less weight, the better, we say. Also helping out in that department is an aluminum chassis that looks sturdier but also makes things somewhat clunky. MMT says it’s still working on the look and feel of the chassis. We did appreciate the revised single-column stand, though. It’s got a more modern design that takes up less space but works well all the same.

Look for the new Monitor 2 Go sometime in the second quarter when it will ship for less than $300.