We live in a time where users demand more and more portability. Smartphones have spoiled us this way — we are so used to having supercomputers in our pockets that, sometimes, it feels jarring that we can’t take our PlayStations with us.
However, a new type of product is currently on the rise that will enhance a digital nomad’s life even more — portable monitors!
Here we have the Innocn N1F-Pro — a display that is so thin and light that you might think it’s a prop. But it is, in fact, a very functional, convenient, energy-efficient, and portable device that can make your life much easier — whether you are on the go, or setting up a small work corner at home.
Design and specs
The Innocn N1F-Pro is only 0.24” thin and weighs just 2 lbs. It’s extremely easy to fit it in pretty much any suitcase, laptop bag, backpack, or any other type of tech bag. Provided, you should plan ahead and keep it in a compartment safe from bumps and bends while in transit.
Its screen is a 15.6-inch LCD touch panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Underneath that screen, there’s a pair of stereo speakers, so if push comes to shove — you always have an audio source on the portable monitor.
On the right side, you can see all the plugs the monitor offers — one USB Type C for power, one for video connection, a Mini HDMI port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the left, there are 3 hardware buttons that let you edit monitor settings like brightness, color balance, audio volume.
Innocn N1F-Pro image quality and use scenarios
The Innocn N1F-Pro has a few color presets to pick from, but also a user setting to let you fine-tune your screen. I opted for the latter and I quickly found a balance that works exactly to my tastes — slightly warm hues, not too saturated, mature tones. But, rest assured, that if you crank that saturation up, you can get very punchy colors if you need to!
The touchscreen portion works like this — when you tap the screen, it “simulates” a left click at that spot immediately. Hey, look at that, I got touchscreen on MacOS! To scroll through pages, you use two fingers, and it works pretty stable with no choppiness or ghost scrolls.
The touchscreen didn’t work well with the iPad Pro I tried it on — I can only assume this is because iPadOS treats messages from a mouse differently. Then again, iPadOS is also severely limited for external monitors because it just mirrors the main screen. Maybe Apple will fix that one day.
Looking at the Innocn N1F-Pro at an arm’s length — you can definitely tell that the pixels aren’t too dense, especially if you eyes have been spoiled by a MacBook Retina screen. However, the Innocn N1F-Pro makes up for that with its energy-efficiency and light physical weight.
See, if you only plug the monitor into your main device via the video USB port, the Innocn N1F-Pro will still power on, drawing power from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. This is an incredibly convenient use case, for times you only need to plug in for a short while and don’t want to deal with a plethora of cables. Be aware, that the N1F-Pro will not be able to reach its peak brightness in this mode — it will cap out at around 70%, since your mobile device can’t provide enough power for it to go further.
On the other hand, if you are setting up a work desk — the Innocn N1F-Pro works as a sort of a mini hub. If you plug its power source in it will be able to power your main device through the second USB C connection. So, you can have a permanent working spot set up with the N1F-Pro and always be assured that your device will be charging up while you are working.
Speaking of energy-efficiency, imagine my shock when I found out that I can power the Innocn N1F-Pro via the USB outputs of my PlayStation 4. In the picture below, I am only using two cables — an HDMI to Mini HDMI cable (comes in the box) to connect the PS4 to the monitor, and a USB B to USB C from the front to power the N1F-Pro. I did not need to go through the trouble of plugging the monitor into its own power outlet.
So, this immediately opens up different options for traveling gamers, or for taking your gaming sessions in quiet corners of the house. Not to mention, this will work great with Valve’s Steam Deck or a Nintendo Switch and a dock.Lastly, let’s not forget about Samsung’s DeX mode — now available to all Samsung flagships through nothing but a USB C connection. We’ve continuously tried to incorporate DeX in some fashion, and a portable monitor makes great sense here. Imagine only carrying a small Bluetooth keyboard, this thin monitor, and your regular Samsung phone. Set up in a hotel room and you have a working desk.
Whichever you pick, they are great portable choices for someone who’s looking to set up a tech corner in their house that doesn’t take up too much space or need a lot of power outlets. Or someone who’s going away for a month and would rather take their PlayStation with them.
Or, you can make yourself a cheap Mac system — just get a Mac mini and hook it up to the Innocn portrable monitor. It has the benefit of being super-easy to transport, so it’d be sort of a portable iMac that doesn’t break the bank.
