Philips Brilliance 27E3U7903: New 5K monitor could be an Apple Studio Display alternative

With the Brilliance 27E3U7903, Philips is launching a new high-resolution monitor that is clearly aimed at demanding customers and enthusiasts. It’s also a possible alternative to the Apple Studio Display (from $1,499 on Amazon), although the Philips Brilliance 27E3U7903 is not the only product of its kind, as there are similar screens from Asus and some other brands.

The panel measures 27 inches and has a resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels, which should result in a pixel density of 218 PPI and a sharp image quality. According to the manufacturer, the display is not only sharp but also color-accurate. Thanks to Calman Ready compatibility, quick calibration should also be possible. Specifically, the IPS panel covers 99.5% of the Adobe RGB and 99% of the DCI-P3 color space. A color deviation of Delta E < 2 in the sRGB color space is also advertised. That said, Philips does not use a native 10-bit panel but relies on FRC instead.

Due to the IPS technology, the contrast ratio of 2,000:1 is rather limited compared to OLED monitors. Brightness is specified as 500 nits, but the 5K monitor also meets the HDR600 standard. Needless to say, the Philips Brilliance 27E3U7903 is not a gaming monitor, as it has a rather low refresh rate of 70Hz and a slow gray-to-gray response time of 4 milliseconds. In terms of connectivity, Philips opted for HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4 with USB PD with up to 96 watts, a USB hub and Gigabit Ethernet. Daisy-chaining is supported. The new Apple Studio Display rival should become available later this month and will cost €1,159 in Europe.