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Deal | Lepow Z1 1080p portable monitor on sale for US$189 to be a cheap and handy secondary display

Lepow Z1 1080p portable monitor on sale for US$189 USD to be a handy secondary monitor (Source: Amazon)
Lepow Z1 1080p portable monitor on sale for US$189 USD to be a handy secondary monitor (Source: Amazon)
Although it's marketed as being portable, the Lepow Z1 can still make for a good monitor on almost any desk setup because of its flexibility and small footprint.

Amazon is now offering the Lepow Z1 portable monitor for $10 USD off the original launch price of $200. The manufacturer has sent us a test unit for our honest impressions.

Manufacturer specifications:

  • 15.6-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, 60 Hz
  • 72% NTSC color gamut
  • Mini-HDMI, 1x USB-C (Power only), 1x USB-C (DP + PD), 3.5 mm audio
  • 368 x 225 x 8.8 mm
  • 770 g

Build quality is pretty good due to the metal backing and trims while the included folio case helps to further protect the monitor. You'll still have to be careful with the matte screen, however, as it is easy to damage or scratch since there is no glass protection.

Connecting the Z1 to a laptop can be confusing at first. Although there are two USB-C ports, only the port on the left edge is compatible with video while the port on the right is for power only. The manufacturer should make both USB-C ports compatible with video for more flexibility. Additionally, the Z1 integrates mini-HDMI which is much less common than full-size HDMI.

100.6
cd/m²
98.1
cd/m²
100.3
cd/m²
95.4
cd/m²
96.4
cd/m²
94.7
cd/m²
101.3
cd/m²
102.1
cd/m²
96.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 102.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 98.3 cd/m² Minimum: 29.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Contrast: 964:1 (Black: 0.1 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.92
ΔE Greyscale 5.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
42.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.46
Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Image quality is a mixed bag when connected to our Razer Blade 18 as the host PC. Firstly, brightness is very low at just around 100 nits even when set to the maximum brightness setting. Using the provided AC adapter power source would not improve the brightness results. Furthermore, color coverage is narrow at just 62 percent of sRGB.

The model does not come pre-calibrated out of the box which is to be expected because of its affordable price. Color temperature in particular is far too cool. Owners can try applying our calibrated ICM profile above to get more accurate colors from the Z1.

Black-white response times
Black-white response times
Gray-to-gray response times
Gray-to-gray response times
PWM present on very low brightness levels
PWM present on very low brightness levels
IPS viewing angles
IPS viewing angles

Black-white and gray-gray response times are relatively slow as well. A pulse-width modulation of 1006 Hz is present on brightness level 7 or dimmer.

The built-in speakers are unsurprisingly weak and with almost no bass. They're good enough for quieter indoor office spaces, but they're nowhere near powerful enough for outdoor use.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. P3
vs. P3
Matte subpixel array
Matte subpixel array

Based on our measurements and time with the Z1, the monitor is at its best as a secondary screen for coding, emailing, spreadsheets, web browsing, and other activities where fast response times and accurate colors are not priority. The occasional video or undemanding game also don't hurt, but the low brightness of the screen makes it difficult to view such content especially if ambient lighting can't be controlled.

For a brighter display with more accurate colors, the Innocn OLED may be a worthwhile alternative. It is, of course, noticeably more expensive.

Lepow Z1
1920x1080, 15.60
GMK KD2 Portable Monitor
3840x2160, 15.60
Vissles Monitor 15.6
1920x1080, 15.60
Ananta 17.3-inch Touchscreen Portable Monitor
RTK3B3A, , 1920x1080, 17.30
AirTab Portable Monitor 15.6-inch
1920x1080, 15.60
Display
108%
12%
79%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
41.1
92.3
125%
47.33
15%
78.8
92%
40.72
-1%
sRGB Coverage
61.8
100
62%
66.4
7%
100
62%
61
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.4
100
136%
48.6
15%
77.6
83%
42.11
-1%
Response Times
26%
-7%
784%
4%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40.1 ?(18.8, 21.3)
55.6 ?(30, 25.6)
-39%
41.2 ?(22.8, 18.4)
-3%
38.4 ?(20, 18.4)
4%
36 ?(18, 18)
10%
Response Time Black / White *
30.4 ?(17.5, 12.9)
38.8 ?(22.4, 16.4)
-28%
35.2 ?(22.4, 12.8)
-16%
26.8 ?(18, 8.8)
12%
31.2 ?(19.6, 11.6)
-3%
PWM Frequency
1006
2451 ?(30)
144%
1000 ?(99)
-1%
24510 ?(20)
2336%
1042 ?(20)
4%
Screen
55%
0%
21%
-1%
Brightness middle
96.4
415.1
331%
248.1
157%
244.6
154%
206.5
114%
Brightness
98
412
320%
237
142%
231
136%
198
102%
Brightness Distribution
93
91
-2%
91
-2%
88
-5%
88
-5%
Black Level *
0.1
0.36
-260%
0.28
-180%
0.27
-170%
0.33
-230%
Contrast
964
1153
20%
886
-8%
906
-6%
626
-35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.2
5.93
-14%
6.85
-32%
3.7
29%
4.25
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
17.31
8.64
50%
20.8
-20%
9.36
46%
18.11
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.92
1.48
62%
5.69
-45%
3.08
21%
4.08
-4%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.2
5.6
-8%
5.8
-12%
6.1
-17%
3.1
40%
Gamma
2.46 89%
2.18 101%
2.34 94%
2.24 98%
2.31 95%
CCT
7317 89%
5820 112%
6402 102%
8089 80%
6994 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
42.8
69.8
38.7
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
65.8
100
60.8
Total Average (Program / Settings)
63% / 60%
2% / 1%
295% / 185%
1% / 0%

* ... smaller is better

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 03 > Lepow Z1 1080p portable monitor on sale for US$189 to be a cheap and handy secondary display
Allen Ngo, 2023-03-12 (Update: 2023-03-12)