Disclaimer: The Innocn portable monitor was sent to us to be reviewed and tested. This is our honest review and opinion of this product after testing and using it.
This Portable Monitor By Innocn Makes A Dual Monitor Setup Possible Anywhere
Today I am reviewing a product in a category we haven’t touched before, the portable monitor market.
The Innocn N1F Pro is a portable 15.6″ touchscreen monitor with a built-in stand. It folds and becomes extremely slim, which makes it easy to put it in a backpack before heading to the park, or the coffee shop.
Use coupon code N1F20INC for $50 off your purchase
It can be used not only as a secondary external monitor, but also the main monitor to something like a gaming console or a desktop computer. Since it accepts input via both mini HDMI and USB C, it’s compatible with a lot of different devices.
During my tests for this review, I tested the Innocn monitor with my MacBook laptop (USB C), Nintendo Switch (HDMI), Oneplus phone (USB C to HDMI), PlayStation 5 (HDMI) and Gigabyte gaming laptop (HDMI).
With a device like my 13-inch MacBook Air, it does not need to be plugged into power since the USB C delivers both power and video. Depending on your device, or if you use the mini HDMI port, you need to power the display with the included power brick or a compatible USB C PD portable power bank.
The touchscreen functionality makes it possible to use your computer like a tablet on Windows 10. Note that the touch functionalities does not work with Mac OS X, but you can still use it as a display.
Innocn also sells an OLED version, the Innocn PU15-PRE. Innocn gave us a coupon code to share with our readers for $120 off: INCMT15RE
Without further ado, let’s start by taking a look at the specifications of this portable monitor. Then I’ll share my thoughts, what do I like and dislike?
Innocn N1F Pro – Specifications
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Features
The Screen
The display used on the Innocn N1F Pro is a 15.6″ touch-enabled IPS screen. Its refresh rate is 60 Hz.
It has a 1500:1 contrast ratio, 400 nits brightness, and 100% sRGB.
A 15.6″ display is a common size when it comes to laptop screens. They’re not as large as most external monitors, which is why it’s a great size for a portable display.
Ports
There are one mini HDMI port, two USB C ports, and a 3.5mm audio port on the built-in stand.
While the HDMI port is a mini HDMI, Innocn includes a mini HDMI to HDMI cable so you can use it with the more common full-size HDMI port.
One of the USB C ports powers the display, while the second one is for connecting your device.
Depending on what you’re connecting, you might be able to use only the USB C cable. When I connect my MacBook Pro 16 inch (2021) or MacBook Air (2020), it’s enough to only connect the USB C data cable.
When I want to connect my Playstation 5 I have to use the mini HDMI port, and therefore I need to also connect the USB C power supply. This is because the HDMI port can not supply power to the screen.
If you have a portable USB C PD power bank that can output enough juice, like the VimPower 22000mAh, you’ll be able to power it anywhere you don’t have access to an AC outlet.
Buttons
There are three buttons.
A power button, an up button, and a down button. These buttons are used to navigate the menus.
Menus
In the menus, you can change the input source (HDMI or USB C), brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, black levels, and sharpness.
There are also several quick modes available, like standard, movie, reading, night, game and energy saving mode.
Built-in Speakers
The Innocn N1F Pro has built-in speakers, which are fine for watching YouTube videos.
They’re obviously not the best speakers, so if you like to listen to music I recommend getting a portable Bluetooth speaker instead.
The Built-in Stand
The slim rectangular plastic casing behind the screen that holds the buttons and ports also functions as a stand.
With a sturdy hinge, it lets you set and forget the angle of your liking. Put it all the way down, or all the way up, to a close to 180°.
In The Box
Innocn includes two USB C cables, one is thicker than the other. The thick one is used to connect to devices like my MacBook that provides both power and output. The thinner one is only used to power the money when using the HDMI input.
Other than the USB C cables, you get a 30W USB C power supply, a mini HDMI to HDMI cable, and a cleaning cloth.
My Review
What I Like
The Display
The display is a relatively bright screen at 400 nits. It’s bright enough to use outdoors, although your mileage may vary depending on how bright it is where you’re located. I don’t suggest using it directly in the sunlight.
Since it’s an IPS screen, it’s color accurate and a great screen to play video games and watch movies on.
Viewing angles are great, and colors stay accurate.
The touchscreen works OK on Windows, but not Mac OS. It’s not as responsible as a tablet screen, but it works for simple tasks like web browsing and video watching.
The Ports
It’s nice to have both a mini HDMI and a USB C input.
My favorite feature is the USB C data port, since I can use my MacBook with the portable display even if I don’t have access to power.
That makes it possible to work with two monitors anywhere I want to. The only downside I have noticed is that I can only set the brightness to 80, not 100. It will also drain my MacBook battery faster since it’s powering the display.
The 3.5mm audio port is used if you want to use the built-in speakers, but you’re going to get audio via HDMI and USB C most of the time anyway.
The Design
It’s a very slim display, and the built-in stand is excellent. It can be used at almost any angle, and for that reason it’s more useful than a regular laptop monitor.
What I Dislike
No case included
This portable monitor is sold as an ultra slim travel monitor, which is why I wish it would’ve included a case.
Since the small stand folds to the opposite side of the monitor, there is nothing protecting the display if you decide to put it in a backpack.
Fortunately, there are a lot of cases for slim laptops with 15.6″ screens, so it’s not going to be hard to find one that fits it.
I recommend the TomToc 360 case for 15.6. It fits in it perfectly, and has a pocket for the cables and power brick.
No touchscreen support on Mac
While this is more because of Apple than Innocn, I have seen similar portable touchscreen displays that support Mac OS X. All it takes are some extra drivers.
Innocn doesn’t have any drivers to download though, so you can’t use the display as a touchscreen if you use an Apple computer.
Of course, you can still use the display as an external monitor but you can’t fully utilize the features of the product which is a downside.
Conclusion
The Innocn N1F Pro is a great portable monitor with touchscreen support, and a device that we are actually going to be using a lot.
Space is very limited when you travel full-time in an RV like my wife and I do, so a slim and portable display like this is very useful.
We both work online and spend a lot of time staring at our laptop screens, and if you have ever gone from using only one screen to two, you know what a boost it can be for productivity.
And that’s what it comes down to, is this something that can boost our productivity enough to be worth packing all across the country? In this case, the answer is yes.
