If I was to tell you that today we were going to take a closer look at a 1080p monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate, and a response time of 12.5ms, you’d be pretty underwhelmed… right? However, if I was to tell you that with a screen size of 15.6”, this was a portable monitor, which promises a variety of uses, then maybe it just gets a little more interesting!
What we have today is the On-Lap 1503H from GeChic, and this is exactly the product I have been looking for. Read on to find out why.
Specifications
| Panel | 15.6” TFT IPS LCD (16:9 Wide) LED Backlight |
| Resolution/Colour Depth | 1920 x1080 /262K colors (Anti-Glare) |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.179mm (H) *0.179mm (V) |
| Active Area | 344.2mm x 193.5mm |
| Brightness | 300(cd/m2)(Typical) |
| LED Backlight | Lifetime: 15,000 hours (Brightness Declines 50%) |
| Contrast Ratio | 700:1(Typical) |
| Response Time (GTG) | 12.5(ms)(Typical) |
| Rating Voltage | 5V-DC |
| Rating Current | 2A |
| Speakers | 2x 1.0W(Max.) (Rated Impedance 4Ω at 2KHz) |
| Connectivity | Headphone outx1
Micro-HDMI x1 VGA x1 (Optional) USB(C)*1 Rear Dock Port*1 |
| Dimensions | 382mm*246mm*11mm(Monitor);
389mm*251mm*10mm(Cover) |
| Weight | 798g (Monitor); 282g(Stand); 290g(Cover) |
| Warranty | 1 year limited |
Closer Look
The best way to describe the panel is that it resembles a laptop screen, but without the keyboard attached. It’s supremely lightweight, tipping the scales at a shade under 800g. The bezels on the main unit aren’t the thinnest in the world, but they aren’t overly huge either. Packaged as standard is a hard cover, which clips over the screen for protection when transporting the panel.
Flipping the panel over and we see the multi-position stand, which held in place with 3 screws… two at the bottom and a thumb screw towards the top. You have the option of 3 pre-determined angles to rest the panel, 52, 62 or 72 degrees. Each position snaps in place thanks to fairly strong magnets in the folding mechanism itself. The entire stand is finished off with a rubberised finish, to ensure it grips the surface it’s sat on when stood up.
The finish on the rear is a matt ink blue colour, and feels really nice to touch, giving it a really premium feel.
The only other item of note on the rear, sits underneath a rubber grommet, which when removed reveals a proprietary port to connect the optional dock that is available from GeChic. This adds a power pack, along with full size HMDI & USB ports (types A and C).
Speaking of ports, the outer left edge of the unit is where all these can be found. Here we have headphone jack, USB Type-C, micro VGA and micro HDMI.
Further along the same edge of the unit, and we find the control buttons for power, on-screen display and volume. These feel very solid, adding to the premium feel of the 1503H.
Finally, the accessories that come packaged as standard with this portable monitor. A small USB power brick along with a USB Type-C cable powers the unit. The cable also has a second USB Type-A connector, should you wish to power the screen using a laptop or power brick, and one USB port not give enough power for the panel. A HDMI to micro HDMI cable is also included, along with a spare set of screws for attaching the foldable stand.
Performance & Testing
To begin with, I decided to connect the GeChic 1503H to a desktop workstation. Installation was straight forward, with power delivery coming from the rear IO of the motherboard, and plugging the HDMI directly into the GPU. In this setup, the small footprint of the portable monitor really came to the fore. I have a 35” ultra-wide monitor on my desk, and there is literally no further room for another monitor… well not a standard one anyway! The GeChic nestled nicely on the side of the desk, and was very stable on it’s built in stand.
Whilst the GeChic worked flawlessly with my desktop, this isn’t really where the portable nature of the 1503H gives its true value. Therefore, for my second test I hooked up an Amazon Firestick. With the Firestick having a full-size HDMI connection, I picked up a micro HDMI adaptor from eBay, which set me back the princely sum of £3. Again, connection really was plug & play. The display did set itself to 720p, and I had to go into the Firestick setting to force it to output at 1080p 60Hz.
Playback was nice & smooth, and the sound from the top mounted dual speakers was acceptable. As with most monitor speakers, there was a distinct lack of base, and the sound was a little tinny, but it was by no means the worst I have heard from a monitor.
As a final test, I took the included micro HDMI cable, and in combination with my eBay adapter, connected up my camera to the GeChic. In order for the screen to show the cameras image without distortion, I had to activate the over scan setting on the monitor. Once done the image was clear & crisp as can be seen in the image below. I can see this being extremely useful for portable big screen playback of stills & video from a camera that has an HDMI out port.
GeChic On-Lap 1503H Portable Monitor Review: Our Verdict
What’s Hot:
- Fantastic build quality, with a premium feel to the materials used
- Portability is excellent thanks to light weight, and included screen guard which adds almost zero bulk
- The stand works really well, and also adds very little bulk due to its folding design
- Stereo speakers aren’t as bad as you might expect
What’s Not:
- It isn’t cheap, retailing at around £300 in the UK at the time of review
I must admit that before the review, I had never heard of GeChic. That is mainly due to the fact that I’ve never had a close look at a portable monitor, or ever thought that I needed one. Having spent the last couple of weeks with the On-Lap 1503H however, I constantly find myself thinking of new ways that this will come in useful going forward.
When travelling, I always take my Microsoft Surface with me, and it is one of the greatest things I have ever purchased. There have been numerous times however where a second screen would have been hugely useful, and the GeChic will solve that problem now.
The ability to hook the monitor up to a power bank makes it hugely portable, and means that instead of watching a movie whilst on a plane or train on my phone screen, I now have the option to project it in 15.6” glory.
The only downside to all of these bright ideas I’m having, is that I need to invest in even more cables! A USB Type-C to HDMI for my phone, as well as something to take my Surface mini display port signal to the micro HDMI port on the GeChic also.
As I write this, its sat on my desk, hooked up to my desktop gaming PC. As mentioned before, I have an ultra-wide monitor, which is a beast for gaming. I do however miss having a second monitor, to see chat in Discord, Twitch or YouTube whilst the game is full screen. Having the GeChic set up in portrait orientation is a great solution, that fits neatly on my desk.
Finally, we must mention the price… at £300 in the UK, the GeChic On-Lap 1503H isn’t cheap, and must be seen as a luxury purchase. If you can afford it though, the variety of uses makes it a hugely worthwhile purchase.
Huge thanks to GeChic for sending the On-Lap 1503H in for review
