LG’s 27-inch OLED monitor is a $2,000 rarity

  News
image_pdfimage_print
LG UltraFine 27EQ850-B
Enlarge / LG’s UltraFine 27EQ850-B OLED monitor.

LG has released an OLED computer monitor with a more accessible size and price than most. The LG UltraFine 27EQ850-B represents one of the few 27-inch OLED panels available and has a competitive MSRP (for an OLED monitor) at $2,000.

LG recently listed the 27EQ850-B, as spotted by sites like DisplaySpecifications and KitGuru. It’s a 4K, 60 Hz screen with a claimed 200 nits of brightness and 99 percent DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color coverage.

The 10-bit color monitor's stand supports portrait mode, tilting, pivoting, and height adjustments.
Enlarge / The 10-bit color monitor’s stand supports portrait mode, tilting, pivoting, and height adjustments.

USB-C connectivity with 90 W power delivery puts the monitor on par with other USB-C monitors, like the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE; although there are monitors, like the Apple Studio Display, with greater power delivery (96 W).

Additionally, there’s a pair of DisplayPorts, three USB-A ports, and HDMI. The monitor also supports HDR10 and is VESA DisplayHDR 400-certified. Note that that’s the lowest tier in VESA’s DisplayHDR certification program, which goes up to DisplayHDR 1400, but it’s better than nothing. The monitor forgoes VESA’s True Black certification for OLED screens, but LG and panel-maker LG Display, as the primary maker of OLED panels, at least have strong reputations in the OLED realm to bolster confidence.

The 27EQ850-B's port selection.
Enlarge / The 27EQ850-B’s port selection.

Before LG listed the 27EQ850-B, its only OLED options under 48 inches were the 32-inch LG UltraFine 32EP950-B, with a $4,000 MSRP, and the 27-inch LG UltraFine 27EP950 with a $3,000 MSRP. The only obvious difference between LG’s pricier 27-inch OLED and the recently listed 27EQ850-B is that the former claims an additional 50 nits of brightness on its spec sheet.

The introduction of smaller and lower-priced OLED monitors helps make display options for computer users more on par with televisions, where you can find OLED screens of various sizes and at much cheaper prices than a smaller OLED monitor these days. And while there are many more OLED desktop-size monitors to choose from than there were a couple of years ago, the majority, outside of portable monitors with OLED, still fall in the high-refresh, high-price category.

Another rare exception is the Asus ProArt PA32DC, a 31.5-inch OLED monitor released this year for $3,500. In addition to its larger size, the monitor claims to earn its higher price tag with its integrated motorized colorimeter.

And there’s hope for more variety when it comes to OLED display sizes. Earlier this year, Kang Won-Seok, LG Display’s vice president, reportedly said the company is working on offering 20-inch OLED panels, which could be fit for even smaller monitors or TVs, to partners, (including, potentially, LG) by the end of 2022. That means we may not see any relevant products available to buy until next year. So, if you’re in immediate need of a contrast-rich OLED monitor in a smaller package, LG’s 27EQ850-B is one of your few options.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1895930