Philips is one of the most respected names in the desktop monitor market, and the company has announced a new range of high-quality 4K monitors for work.
While the Philips 27E1N1800A, 27E1N1800AE, 27E1N1900AE, and 32E1N1800LA may not be the most memorable names, all of the new monitors come in 27- or 32-inch sizes and feature 4K UHD resolutions.
The differences between each, aside from the overall sizes, are fairly small, and all come with IPS to deliver a crisp experience, while the high-end 32E1N1800LA model comes with VA.
All clear
On top of that, Philips says it has included UltraClear 4K UHD resolution to ensure that photos, CAD images, 3D graphics and more mundane tasks like spreadsheets and Word documents look as they should.
There's also a SmartContrast feature to automatically adjust colors and brightness for greater contrast, which is especially useful when working with videos and images.
On the 27-inch versions, one of the models (the 27E1N1900AE) comes with built-in USB-C, while the others have access to HDMI and DisplayPort. If USB-C is important to you, you may have already made up your mind.
The company acknowledges that staring at an LED display, even an IPS LED display, can cause eye fatigue over extended periods, and includes both its Flicker-Free technology, to regulate brightness and flicker, and LowBlue mode, which uses software to reduce shortwave blue light.
Anyone concerned about energy consumption – understandably so given rising utility prices – will be pleased to know that Philips has included a number of energy-saving features, such as a low-power mode, as well as energy-efficient certifications, including the RoHS directive. The packaging is also 100% recyclable.
Easy on the eye and the pocket
All of these features are great for your eyes after a long day of work, but what about the cost of the monitors?
It’s no secret that the desktop monitor market, driven by work-from-home in the pandemic era, is incredibly competitive, with new entries every day from big and small brands alike.
Philips has launched these monitors at a very affordable price, while retaining many of the essential features. The 27E1N1800A, 27E1N1800AE, 27E1N1900AE and 32E1N1800LA models, which will be available from July, will cost 249, 259, 319 and 300 euros, respectively.
In our extensive testing of the best monitors, Philips models sit at the lower end of the range and compete well with the likes of Monoprice’s 32-inch CrystalPro. It’s possible to pick up a cheaper model, such as the Asus VP228HE at just £99, but we found that budget monitors can sacrifice some features.
