This portable monitor could be the ideal solution if you frequently work on a laptop and desire the convenience of a second screen without the bulk of a full-sized portable monitor. A second screen attached to your laptop makes perfect sense if you spend a significant amount of time away from your home or office, or if you simply lack the space to utilize a second monitor.
Good Points –
- Slim Light Design.
- Solid 1080p specification.
- Good for basic computing.
- Excellent text clarity.
- Three possible ways to use it: as an additional screen, a duplicate screen for presentations, or a separate monitor with a portrait stand;
- dimensions the same as an ultraportable laptop.
Bad Points:-
- Feels a little flimsy.
This portable monitor utilizes a clever system of stickers and magnets for attachment to laptops. Four round magnets, secured to the back of your laptop display with adhesive pads, fit into slots that allow the entire case to slide left or right. The screen itself slides effortlessly out of the rear casing, positioning it alongside your laptop display. This portable monitor offers a generous 270 degrees of movement, allowing users to position the screen at their preferred angle. The screen can also be easily slid in and out of its casing for added convenience. However, due to the design of the monitor, there is no tilt or swivel adjustment available.
The case can be used as a stand to prop the panel in portrait mode, but only when detached from the laptop. To use the display externally in landscape mode, a laptop stand or similar accessory is required. This differs significantly from the Lepow, which does not attach to the laptop but can be placed anywhere on a desk.
The exterior of the Duex Plus is not particularly impressive. The casing is made from flimsy plastic that feels cheap and rattles. The display has large borders, and attaching the Duex to your laptop adds 6mm to its thickness and 0.7kg to its weight. While these are modest figures, they are worth considering if you are concerned about saving space or weight. On the inside, the Duex Plus is a 13.3-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This is a fine specification for everyday work use, and it provides enough additional screen real estate to open another browser window, Office app, or creative tool.
The Duex Plus has a 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, which is a great choice for everyday work use and provides plenty of extra screen space for multitasking. The two USB-C ports on the right side of the Duex allow you to connect two devices simultaneously. One of the ports can also carry a DisplayPort signal. The included USB-C cable has an adapter to plug into a full-size USB socket. However, the ports face the outside of the display, so the cable extends further from your laptop, which can make your desk look cluttered.
On the back of the display, near the USB-C port, are two physical controls: a button and a directional arrow switch. Pressing the button opens a simple on-screen menu (OSD) with three sliders controlled by the arrow switch for adjusting backlight brightness, contrast, and saturation. There is also a temperature setting set by default to sRGB, with a handful of other color temperatures and an eye-care mode to choose from.
In Use:-
The Duex is not limited to being a second monitor for your laptop. You can also use it as a standalone monitor by sliding it out and using the sleeve to support it in either landscape or portrait mode. One of the DUEX Plus’s most impressive features is its versatility. It can be folded up and stored on the back of your laptop, and then pulled out and used with a single motion. It can also be placed on either side of your laptop screen. I ended up leaving it on the left side because that’s where my laptops USB ports are located. Thanks to the extra stroke of the magnets, you can extend the monitor beyond the laptop lid and even swing it around a bit for easy operation. In doing so, the magnets hold the weight of the design well.
The Duex Plus comes with a USB-C cable that also works with USB-A devices using the included adapter. If your laptop has a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort, you can connect the Duex Plus for plug-and-play operation. Otherwise, you need to install a driver, which is available for Windows and macOS but not Linux. The Duex Plus also supports a limited number of Android devices, specifically those that support Samsung DeX.
To use the Duex Plus, you must connect it to your laptop using a USB cable, regardless of the connection method you choose. You can mount it on the left or right side of your laptop, and you can use it in portrait or landscape mode by adjusting the rotation settings in your operating system. Although I’ve focused on using the Duex Plus with laptops, you can also mount it on the back of a desktop monitor.
One thing I did notice was when removing my laptop from my laptop back pack, I did feel that I had to squeeze the monitor, while gripping my device to lift it out of the bag, which did result in some “plastic creaking” and worry I was going to crack the screen.
Conclusion:-
The Mobile Pixels Duex Plus is a small, portable monitor that can be used in different ways. It can be slid out from its frame to sit next to your laptop screen, placed in portrait mode, or faced away from you for presentation. Before buying the Duex Plus , make sure your laptop is big enough and follow the directions carefully when attaching the frame to the lid to avoid the magnets coming loose. If you need a dual monitor setup on your laptop make sure you give the the Duex Plus a look, its available from Amazon for £219, or from the MobilePixels website