So you’re thinking of buying a portable monitor for your laptop? Well lucky you, today we are going to review Mobile Pixels and their line of portable laptop monitors! In this article, we will be covering build quality, monitor screen quality, compatibility, portability, and ease of use. I will also be briefly comparing the Duex and Trio models at the end to help you decide which to buy.
Disclaimer: I bought my first monitor from Mobile Pixels around 2 years ago and the company recently reached out to do a review. They sent me one of the Trio Max monitors to test out for free but I bought the other as part of the deal. I have bought two of the three monitors I now own. Although I have the Duex, it is outdated and may not reflect the newly made models.
In addition, I wanted to state that the company has more products like a foldable keyboard, smart cameras, monitor stands, and a bunch of other cool gadgets. I’ve never used them, so I won’t be reviewing them.
Mobile Pixels Review
Let me start off by saying that I love the Mobile Pixels monitors and the benefits of having a secondary screen. However, there are definitely a few negatives of the product you should be aware of if you are looking to purchase the product yourself.
Let’s jump in and find out what I both loved and disliked about the product!
1. Build Quality
The Good Parts
The build quality for these products is actually pretty good. Although the Duex and the Trio models are fairly distinct, they’re both well-built and have similar components.
I have been using this product daily for the past few years. I used it in my office set-up, while I was traveling to the United States and while exploring South America. It has been taken with me on planes, trains, buses, day trips to cafes and pretty much anywhere life took me.
Throughout everything I have put it through, the monitor now has a few scratches and a small crack in the back that isn’t very noticeable. If I was a bit more careful with this monitor, I think all of these issues could easily be avoided.
These monitors also give you a unique ability to move the monitor back into its plastic casing while traveling, which helps protect the screen and keeps you from damaging the product.
The magnets on the product are also very strong and hold the screen to the laptop well. I will note that the hinge on your laptop plays a stronger role in keeping your laptop upright than the magnets. Since the monitors have a bit of weight, I have a tougher time keeping the screen propped up on my Aorus xe4 than on my MacBook Pro 2015. However, even with two monitors attached to either laptop, it holds up well and with minimal adjusting.
The pivot on the monitor feels good as well. Allowing you to move the monitor in any position you feel fit. However, I will note that the pivot on my old Duex model doesn’t feel quite as “snappy” as the Trio model. This could be because they made improvements to the new model or because the pivot ability degraded with the abuse it has taken over the years.
The Bad Parts
My major concern with the product is that it is mostly made up of plastic. For a premium product worth hundreds of dollars, that’s kind of a big deal. Although this may be done to make the product more portable, it makes it look a bit cheaper and less durable.
Don’t get me wrong, the product still looks great; especially the Trio model. However, for the price tag, I was hoping for a bit more.
I also had a few issues with the cord and its connectivity as well. Sometimes I would lightly bump my monitor and it caused the signal to go out and I would have to adjust it for the monitor to work again. I could have just gotten a faulty model but it did cause a slight inconvenience occasionally while working.
Overall Verdict
Overall, although the product is made of plastic, it is durable and it is light. In fact, I don’t know if any product of this caliber would work if the materials were not made out of plastic. As it would cause the product to be too heavy.
The important part is that I have had the product for multiple years and it still works. So I have the say the build quality is pretty great.
I have provided two images below to show you have the product’s materials look.
Here is a photo of the Trio.
Here is a photo of the Duex model. Please note that the design seems to be updated now. You can see it here.
I also wanted to provide photos of the magnet used since they stay on the product while the monitor is detached.
The MacBook has the original Duex magnets. These look to be updated to look like the Trio magnets. However, I can’t say for sure. The black Aorus has the Trio model magnets.
2. Monitor Screen Quality
The Good Parts
The Mobile Pixel monitor screens are 1080P full HD displays and allow full 270-degree rotation. The screen display also comes in sizes of 12.5″ and 14.1″. So no matter what size laptop you have, there is a secondary screen for your needs.
Overall, I am very happy with the quality of the monitor screens. I have both a MacBook Pro 2015 and an Aorus xe4 and the quality of the monitor can hold its ground with both the retina display and HD display.
In fact, I remember first receiving the screen and being really surprised with the quality of the screen while watching Netflix.
The fact that these monitors attach directly to your laptop also makes it feel like a true extension of your laptop. A huge benefit of getting the Mobile Pixels monitors over a stand-alone product that simply sits beside your laptop. If you’re like me and like to sit on your couch or bed and work, this is the perfect set-up for you!
The Bad Parts
Keep in mind that the color accuracy is not 100% on these screens. Meaning the colors won’t always look like the truly intended colors. As most laptops are not 100% color accurate, this isn’t a big deal. This is mainly a concern if you work as a designer.
So if you are a designer, just keep that bit of information in mind that you may need to move your work over to your primary screen to see colors most accurately. If not, you probably won’t even notice this, so don’t sweat it.
Overall Verdict
The Mobile Pixels screens look amazing. I especially love the way the screen is parallel with your main laptop screen while you use it. Other than color accuracy not being perfect, I have nothing negative to say about them.
3. Compatibility + Ease-of-Use
The Good Parts
Sometimes getting tech products to play nicely can be a huge pain. However my experience with getting Mobile Pixels monitors to work with macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems has been incredibly easy.
It’s a plug-and-play model that allows you to get up and running without installing any drivers and messing around with settings.
Once the magnets have been installed on your laptop, the screen should take a minute to plug in and adjust. I remove and attach the product multiple times a day without issue.
In addition, the Mobile Pixels Trio display should be compatible with android smartphones and Nintendo Switch consoles. I have never tried them, but I don’t see you having any issues with these devices since the above was simple to use and work with.
Overall Verdict
I have nothing negative to say about this section. I couldn’t be happier with the compatibility of the product or how easy and intuitive it is to use.
4. Portability
The Good Parts
Obviously, this is one of the biggest benefits of the Mobile Pixels display. Being able to take your work, play, and study wherever you want to go.
For me, the Mobile Pixels made my remote job and study sessions so much easier. Seriously, I couldn’t imagine traveling without this monitor.
Since I was going to new countries every few months, I needed something lightweight, high-quality, and easily attachable/detachable to my machine. I also love that is actually attaches to my laptop. I seriously can’t stand working with stand-alone screens and I find the attachment style of the Mobile Pixels to be a true extension of my laptop while on the go.
Overall Verdict
The Mobile Pixel delivered on being a portable solution to a more traditional home office setup and is still something I use daily while working. Maybe one day when I settle down and get a true office I will find less use for it. However, if you are a frequent traveler like me you’ll definitely find a lot of benefits out of the Mobile Pixels monitor.
Truthfully, I can’t find anything negative to say about the portability of this product. I like to travel light and the product was easy to bring with me anywhere and the casing kept it safe while in my bag.
I had a portable screen previous to the Mobile Pixels and I broke it within a month. The casing on the Mobile Pixels is not only a luxury but a necessity while traveling!
5. Duex vs Trio Models
There are a few different Duex and Trio models and I am not going to compare and contrast them all here.
You can find the Duex Lite, Duex Pro, and Duex Max here.
You can find the Trio and Trio Max here.
I just wanted to bring up the importance of choosing which grouping you want to purchase wisely. If you know you want two additional monitors or that you may in the future, choose the Trio model. If you know you will only want one additional monitor, pick the Duex.
It looks like the Duex comes with some additional benefits as well, such as different colors and lighter/sleeker designs.
I can’t give you advice on which product to choose. That depends solely on whether or not you feel the need for 3 screens total while working on your laptop or not.
Review Summary: Are Mobile Pixels Monitors Worth The Price?
It’s finally that time in our review to look at the product as a whole! Is the Mobile Pixel line of monitor screens really worth the price?
General Thoughts
Well, as you can probably tell I am a big fan of the product. While there are tons of portable laptop secondary monitors out there, not many compare to the Mobile Pixels brand. The build quality is good, the monitor screen is high-quality, it is incredibly simple to set up and tear down, and it is attachable to your laptop. There is a reason it is labeled as a premium product!
Is a Second Monitor Worth It?
Mobile Pixels comes with a really hefty price tag, costing you upwards of almost $600 for a single monitor! While I think the product is great, it’s really hard to justify spending $600, or $1200 for two monitors.
Note: I am located in Canada so I believe these are Canadian prices. If you are lucky enough to be located in the USA it may be cheaper.
Luckily, it seems like the monitors go on sale often. I saw recently that they had sales throughout Christmas and New Year of ~40-50% off. If you can pick it up at a discount, I think the price definitely justifies the purchase of a second monitor. It makes everyday tasks so much easier and boosted my productivity significantly. The shipping is also free, which helps justify the price.
Is a Third Monitor Worth It?
However, even with the lowered price, I don’t know if I could justify paying $300-600 for a third laptop monitor. Although I do use the third monitor, my boost in productivity by increasing to three monitors dropped significantly. It is definitely nice to have, but unless you have a specific need for three monitors, it might be best to simply buy the Duex or just one of the Trio models for now.
If you do want to pick the product up at a discounted price I also have an affiliate link here that gives 15% off your first purchase and 10% off additional purchases.
As always, happy coding!
Mobile Pixels Review
