Asus ZenScreen Go (MB16AP)

amazon Asus ZenScreen Go (MB16AP) reviews

Asus ZenScreen Go Monitor (MB16AP) provides an affordable solution for powering portable displays in remote places or when your laptop or phone is low on power. This 15.6-inch monitor, which can be connected to a phone or laptop via USB-C, can provide up to 4 hours of power when you need it most. It’s a good, lower-priced alternative to the Asus ZenScreen Touch (MB16AMT)—which also has a rechargeable battery—and includes features like a comprehensive yet easy-to-navigate on-screen display (OSD), 1080p IPS display, foldable stand, and a pen that serves as a makeshift stand.

Sometimes a pen is just a pen (or a stand)

Measuring 22.6 x 36 x 0.7 cm (HWD) and weighing 0.8 kg, the Go is a slim, beautiful display with a dark gray frame. Its 15.6-inch IPS display supports a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (aka 1080p). It has the same size, resolution, and screen technology as some portable monitors we’ve recently reviewed, including ZenScreen Touch, ZenScreen MB16ACE, AOC I1601FWUX, and Lepow 15,6 inches.

One initial quirk with ZenScreen Go was a pen, similar to the stylus included with ZenScreen Touch but lacking the eraser tool one would use to interact with that model’s touchscreen. However, the Go’s screen is not touch-sensitive. This so-called ZenScreen Pen is a fully usable ink pen, but it serves a different function — when inserted into the hole next to the power button, on the right edge of the bottom bezel from the face. Later, it can support the weight of the Go and lift the screen, acting as a makeshift stand. I find myself using it so often, especially in places where I have limited space.

That’s not the only way to prop up the screen. The ZenScreen Go’s protective case, which folds around the screen to cover the front and back, acts as a stand. It supports ZenScreen Go with a magnetic strip that sticks to the back of the display and clever folding to hold the screen in place. It feels sturdy enough, and it can support Go in either landscape or portrait orientation.

Like more and more portable monitors these days, ZenScreen Go has only a single USB Type-C port, on the left side, near the bottom. It supports DisplayPort over USB and can receive data, video, and power from the computer you’re using. Included is a USB-C cable as well as a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter. (You can run the monitor from your computer’s USB 3.0 Type-A port, but you’ll have to install the DisplayLink driver for full compatibility.)

ZenScreen Go also comes with a power adapter that plugs into an outlet for charging to power the built-in battery. This “power outlet” has a USB Type-A port; To use it with the Go, you plug the included USB-A-to-USB-C adapter into its port, then connect the USB-C cable to both the adapter and the display.

The battery

In general, portable monitors draw power from the computer or device to which they are connected. That is impractical for a phone with limited power, which is only connected to a power source during charging and will have to power both itself and the display. Alternatively, you might consider powering off your laptop’s portable monitor for extended periods if you’re far from an outlet. That’s why ZenScreen Go comes with a built-in 7,800mAh battery. The only other similarly equipped portable display we’ve come across is the Asus ZenScreen Touch. The battery can power the display for up to four hours at full brightness on a single charge, according to Asus.

Like the ZenScreen MB16ACE, but unlike the ZenScreen Touch — which uses a single mini joystick-style controller — the Go has two buttons on the left edge of the bottom bezel to control the OSD. Pressing either button allows you to choose between accessing the main menu (from the right button) and choosing an input device, i.e., whether to power ZenScreen Go from your PC or its internal battery. From the main menu, you scroll down using the right button and click on an item using the left.

The main menu has eight items identified by icons. The first mode, called Splendid, actually opens up a submenu showing eight picture modes: Standard, sRGB, Landscape, Theater, Game, Night View, Reading, and Darkroom. Second, the Blue Light Filter, which lets you choose one of four levels of blue light reduction to reduce eye strain, is particularly useful at night. You can also deactivate it here.

Third, Color lets you control color temperature and saturation, as well as Brightness and contrast. Next is Image, which governs sharpness, aspect ratio, and more. The fifth item, System Settings, lets you control settings like Auto-rotate (so text or images on the screen will stay on the right side whether you’re in landscape or portrait), Mode economy, and Language. Sixth, Shortcuts lets you jump to widely used settings like Brightness. Next is my favorite, which lets you set, save, and access your favorite settings. The last item is the menu exit option.

Good contrast

I performed Brightness, Color, and contrast tests using a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays CalMAN 5 software. ZenScreen Go tested at 199 nits, slightly below the 220 nit rating but still above average for a portable display. Its 1,171:1 contrast ratio, based on its tested Brightness and black levels, easily surpasses the 800:1 rating.

ZenScreen Go covered 72.7 percent of the sRGB color space in our color gamut testing, slightly better than both ZenScreen MB16ACE (69.7 percent) and ZenScreen Touch (69.1 percent)…

The triangles represent colors, including sRGB — essentially, all colors can be created by mixing different percentages of red, green, and blue. The white boxes show the locations of the data points for a full sRGB display. Some of our test points — the black circles — are within the triangle, indicating limited color coverage near the red and purple parts of the spectrum. In contrast, the blue dot in the lower left indicates the range micro coverage is slightly wider towards blue/green.

This color chart shows a pattern very similar to what we’ve seen from most of the mobile displays we’ve tested since late 2018, showing that most of them use the same panels as same or similar. The one exception and easily the best portable display in color coverage since we started quantifying it is the Lenovo ThinkVision M14, which covers 97 percent of the sRGB space. (For desktop monitors, we’re looking for at least 95% sRGB coverage.) ZenScreen Go gives the second-best results, closely followed by other Asus monitors. The AOC I1601FWUX takes up just 61.4% of the sRGB space, and the 15.6-inch Lepow Portable USB-C Monitor takes up 65.4%.

However, ZenScreen Go’s 72% sRGB coverage is a far cry from Lenovo’s 97%. It showed itself in our special photo and video test with our standard test vehicle. Reds and purples always look a bit duller than they do on my laptop, while other colors are mostly unaffected. That shouldn’t be a problem for most casual business and leisure uses, but video buffs and photo enthusiasts should look elsewhere, starting with the Lenovo ThinkVision M14.

This screen has its power.

If you’re looking for a portable monitor to use on the train, in a coffee shop, or anywhere a power outlet isn’t guaranteed — or to connect to your phone — the Asus ZenScreen Go (MB16AP) is great worth. It gives you the boost you need with a rechargeable battery that can power the display for several hours on a single charge, eliminating the need to draw power from your laptop or phone.

Otherwise, this portable monitor has similar features to what we have seen on the Asus ZenScreen MB16ACE. It lacks the touch screen of the ZenScreen Touch (which also has a built-in battery). If you don’t need your screen to be touch-sensitive, choosing ZenScreen Go is a good way to save a bit of money while still providing the on-the-go power you need.

where can you get a Asus ZenScreen Go (MB16AP) online

Asus Zenscreen Go MB16AP 15.6″ Full HD Portable Monitor IPS Built-in Battery Eye Care USB Type-C W/Foldable Smart Case,Black: Buy it now