Innocn 13K1F Portable Monitor Review: OLED, But Not So Bright
I recently reviewed the Innocn 15A 1F. This is a 15.6-inch portable monitor mounted on a colorful full HD OLED panel at an affordable price of $ 349. However, $ 349 is not the minimum charge for Innocn’s OLED attacks. The company also offers a 13.3 inch 13K1F for just $ 249.
13.3 inches is a bit smaller for a portable monitor, as most companies in this segment offer at least 14 inches of panels. However, the small size of the 13K1F makes it a thin and lightweight device with a stylish look and an adjustable stand. Like its big siblings, the 13K1F offers excellent build quality. However, it also inherits the large chin at the bottom of the display.
However, the main reason people consider the Innocn 13K1F is the promise of OLED color performance at an affordable price. The suggested retail price of $ 249 is already a bargain, but the current selling price is below $ 200, so The best portable monitor It is on the market.
Innocn13K1F Portable Monitor Specifications
Panel type / backlight | OLED |
Screen size / aspect ratio | 13.3 inches / 16: 9 |
Maximum resolution and refresh rate | 1920×1080 @ 60Hz |
Maximum brightness | 400 knit |
Reaction time | 5ms |
Contrast ratio | 100,000: 1 |
See the angle of view | 178 degrees (horizontal and vertical) |
Screen coating | Shiny |
port | 1x Mini-HDMI, 2x USB-C (DisplayPort 1.2 Alt mode) |
speaker | yes |
weight | £ 1.39 |
Inokun 13K 1F design
The Innocn 13K1F has a design language similar to its big sibling 151A1F share, but with some important differences. If the sides of the 15A1F are flat and the corners are curved (think Apple iPad Air or iPad Pro), the sides of the 13K1F are flat and the bottom and top are rounded. The 13K1F weighs only 1.39 pounds and is only 0.28 inches thick, and fits in the smallest laptop bag.
For better or for worse, the 13K1F also has a thick bezel like the 151A1F. The top and side bezels are comfortable and are about 0.25 inches, while the bottom bezel has a distinct “chin” and is 1 inch in size. The Inokun logo has a chrome-like finish underneath the cover glass and is adorned in the center of the lower bezel.
The 13K1F has a glossy glass coating instead of the typical matte finish of this segment. This design decision is believed to be due to the OLED panel, as the glossy finish adds considerable “punching” to the color. However, the downside is that reflections can be an obstacle at low brightness levels, and even at maximum brightness can be a problem, especially outdoors. Using a glossy finish also means that fingerprints will appear immediately when working with this portable monitor. Fingerprints are not an issue on desktop monitors, as their placement is usually a “set and forget” issue. However, portable monitors are frequently handled, often moved to multiple locations, and have fingerprints on the screen. That’s something to keep in mind when looking at a portable monitor with a glossy screen.
All ports on the Innocn 13K1F, including two USB-C ports and one Mini-HDMI port, are on the right 13K1F. Also, along the right side of the monitor, there is a notch for one of the two onboard speakers and two buttons for controlling the volume (these buttons also serve as navigation aids for the OSD).
At the top of the Innocn 13K1F is a power button and a power status LED (blue for on, orange for standby). On the left side of the 13K1F, there is only a circular notch for the second speaker. Like the 15A1F, Innocn decided not to include a headphone jack.
The back of the 13K1F is very similar to the 15A1F, with a circular mark at the top center. The magnet is mounted behind the circle for easy mounting of an adjustable metal stand. The stand has rubber legs to keep the monitor from moving, allowing you to support the 13K1F in an almost upright position. The removable stand is made of high quality material, but a built-in solution is recommended. The removable stand has one more thing to lose while traveling.
Innocn 13K1F on-screen display
You can access the OSD of the Innocn 13K1F by pressing the power button. Navigating the OSD is done by pressing the volume up / down buttons. The command is executed by pressing the power button once. To return from the submenu, press and hold the power button for 1 second.
OSD automatically exits after 5 seconds of typing, so you need to change the settings relatively quickly. The OSD interface is primarily focused on icons, but is easy to understand.
The use of the power and volume buttons is available in this price range, but I would like to use a 5-way joystick for navigation. And while adding to the wishlist, it’s useful to have a timeout of at least 10 seconds in the OSD instead of the current 5 seconds.
Image quality and performance of Inokun 13K1F
The Innocn 15A1F is a 60Hz 13.3 inch portable monitor. Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel. Inokun IPS panel At this price point, I chose a colorful OLED panel instead. OLED panels are extreme Contrast ratioIt helps to contribute to their stunning, deep black level.
The Innocn 13K1F has a contrast ratio of 100,000: 1 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. However, there were some issues with the claimed brightness specifications. When I first tested my monitor using a USB-C cable with DisplayPort Alt-Mode, I couldn’t move the brightness slider above the 20% mark in the OSD, and I used the device to make 100 knits. It became the best in. I tried PC and Mac and got the same result. Then I used the included video HDMI cable and USB-C cable to power the 13K1F using the computer’s free USB-C port. The brightness level is still above 20 percent and is not upset.
Unfortunately, when I contacted Innocn, the person in charge told me that I could achieve up to 400 knits by connecting the included USB-C to an external power source. With this information as a weapon, I was able to connect the included USB-C cable to a spare USB-C wall adapter and crank the display to 100% brightness.
This situation is problematic for several reasons. To get started, the box does not include a wall adapter. Innocn only offers USB-C-USB-C and HDMI-Mini-HDMI cables. To make matters worse, neither the retail box nor the user manual explains that a power adapter is needed to achieve the maximum brightness level.
If we could increase the brightness with 13K1F, it would be 264.8 knits, which is considerably shorter than the claimed 400 knits. This result is higher than the Zion Pro and other IPS panels tested, but inferior to the 15A1F (373.6 knit). This is a disappointing result and can only be confusing if the power adapter doesn’t make sense.
The situation was more positive when it came to DCI-P3 and sRGB color scores. The 13K1F demonstrated the benefits of OLED with 142.6% DCI-P3 coverage. 13K1F also had a higher sRGB coverage value, which was 201.1%.Both numbers put it comfortably in front Zion Pro Equipped with a 15.6-inch 4K OLED panel.
In my tests, the black level of the Innocn 13K1F’s OLED panel was excellent, consistent with the performance of its older brother, the 15A1F.I revisited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness At Disney Plus, especially with the action-packed last hour of the movie, I was just as impressed with the vibrant colors.
And as a car nerd, I saw some episodes of Hagati Revelation with Jason Kamisa.. In a recent episode, I was particularly impressed with how 13K1F handled dark scenes. In this episode, Cammisa prints the gorgeous banana yellow of the Toyota 2000GT on the display and talks to the camera.
The 13K1F treated my productivity workload as a second monitor, just as it was good at displaying video. 13.3 inches is a bit smaller to my liking, but at full HD resolution I used it primarily for Slack conversations, iMessage, and spreadsheet editing in Microsoft Excel. When I was working, I sometimes used the Sling TV in full screen with the 13K1F around.
Indoor reflections were a problem (maximum brightness) given the alleged 400 knits with a maximum brightness of just over 264 knits and the addition of a glossy screen handicap. Even). Annoyingly, when I put the 13K1F on the left side of a centrally mounted 32-inch Dell 4K monitor and typed at my desk, I saw Apple Watch reflections on the display. The reflections are so noticeable that outdoor visibility has been hit even harder. As I worked in the sun, everything from tree branches to clouds happily appeared.
Given the trim dimensions of the Innocn 13K1F, I didn’t expect much from integrated stereo speakers. Like the 15A1F we reviewed earlier, the speakers here are “no problem”. It should be enough for users who have no more choice when watching movies and TV shows. The MacBook Pro speakers are much better, so I used them by default. If you’re on the go and want to use the 13K1F as your second screen, your laptop’s built-in speakers may be better.
Conclusion
The Innocn 13K1F shows great value in the portable monitor segment, especially for users looking for cheap OLED panels. The price of the 13K1F is currently $ 249.99 on Amazon. Plus, you can get a $ 50 coupon at checkout for $ 199.99 with free shipping. This is an amazing value for OLED panels housed in an aluminum alloy chassis that provides a great fit and finish.
However, concessions have been made to achieve this low price. Inokun has abandoned the 3.5mm headphone jack. The stand is another (albeit sturdy) part that must be tracked while traveling. Reflections on a glossy screen can be annoying and the brightness can be confusing. It’s bad enough that Inokun doesn’t contain all the accessories needed to reach the maximum brightness in the box, but it even approaches the 400 knit mark when all the requirements are met. There is none.
It’s up to you to decide if these shortcomings are enough to take 13K1F out of consideration. .. For the honor of the 13K1F, the pricing of less than $ 200 for sale is definitely intriguing, and the lack of a power adapter is because many of us have extras around the house. It’s easy to solve. Available for $ 200 in IPS or OLED, they fall into one class because they can’t compete with the 13K1F. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth noting if you’re looking for an affordable portable monitor.