The portable monitor market is crowded, with plenty of desirable options for those looking to be more productive on the go. Ricoh is the latest company to hit the ring with its charming (and surprisingly tersely named) ‘150’ portable monitor.
Ricoh is aiming for the middle of the lane with the 150, which features a 15.6-inch HD (1920 x 1080) panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. Contrary to what some may object, the Ricoh 150 also features a glossy screen coating that makes colors “pop,” but creates unsightly reflections not found in anti-glare coatings.
like some best portable monitor On the market, the Ricoh 150 has an OLED panel that has more saturated colors and deeper blacks than its IPS-based competitors. However, read on and you’ll find that a good portable monitor does a lot more than just a quality OLED panel.
Ricoh 150 Portable Monitor Specifications
| Panel type / backlight | OLEDs |
| Screen size/aspect ratio | 15.6″ / 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution and refresh rate | 1920×1080 @ 60Hz |
| color depth | 8 bit |
| maximum brightness | 300 nits |
| reaction time | 1 millisecond |
| contrast ratio | 100,000:1 |
| viewing angle | 170 degrees (horizontal and vertical) |
| screen coating | glossy |
| port | 2x USB-C (DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode) |
| speaker | yes |
| size | 16.84 x 11.02 x 2.63 inches |
| weight | 1.23 pounds |
Ricoh 150 portable monitor design
The design of the Ricoh 150 is remarkable for its minimalism. The display is surrounded by minimal bezels along the sides and top, but there is a fairly noticeable ‘chin’ underneath the display. The edges of the housing are smoothly curved, and the Ricoh logo on the front is not visible, which does not spoil the aesthetics. Instead, the Ricoh logo has been relegated to the back panel, where you’ll also find his two 1.5-watt speakers and dual USB-C ports.
Speaking of ports, most portable monitors come with USB-C and HDMI connections. However, the Ricoh 150 only has two USB-C ports with DisplayPort Alt-Mode functionality. One of the ports can be connected to your PC and the second port can be used for another peripheral. One thing I appreciate about the port layout is that the ports are mounted in the middle of the back rather than on the sides of the display. That way, cables don’t have to stick directly out the left or right side of the display like many other portable monitors do. Instead, the wires can run out the back (like traditional desktop monitors) out of sight.
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The metal stand is highly adjustable and features a stiff hinge that allows you to position your monitor between 75 and 16 degrees. With its low angle position, the Ricoh to 150 can be used more effectively as a digital canvas with the included stylus pen.
All Ricoh 150 controls are on the right side. It has a power button, a 3-way rocker switch, and a back button.
A sturdy padded synthetic leather carrying case is also included. Rather than using Velcro flaps/straps to secure the monitor, the case features a simple zipper design.
I should also mention that there is a Ricoh 150BW model, which I did not test. This model weighs 1.58 pounds (about a third of a pound heavier than our review unit) due to the 3,740 mAh battery inside. The battery keeps the display running for up to 2.5 hours on a single charge. Additionally, the Ricoh 150BW has Wi-Fi 5 connectivity, allowing you to wirelessly connect the monitor to your PC.
Ricoh 150 Portable Monitor On-Screen Display
The Ricoh 150’s OSD is very basic. There are no custom image modes, and Ricoh doesn’t offer the ability to intricately adjust color settings. Only basic features are provided, such as changing input (USB-C 1 or USB-C 2), volume, brightness, contrast and color temperature. The only other notable option is to be able to change the OSD language from the default English.
To operate the OSD, first press the rocker switch. This will bring up the main menu, after which you can use the rocker switch to scroll up and down to select selections. Press the rocker switch again to confirm your selection. You can return to the previous menu by pressing the back button.
Ricoh 150 portable monitor image quality and performance
The Ricoh 150 features a 15.6 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel with a 300 nits brightness rating and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio. Like other OLED panels in this class, the refresh rate is a standard 60Hz.
The Ricoh 150 measures almost 300 nits (297.2 to be exact) on the light meter, placing it third in the overall OLED category. Testing with our colorimeters also showed near-best-in-class performance with 138.4% DCI-P3 coverage and 195.3% sRGB color space coverage.
I used the Ricoh 150 to watch Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote, and it rendered all of Apple’s new hardware and software brilliantly. Apple’s keynote color palette is very broad, with heavy use of reds and greens, which the Ricoh 150 stands out for.
I also saw the “Stop Spider-Man” clip from Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I’ve already seen this movie in theaters (it was great, by the way), but I searched YouTube for some of my favorite highlights. This is one of them too. Since this is a Spider-Man movie, the main colors for his heroes (except Gwen in Spider-Man) are red and blue, which look great on the Ricoh 150.
Then we revisited Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumanias on Disney Plus. The movie was poorly received by critics, but me and most Marvel fans enjoyed it. The film was a CGI extravaganza, with most of the action taking place in the quantum realm. The overall color scheme is heavily biased toward earth tones, creating a dark atmosphere overall. Thanks to the OLED panel, the dark areas of the screen are true black instead of the dusty gray that is common with IPS panels. The final battle between Ant-Man and Kang was particularly thrilling, with the green and purple of Ant-Man’s costume glowing as Ant-Man punched the former to the point of blood.
When it comes to image quality, the Ricoh 150 has little to complain about. However, it has a 60Hz refresh rate, so performance-obsessed people should look elsewhere if they want to game on the go. For such enthusiasts, we recommend considering something like 300Hz. Nexigo NG17FGQ.
Another thing to consider is that the Ricoh 150’s display has a glossy finish that picks up reflections from office lighting. I had to find the perfect angle to avoid large reflections from windows and lights. I could also sometimes see my own reflection on the monitor when dark content was shown, but my brain was able to mostly ignore this annoyance.
I’ve used the Ricoh 150 with a few Windows laptops and a 14″ MacBook Pro without issue. The 1920×1080 resolution at 15.6 inches was perfectly fine for extending my desktop. On macOS Ventura, I used monitors for Slack, Stocks, and Excel. Windows 11 evenly split the monitor vertically for Word and Excel.
Speaking of Windows 11, you can use the included stylus pen to navigate and write/draw in Windows (not supported on macOS). The display is capable of 10-point multi-touch and detects 4,096 levels of pressure. The stylus pen has a metal stem and plastic clip to attach to your shirt pocket (or keep it from rolling off your desk). It has two buttons and is quite heavy with the included AAAA batteries.
Ricoh 150 speaker
The dual 1.5-watt speakers are mediocre at best. The sound is harsh and there are no bass or controls within the OSD to adjust the output. More importantly, even at 100% volume, the speaker doesn’t get too loud. Audio was barely audible in the video, and it became even more difficult to decipher if there was music playing in the background while someone was talking.
Adding speakers ticks another box on the spec sheet, but is of little value in the real world. Good for receiving new email notifications and other app alerts. But if you want to watch movies or listen to music, use your laptop’s built-in speakers, a set of external speakers, or one of the speakers. best pc gaming headset.
Conclusion
The Ricoh 150 is a well-made portable monitor that’s lightweight and doesn’t feel cheap. In addition, the organic EL panel is bright and colorful, and has performance close to the top of its class compared to rivals. The Ricoh 150 weighs just over a pound and barely dents in your laptop bag. Ricoh has wisely included a well-padded carrying case for frequent travelers.
However, not all monitors are roses. The speakers are bad and the glossy screen coating evokes reflections. And while it probably won’t matter to anyone with a decent modern laptop, the Ricoh 150 only supports his USB-C connection (DisplayPort Alt-Mode).
Not cheap price should be considered. The Ricoh 150 costs $575, while the wireless-enabled 150BW version costs $736.For comparison, similar performance Inno CN 15A1F can have for $269 at Amazon.even Asus ZenScreen OLED MSRP is $399, below the Ricoh 150. Note, however, that these competing screens lack Ricoh’s touch rater and stylus.
Ultimately, the Ricoh 150 is a great performing monitor with the bonus of a stylus pen for creative people. But at about $200 to $300 more than the Asus and InnoCN offerings, the Ricoh 150 requires an extra screen for consumption and creation, but not a dedicated creative tablet, such as: It appeals to the creator class that was targeted. Wacom Cintiq 16not much more expensive than the Ricoh 150 at $649.
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