ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD review: The dual-screen portable monitor

review
ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD review: The dual-screen portable monitor
Rating

Recently, I have been testing an intriguing device: the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD. It’s a portable dual-screen monitor featuring dual 14-inch OLED panels, each with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Portable and dual-screen? It doesn’t sound plausible, does it? Well, this monitor creates a combined 21-inch workspace, making it an excellent tool for productivity enthusiasts, creatives, and professionals who need a portable, multitasking setup on the go. If you’re curious about its performance and whether it’s worth your investment, keep reading this review:

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ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD: Who is it good for?

This portable monitor is an excellent choice for those who:

  • Need a portable dual-screen setup for multitasking or creative work
  • Desire the stunning visuals provided by OLED displays
  • Want a lightweight, compact device for enhanced productivity while traveling

Pros and cons

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD is great in many respects:

  • The OLED displays deliver color accuracy, deep blacks, and vibrant visuals
  • The dual-screen design improves your multitasking capabilities with a combined 21-inch workspace
  • Slim, relatively lightweight, and surprisingly easy to carry
  • Rich connectivity options via USB Type-C and HDMI ports
  • Versatile usage options, including a 360° hinge, standard tripod mount, and integrated kickstand
  • Includes a travel sleeve

Still, there are also a few drawbacks:

  • The device is rather expensive
  • It would’ve been great for the screens to also support touch
Product rating 4/5

Verdict

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD is an impressive portable monitor that offers excellent multitasking features and high-quality visuals. Its combined 21-inch workspace and dual OLED screens make it ideal for professionals and creatives who need flexibility and productivity on the go. More specifically, I believe it would be a great choice for video editors, content creators, photographers, architects, and other professionals who need to work while traveling: designers, consultants, or even software developers. Although it comes with a premium price tag, if you’re someone who can benefit from the extra screen real estate, the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD is definitely worth considering.

Unboxing the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD comes in an interesting package that’s made of two boxes. A large box crafted from sturdy brown cardboard holds within a smaller and much more elegant gray box, together with a tripod socket kit, a power adapter, a microfiber cloth, and a ZenScreen sleeve.

This monitor comes with a sleeve, a tripod kit, and a power adapter

This monitor comes with a sleeve, a tripod kit, and a power adapter

Inside the second box, everything is neatly arranged. The monitor is cushioned with foam padding and wrapped in a soft plastic sleeve. In addition to the ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD itself, the box includes a series of accessories that differ depending on the region you live in. Besides the three elements I’ve already mentioned in the previous paragraph, the package includes two USB Type-C cables, a mini HDMI to HDMI cable, a microfiber cloth, and a quick setup guide, plus a warranty card.

Inside the boxes, you'll also get cables, a microfiber cloth, and documents

Inside the boxes, you'll also get cables, a microfiber cloth, and documents

Unboxing the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD is a pleasant experience, as the number of accessories you get is generous and the attention to detail is evident. I especially appreciated the inclusion of both USB and HDMI cables, as that ensures instant compatibility with a wide range of laptops and devices without the need for additional adapters.

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Design and hardware specs

Opening up the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD feels much like opening a laptop, but instead of a keyboard and screen, you have two connected OLED panels. Each has a 14-inch diagonal size and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels in a 16:10 aspect ratio. Together, they create a combined 21-inch workspace that measures 31.9 x 21.2 x 1.5 cm (12.56" x 8.35" x 0.59"). Worth noting, it weighs approximately 1.07 kg (2.36 lbs), making it highly portable for a dual-screen solution.

The displays have a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels

The displays have a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels

Both screens have a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, generous viewing angles (176° both horizontally and vertically), a typical contrast ratio of 100,000:1, and a maximum typical brightness of 400 cd/m2. They also support Display HDR 400, and when HDR is on, the contrast ratio and brightness go up to a maximum of 100,000,000:1 and 500 cd/m2, respectively.

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149C also supports HDR

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149C also supports HDR

Oh, and the monitor also offers high color accuracy, with both displays covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. You’ll find this particularly useful when editing photos, as the colors appear true to life without the need for constant color calibration.

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The foldable monitor is powered via USB Type-C and can connect to laptops or other devices using USB Type-C or HDMI. If you’re using USB-C for linking the monitor’s screens to your laptop, the ZenScreen Duo can draw power directly from your other device. If, on the other hand, you connect the monitor using its HDMI port, you need to also attach the power adapter to the top USB-C port to give it the power it needs. Worth noting, all the ports and buttons are found on the right edge of the bottom screen, which helps keep the top panel slim and unobstructed.

The ports are found on the right side of the monitor

The ports are found on the right side of the monitor

Moreover, a neat feature of this foldable monitor is that you can also configure each OLED screen independently. While both can mirror or extend your laptop’s display, you can also have them function separately by connecting one screen to one device and the other to a different laptop or PC. For example, you could work on one screen, connect to your laptop, and have your child watch a movie on the second one, mirrored from their smartphone or another device. That is, of course, if the phone supports USB-C video output (DisplayPort Alt Mode). For instance, I know that the Samsung Galaxy S series, as well as some Motorola and ASUS smartphones do.

You can use each screen with a different computer

You can use each screen with a different computer

The monitor’s design also includes some other neat features, like a 360° hinge, a built-in kickstand, and a standard tripod mount. What all this means is that you get more than just a few different options to position and use this dual-screen monitor.

The hinges allow for 360 degrees rotation

The hinges allow for 360 degrees rotation

The ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD has a typical power consumption of 13 Watts. In power-saving mode, it should draw less than 0.5 Watts, and when it’s off, it requires less than 0.3 Watts.

If you want to see more information about this foldable portable monitor, check out its official webpage: ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD.

The hardware specs highlight a clear focus on portability, adaptability, and performance. Whether you’re a photographer needing accurate color representation or a business user looking for extra screen space, this monitor has what it takes to accommodate various professional and creative demands.

Using the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD

The first thing I noticed when I began using the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD was its quality: it feels premium in all regards. Once connected to my laptop via USB Type-C, it came to life without requiring any special drivers.

The dual-screen portable monitor works out-of-the-box

The dual-screen portable monitor works out-of-the-box

I also briefly tested it with a desktop computer using its HDMI port, and the setup process was just as easy. This only proves how quickly you can move the monitor from one device to the other. You can take it with you while traveling and connect it to a laptop, and have it immediately ready on your desk at home, connected to your main PC.

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The built-in kickstand proved stable, and so did positioning the monitor in tent mode. The latter isn’t something I aimed for, as I work from home, but I can see how it could be useful when you want to run a presentation in an office, for instance.

Using the portable monitor in tent mode

Using the portable monitor in tent mode

When it comes to actual performance, meaning image quality mainly, the dual 14-inch OLED panels were nothing short of extraordinary. The deep blacks and vibrant colors immediately catch your eye, and I must admit that the extra screen real estate made my day-to-day tasks significantly more efficient. I enjoyed keeping my writing environment on one screen while using the additional screens to research, chat on Discord, or simply skip tracks in my YouTube Music playlists.

The screen real estate offered by the monitor is generous

The screen real estate offered by the monitor is generous

Overall, my experience with the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD was overwhelmingly positive. It combines portability with superb image quality into one compelling package. While it’s certainly an investment, anyone who needs dual-screen functionality and appreciates exquisite OLED image quality will likely find it a worthwhile addition to their setup. I only wished it also had support for touch.

Would you consider buying the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD?

I found the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD to be a fantastic addition to my laptop. The innovative dual-screen layout and stunning OLED visuals make it a top-notch product for anyone who appreciates flexibility and needs to multitask. And while it’s expensive, I’m sure video editors, content creators, photographers, or architects who work and travel will find it useful and exciting. What about you? Would this portable monitor be a nice addition to your travel bag? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

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