Acer PD3 folding portable monitor review: a glorious tallscreen that will be useful for some

The Acer PD3 is a strange-looking portable monitor that makes big screens mobile

Acer PD3 portable monitor
(Image: © Future / Ian Evenden)

Our Verdict

This pair of linked 1080p panels unfolds to become a tall portable monitor that, while being a bit big and heavy to be something you’ll just slip into your bag, could become a worthy addition to the travelling creative’s kit bag. It can be a little finicky to set up, and isn’t as bright as many laptop screens, but its colour response is pretty good, and if you set it up in a coffee shop there’ll be no argument that you mean business.

For

  • Plenty of extra screen room
  • Easy to connect up
  • Flexible and well built

Against

  • Big bar across the middle
  • Pixel density and brightness low
  • Needs a power supply

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Portable monitors come in all sizes, though not shapes, and can range from the extremely cheap to premium models. They’re extremely useful for extending your laptop’s screen space, perhaps when you’re working away or if you just like to keep an uncluttered desk, as they can easily be packed away when not needed. We’ve never seen one like this before though: Acer has paired two panels to create a folding device that triples your screen space, allowing you to have more apps open at the same time and impress those around you too. But can it compete with the best monitors for working from home?

Key specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Screen size:

2x 18.5in

Screen type:

LED backlit TFT non-touch

Resolution:

1920 x 1080 x 2 (1920 x 2160)

Refresh rate:

100Hz

Colour gamut (measured):

100% sRGB, 84% Adobe RGB, 91% P3

Brightness (measured):

165 nits

Ports:

2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm headphone

Wireless connectivity:

none

Dimensions:

256 x 423 x 24.5 mm

Weight:

2.33 kg

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Acer PD3 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design:

Made to last, but might not fit in every bag.

4/5

Features:

Enough ports, but controls can be fiddly.

3/5

Performance:

Not as bright as we might like, but good colour.

3/5

Value:

You get a lot for your money, but other screens may suit your needs better.

3/5

Image

Asus ZenScreen MQ16AH

The Asus ZenScreen MQ16AH is an OLED portable monitor that offers bright and colourful visuals for the creative on the move.

Image

BenQ PD3225U

Another alternative is the BenQ PD3225U. Why not just buy a massive 4K IPS screen and use your laptop when you leave the office?

Image

MSI Titan 18 HX

Alternatively, with the MSI Titan 18 HX, you could buy one of the biggest laptops on the market and take a large screen everywhere with you.

The Verdict
8

out of 10

Acer PD3

This pair of linked 1080p panels unfolds to become a tall portable monitor that, while being a bit big and heavy to be something you’ll just slip into your bag, could become a worthy addition to the travelling creative’s kit bag. It can be a little finicky to set up, and isn’t as bright as many laptop screens, but its colour response is pretty good, and if you set it up in a coffee shop there’ll be no argument that you mean business.

Ian Evenden

Ian Evenden has been a journalist for over 20 years, starting in the days of QuarkXpress 4 and Photoshop 5. He now mainly works in Creative Cloud and Google Docs, but can always find a use for a powerful laptop or two. When not sweating over page layout or photo editing, you can find him peering at the stars or growing vegetables.

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