We have recently received a handful of portable flat-panel monitors at STH. One we were excited to test was the KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor. This portable flat-panel monitor, as of this writing, is priced under $70 on Amazon. That makes it one of the lowest-cost portable monitors on the market. Let us get into it to see how it is priced to others.
Here is the Amazon affiliate link to where we purchased this unit.
KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor Hardware Overview
KYY’s monitor has a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a Full HD 1920×1080 resolution. This display can be arranged both vertically and horizontally.
Here is a look at the rear of the panel and its stand. It is around 14.48in (Width) x 0.35in (Depth) x 8.85in (Height) with the foldable stand.
The KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor comes with a case/stand that attaches magnetically. Compared to MNN M156F01, which we have also recently reviewed, we find that this is less sturdy than MNN’s method of screwing the monitor into the case/stand.
The K3 is designed to give you varying viewing angles. The two-in-one case/stand makes it convenient to travel with since the stand also serves as a protective case.
The monitor has two full-feature Type-C Ports. You could use them as a display-only connection (via DP Alt Mode), or you could use them as a power-only option. Lastly, you can also use them with adapter cables to go to a DisplayPort monitor, for example.
The monitor comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable. This can serve as both power and provide the display signal for the monitor.
The KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor also has a Mini HDMI port for attaching it to devices where DisplayPort either is not available or is not appropriate. Unlike the USB-C ports, the Mini HDMI port does not carry power, so if you use it for a display connection, you will still need to power the monitor via one of its USB-C ports.
Notably, given the limited adoption of Mini HDMI ports overall, KYY had the good sense to pack in a Mini HDMI to HDMI cable with the monitor. So the display comes with everything you will need to connect it to a traditional full-size HDMI port.
It also comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable.
As well as a 5V 2.4A Power Adapter
On the other side, it has a power/back button and a control wheel where you can adjust the monitor’s brightness.
On this side it also has a 3.5mm audio jack.
Next, let us see how the KYY K3 monitor performs.
KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor Performance
We decided to use our Datacolor SpyderPro to see what kind of color performance we get with these monitors. This is not the fanciest test equipment by any means, but we just wanted to get some general sense of performance.
Above we have the Color Gamut, and below we also have the Color Accuracy from said Datacolor SpyderPro.
With the K3 only being able to display 67% of the sRGB color space, the monitor is not off to a strong start here. Despite the lack of color gamut, the display’s accuracy with grayscale patches is actually pretty good; a dE under 3 is perfectly respectable for an uncalibrated monitor. Unfortunately, the lack of complete sRGB color space support means that a lot of colors are significantly misrepresented, particularly cyan, red, and green. It is not a good look in either sense of the word. Then again, this is a portable monitor that sells for under $70.
As a quick comparison point, here is what we saw from the MNN M156F01, a $49 portable monitor:
and the color accuracy:
Next let us compare it to the $109 The Arzopa Z1FC 16.1in 144Hz Portable Monitor:
and the color accuracy:
The KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor ($70) and the MNN M156F01 15.6in Portable Monitor ($49) are very comparable in their respective handling of colors. The KYY K3 tested slightly better for color accuracy (3.83 Average) to the MNN M156F01 (4.29). Compared to the more expensive Arzopa Z1FC 16.1in Portable Monitor ($109), it tested far worse.
Power Consumption
In terms of power, we wanted to test this at different brightness levels:
- 0% 2.4W
- 25% 3.0W
- 50% 3.7W
- 75% 4.5W
- 100% 5.6W
In case you were wondering about what we saw for the brightness and contrast at those power levels:
This is not the lowest power panel, but it is also not a 100W+ monitor.
Final Words
There are an ample number of portable monitors available today. Amidst that many options, the KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor finds itself in the middle of the pack with regards to performance and features, leaving little to really write home about. That said, the monitor does sell for under $70, offering a decent value at that price – and even more so if it can be found at a discount.
The big issue that KYY faces is that it is in a hyper-competitive market, full of other vendors who can offer the same value, or more. We recently tested the MNN M156F01, which is priced at under $50. The KYY K3 15.6in Portable Monitor and the MNN M156F01 performed almost identically in our testing. Given the pricing of the two monitors and the use cases, it is difficult to justify spending the additional $20 for the KYY K3 Portable Monitor.
Display performance aside, both monitors come with a USB Type-C cable, a Mini HDMI to HDMI cable, and a case. A main difference between the two is that the KYY K3 Portable Monitor offers a magnetic connection between the case and the monitor, which makes it easy to detach from the case and use it standalone. Whereas the MNN M156F01 has the monitor screwed to the case, making it not as easily interchangeable, but rather sturdy in exchange. The KYY K3 also comes with a standalone 5V 2.4A power adapter, an add-in that its cheaper competitors lack.
Otherwise, this monitor makes the expected compromises to get down to its price point. Particularly the narrow, sub-sRGB color gamut, which leads into the poor color accuracy. A full-gamut monitor such as the Arzopa Z1FC 16.1in 144Hz Portable Monitor would fare better in that regard and come with more features, albeit at a higher cost. In that respect, KYY’s monitor has to make a lot of compromises to shave $39 off of the price tag of higher-tier monitors.
Overall, the KYY K3 15.6″ Portable Monitor makes for a decent option as an additional screen or an inexpensive travel monitor thanks to its small size and low power consumption. The budget-priced monitor will not wow anyone, but at this price range, it is not expected to. Still, portable monitors are practically a commodity good these days, so there is little incentive to pay a premium for this monitor if you can find a competitor (such as the $49 MN M156F01) priced even lower.
Where to Buy
If you just want to pick one of these up, here is the Amazon affiliate link to where we purchased this unit.
