AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor Packs a Budget Full HD Second Screen for Travel

AOC sells the 16T20, priced at $47.49 (was $70), as a 16-inch portable monitor, though the panel itself measures 15.6 inches on the diagonal. Resolution sits at 1920 by 1080, the panel type is IPS, and the refresh rate tops out at 60 Hz. AOC lists a 4 ms gray-to-gray response time, 178-degree viewing angles, a rated brightness of 250 nits, and a static contrast ratio of 1200:1. Color depth is 6-bit, which works out to 262,000 colors. Independent tests have come in a little short of the brightness claim, and the color range is narrower than a desktop monitor built for photo work. For email, documents, video calls, and a movie on a hotel desk, the panel holds up well enough that the low price starts to make sense.

The screen weighs approximately 1.5 pounds on its own and slightly more than 2.4 pounds with the magnetic smart cover. It’s also not particularly thick, measuring approximately 0.4 inches. At 13.9 inches wide by 8.8 inches height, the footprint is just about the size of an average laptop bag. The clever cover folds up into a simple stand that, while not as smooth as a metal kickstand, does the job. It folds up nicely to protect the glass in a bag, eliminating the need for a separate foot. There are VESA 75 by 75 holes in the back if you wish to attach a decent arm to this thing later, and don’t worry, the package comes with a three-year warranty.

You can connect this thing to one of two full-featured USB-C ports, which can also handle power and video via the DisplayPort Alt Mode thing. So all you need is one cord from a laptop or phone that already outputs video, and your screen will be ready to go. There is also a Mini HDMI port for older machines and game consoles, as well as a 3.5mm jack next to the pair of 1-watt speakers. So, the box includes the cover and one USB-C cable, but don’t forget the Mini HDMI lead if you want to connect this to a console. The power demand is actually rather modest. One measurement put it at under 4 watts at full brightness. That is easy on a laptop battery, even during a long travel. Just keep in mind that there is no internal battery, so you will need to draw power from your host device or a wall adapter.

Game consoles can use the Mini HDMI input, and everything looks good at 1080p and 60 Hz, but don’t expect it to keep up in competitive play. That refresh rate and response time will begin to seem somewhat constrained. It’s better suitable as a portable screen for a Switch or a casual session than as a gaming display. Office work is the true sweet spot here. Windows and Mac both see this as another monitor and do not require a driver installation, and the narrow bezels keep it compact enough for a backpack sleeve. There are some simple buttons around the edge to navigate a menu that takes a while to learn, but once you do, the low blue light option is useful when evening reading becomes too hard on the eyes.