A 15.6-inch USB-C Monitor: The ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC Ready To Launch

After we wrote a news post on the AOC I1659FWUX USB monitor, many of the commenters lamented the fact that the AOC was both thick and heavy, while others said that they wished that it used a more modern connector for power and video transmission, like USB Type-C. As luck would have it, one such product is about to hit the market. Although unveiled all the way back at IFA 2016, the ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC looks to be ready for release and it is still very appealing in many respects.

The MB16AC is a 15.6-inch USB monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a conventional refresh rate of 60Hz. It features an IPS panel without an anti-glare coating, a brightness of 220 cd/m2, and a contrast ratio of 800:1. We have no information with regard to response time or viewing angles, but given the IPS panel and the intended usage the viewing angles should be pretty decent.

Since this product is designed to be highly portable, there has clearly been a lot of focus on keeping the dimensions as compact as possible. For starters, thanks to a sturdy metal rear cover with a concentric circle finish, ASUS has been able to make the MB16AC remarkably thin at only 8.0mm. The metal construction also allowed them to reduce the bezels surrounding the display to a relatively narrow 6.5mm. The overall effect of the compact dimensions is that this is also a very lightweight USB monitor, weighing in at svelte 780 grams.

The included synthetic leather ASUS Smart Case is 1mm thick and not only helps protect the monitor from dust and scratches, but is claimed to be ergonomically designed to hold the MB16AC in both landscape and portrait orientation. If you don’t want to use the case, the display can also be propped up in either orientation by simply inserting the included ZenScreen pen or any pen into the little hole in the corner of the monitor. The built-in auto-rotation feature should eliminate the need for any manual intervention.

Like many other portable monitors, the ZenScreen MB16AC only requires a single USB connection for both power and video transmission. However, this model features a hybrid USB Type-C port that not only supports DisplayPort over USB-C, but is also fully compatible with USB 3.0 Type-A ports thanks to an included USB-C to USB-A cable and a driver. Power consumption is listed as 8W or less on average, which is fine for a USB Type-C port, but that load will probably need to be split across two USB 3.0 Type-A ports.

There is also a host of screen overlay functions, like a crosshair, timer, alignment grid, and photo modes. Last but not least, there is the ASUS Eye Care technology that is designed to combine flicker reduction and a blue light filter to reduce eye fatigue.

We have no firm details with regard to pricing or availability, but Netherlands-based online retailer Redable.nl expects stock as early as May 29th, while US-based B&H Photo Video lists expected availability on July, 2017. There is also a product listing on Amazon.com that says “Temporarily out of stock”.

Gallery: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC

Related Reading

• AOC Releases the I1659FWUX: a 15.6-inch 1080P Portable USB Monitor

A 15.6-inch USB-C Monitor: The ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC Ready To Launch

After we wrote a news post on the AOC I1659FWUX USB monitor, many of the commenters lamented the fact that the AOC was both thick and heavy, while others said that they wished that it used a more modern connector for power and video transmission, like USB Type-C. As luck would have it, one such product is about to hit the market. Although unveiled all the way back at IFA 2016, the ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC looks to be ready for release and it is still very appealing in many respects.

The MB16AC is a 15.6-inch USB monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a conventional refresh rate of 60Hz. It features an IPS panel without an anti-glare coating, a brightness of 220 cd/m2, and a contrast ratio of 800:1. We have no information with regard to response time or viewing angles, but given the IPS panel and the intended usage the viewing angles should be pretty decent.

Since this product is designed to be highly portable, there has clearly been a lot of focus on keeping the dimensions as compact as possible. For starters, thanks to a sturdy metal rear cover with a concentric circle finish, ASUS has been able to make the MB16AC remarkably thin at only 8.0mm. The metal construction also allowed them to reduce the bezels surrounding the display to a relatively narrow 6.5mm. The overall effect of the compact dimensions is that this is also a very lightweight USB monitor, weighing in at svelte 780 grams.

The included synthetic leather ASUS Smart Case is 1mm thick and not only helps protect the monitor from dust and scratches, but is claimed to be ergonomically designed to hold the MB16AC in both landscape and portrait orientation. If you don’t want to use the case, the display can also be propped up in either orientation by simply inserting the included ZenScreen pen or any pen into the little hole in the corner of the monitor. The built-in auto-rotation feature should eliminate the need for any manual intervention.

Like many other portable monitors, the ZenScreen MB16AC only requires a single USB connection for both power and video transmission. However, this model features a hybrid USB Type-C port that not only supports DisplayPort over USB-C, but is also fully compatible with USB 3.0 Type-A ports thanks to an included USB-C to USB-A cable and a driver. Power consumption is listed as 8W or less on average, which is fine for a USB Type-C port, but that load will probably need to be split across two USB 3.0 Type-A ports.

There is also a host of screen overlay functions, like a crosshair, timer, alignment grid, and photo modes. Last but not least, there is the ASUS Eye Care technology that is designed to combine flicker reduction and a blue light filter to reduce eye fatigue.

We have no firm details with regard to pricing or availability, but Netherlands-based online retailer Redable.nl expects stock as early as May 29th, while US-based B&H Photo Video lists expected availability on July, 2017. There is also a product listing on Amazon.com that says “Temporarily out of stock”.

Gallery: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC

Related Reading

• AOC Releases the I1659FWUX: a 15.6-inch 1080P Portable USB Monitor

Asus Announces the VivoStick PC – A Cherry Trail Compute Stick

At IFA 2015, Asus is announcing their first PC in the ‘compute stick’ form factor, the VivoStick PC. As a recap, the Compute Stick form factor is the x86 version of the popular ARM-based HDMI sticks. The first generation x86 Compute Stick came from Intel and used a Bay Trail-T SoC. Despite looking like an oversized thumb drive, the unit was actively cooled.

Asus’s first foray into this form factor comes with the 14nm Cherry Trail platform. Unlike Intel’s Compute Stick, the Asus VivoStick appears to have a good industrial design. The main differences between the Bay Trail-T Compute Stick that we have already reviewed and the VivoStick PC being announced today are:

• Removal of microSD slot
• Windows 10 Home instead of Windows 8.1 with Bing
• eMCP (multi-chip package) integrating 2 GB of DDR3L and 32 GB of flash memory in a single package, thereby reducing the board area
• 1x USB 3.0 port

The other aspects include availability of a 802.11 b/g/n and BT 4.0 chip for communications. The 138mm x 15mm x 14mm package weighs 70g. The VivoStick also comes in multiple colours. Asus is yet to decide whether to actively cool the device or not.

Asus did not announce any availability dates, but did indicate that the units are expected to have a MSRP of $129. As I have mentioned in multiple reviews, 32GB of primary storage is hardly enough after a couple of major updates. Due to this, the Compute Stick form factor is difficult to recommend as a general PC. However, its sleek and unobtrusive nature as well as low power requirements make it ideal for single purpose computers such as those used in kiosks and other such embedded / industrial applications.