Review: GeChic OnLap 1303H Portable Monitor

The GeChic OnLap 1303H is a usb powered monitor designed to be portable. Unlike many other usb monitors, the OnLap uses usb for power and not data transfer unlike versions released by AOC and Asus. It provides mobility without having to sacrifice quality or performance.

Packaging

The monitor comes well packaged with premium packaging materials. The monitor comes wrapped in a nice cloth bag which can be reused to provide extra protection while transporting the monitor. Included with the monitor are two hook and loop straps for cable management, a micro usb cable for power, a HDMI to GeChic's proprietary connector cable, a protective cover which also acts as a stand, and a usb wall adapter.

Monitor

The front of the monitor is very simple with only a white bezel surrounding its 13" IPS 1920x1080 display. On the left is where the inputs are located. There are two female micro usb connections for power. Incase your power source is unable to provide the two amps the monitor needs, two separate cables can be used to draw power from two separate usb power sources, or the provided usb cable can be used which has two male usb connectors. Unlike it's competitors, the monitor uses HDMI, Display port, or VGA for video inputs instead of using usb to transfer video data. Unfortunately, it uses proprietary connectors for the monitor so replacement cables will be expensive and hard to find. There is also a 3.5mm head phone jack for an audio pass through. It also supports MHL so you can hook up an android device or iPhone if you buy the proper cables and the device supports it.

On the right is where the power button and menu buttons are. I found these buttons to be either too stiff or easy to press. It would take excessive pressure to press the up button but it would be very easy to accidentally press the down button. For a monitor at this price I would expect better buttons or at least constantly bad buttons.

The top and bottom of the monitor have very small screw threads. There are corresponding holes on the protective cover/stand so they may be used to keep the cover attached but no screws were included and they are too thin to support the weight of the monitor.

On the back are two speaker grills for the built in speakers. The speakers are terrible even for built in speakers. It's best to avoid using them. The monitor sizes in at 345x226x10.5mm which makes it around the width of a 15" Macbook pro but slightly shorter and thinner.

The monitor has a plastic construction but parts fit together well with no gaps and it feels rigid with very little flex. Even with it's plastic construction it still feels solid and not like it will break easily unlike the AOC portable USB monitor which fell apart after we finished reviewing it.

The included cover is also made of plastic but has a metal piece going down the center which gives the magnets used for the stand something to attach to. There are cut out for the terrible speakers in the cover so sound is not blocked by it. The stand has three angles of adjustment and does an alright job at holding up the monitor. It is still flimsy and the monitor moves around while you're placing it down. To mount the monitor on a tripod, monitor stand, or use it in portrait mode, a optional VESA mount will have to be purchased.

Performance

What the monitor lacks in looks it makes up in performance. The 1920x1080 IPS panel provides great colour reproduction and viewing angles. The panel is slightly reflective but is not as bad as the screen on Macbooks. I wish they had chose to use a matte display but the monitor is still fine to use outdoors or in bright light. It also offers colour adjustments which was something that lacked from other portable monitors.

The monitor is great of extra screen real estate on the go without the extra weigh of a normal monitor. It's great for hackathons or as a field monitor for a camera when shooting. Powering it is not an issue when you can just duct tape a usb power bank on the back. It is also great for photo or video editing thanks to its colour accuracy.

Conclusion

Overall the GeChic OnLap 1303H is a great portable monitor which sets itself apart from it's competitors. It is easy to carry around and is great to use. Unlike other monitors it has a great IPS panel which provides great colours unlike the very purple screen of the AOC usb monitor. For it's price, it would have been nice to see more premium materials and a more stunning design. You can pick one up for yourself on Amazon here http://amzn.to/1PFJR9U.

Rating: 8/10

Martin Tam

Martin Tam is an editor and the Director of Video Production at [blank]’s Universe. He is also a technology enthusiast that particularly enjoys computers and photography. He enjoys breaking things and sleeping in his spare time.