The most feared question by every tech expert is also the most common: “what is the best X?”, where X can be as much a smartphone as a tractor. But it is impossible to answer: the choice of product depends so much on the Technical specifications how much give needs of who buys. Philips Monitor e AOC they know it well, so they didn’t just bring it to Italy “the best monitor”but different collections for respond to everyone’s needs – from gamers to professionals, in all price ranges. And they showed them to us at an event where monitors became protagonists.
Philips and AOC, monitors for all needs: from gaming to work
Both Philips Monitors and AOC are part of the same group, TPV which produces 30% of the monitors in the world, for a huge audience of potential customers. And according to Philips data this audience continues to grow – e becomes more and more demanding.
In fact, data in hand, the managers of the two brands explain to us that the high resolution market (from 2K up) is growing by 23% in Europe. And the same goes for the refresh rate: 180Hz is becoming the new normal. Just as 27-inch screens are increasingly common and screens over 34″ are growing by +36%. And more and more, both professionals and gamers, want USB-C and Thunderbolt connectivity, headphone port and integrated webcam.
The two companies, they explain to us, will continue to invest to make these technologies increasingly accessible: Philips and AOC monitors become of higher quality in all price ranges. And even if, as is natural, we were particularly impressed by the top-of-the-range products during the event, there really is no shortage of alternatives.
Bigger and bigger screens, especially for those who work
An obvious trend in the market is the increase in the size of displays, something we see especially in the business sector. The Ultra-Wide segment, even with screens as large as two displays placed side by side, is gaining a strong following in the market.
For those who want the maximum dimensions, 49B2U5900CH e 49B2U6900CH they offer 49-inch 32:9 5K (5120x1440p) screens and popup webcams. Between the two products, the second even supports the 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet connection, with three USB-C ports (two with 115 Watt power delivery).
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Philips launched for example the model 40B1U6903CHequipped with a screen UltraWide 5K2K (5120 x 2160 pixels) and with the Thunderbolt 4 connection, which allows you to act as a docking station to connect all your peripherals: a sumptuous model, with the price 1.849 euro.
The Philips 45B1U6900CH model
Even bigger Philips 45B1U6900CH, which has an RJ45 to USB-C connection to act as a dock for your laptop and a 5MP “pop-up” webcam, which you can raise or lower as needed. The price in this case is 1.189 euro.
The value proposition varies widely, with the band above i 34 inches which starts from products that cost 359 euros up to these huge top of the line. The AOC brand offers lower prices in the business sector, albeit with various comforts: from the large number of ports to the webcam, passing through the adjustable stands.
The company explains that there are also several tools for company management, such as Smart Management Portal. Smart Control it even allows you to upgrade the monitor’s firmware.
A display even in motion
Philips 16B1P3302D
But we don’t always have access to Philips or AOC monitors from 49 inches up – especially if we’re travelling. But we, personally, always miss a second display when we’re on the go. It is precisely for this reason that Philips also offers the model 16B1P3302D.
With a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 75Hz, this is a perfect monitor to use in the hotel during a business trip. It has due porte USB-C, which allow you to connect it to your laptop and charge it at the same time (while also supplying power to your PC). The recommended price is €279.
Philips Evnia and Agon by AOC monitors, for the best in gaming
Of all the monitors seen during the Philips and AOC event, the one that struck us the most is without a doubt Agon Pro AG276QZD. It has an OLED screen with 1440p resolution made available by LG Displa, with a 240Hz refresh rate. There are no photographs that can render the quality of the images: amazing. All for 1,089 euros.
AOC AGON Pro AG276QZD
But if you need more space, you can focus on products such as AOC AGON AG405UXC40 inch monitor with panel IPS and resolution of 3440 x 1440 pixels. Or on the 240Hz of AOC AGON AG325QZN: the cost is, respectively, 709 euros and 549 euros.
Philips also has its own line for gaming, called Evnia. Products such as 34M2C8600 offer a QD OLED display (combining Quantum Dot technologies with OLED) to effect Ambiglow on the back, to reproduce the colors of the game on the home wall. The cost from 1,299 euros is not for everyone – but the results can be seen with the naked eye.
Philips 34M2C8600
Philips and AOC explained to us that both brands have a three-pronged approach to gaming monitors. There are different series based on price and features: “Good, Better, Best”. So we start from AOC Gaming, we move on to Agon and we get to Agon Pro. While for Evnia we go from the 3000 to the 5000 series up to the top of the 7000 and 8000 series.
This way, everyone can find the right monitor. And also a series of accessories ranging from mobile stands for monitors, through headphones, keyboards, mice and more. Always with an eye to all price ranges, both for those who work and for those who play (or do both).
You can find here all the info on Philips monitors, while here those for AOC monitors.