In the world of displays, there is no universal size or shape. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more laptop screens play with an aspect ratio that provides more vertical height than more traditional 16:9 screens. But when it comes to endless news feeds, endless social media feeds, and endearingly lengthy articles, something like Thanko TL’s 5:16 portrait display really stands out.
Released today and spotted by Tom’s Hardware via Japan’s PC Watch site, the monitor from Thanko, a gadget brand owned by Sanko, is a 0.7-pound (334g) portable display. The 7.9-inch screen has a resolution of 400×1280, resulting in a high pixel density of 169.75 ppi.
However, it’s not clear what image quality you can expect from this ultra-high display. The product page doesn’t include information about things like panel type, contrast ratio, or brightness.
Thank you, highlights that TL is oriented to Twitter timeframes. He also suggests using it for Zoom, laying video participants in a vertical line, or monitoring your computer’s CPU and GPU usage.
If you prefer the ultra-wide option, the TL also works horizontally.
There’s even a stand that supports the monitor in both portrait and landscape modes, but it’s sold separately.
In terms of connectivity, the monitor uses HDMI (version not specified) and a micro-USB to USB-A cable for power, while many modern portable monitors use USB-C, sometimes for power and data.
The ultra-high portable monitor is priced at 11,200 yen, which is about $97. By comparison, the even more extreme Elsonic EK-MD088, a 7:32 ultra-high 420×1920 monitor, is currently selling for 14,800 yen, or about $128.
However, Apple users will have to find another way to keep a close eye on their Twitter feed, as the monitor is not officially Mac-ready.
But in the future, there may be more options for screens that are taller than they are wide. While these small ultra-tall screens may seem like a fun niche category, tall monitors could become more common if the LG DualUp Monitor (28MQ780) is a success. A 27.6-inch 16:18 desktop monitor is due out sometime this year.