E-ink is the main display technology for e-readers, but it is also used in other types of products to take advantage of its advantages in consumption and viewing comfort. We see them integrated into wearables, keyboards or laptops, and Philips thought they could also be useful in monitors.

Hardly said than done. Philips 24B1D5600 is a model with a screen 23.8″ IPS and a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. It offers a refresh rate of 75 Hz, a brightness of 250 cd/m², a contrast ratio of 1000:1 (static) and a response time of 4 ms (gray-gray).

So far, quite normal for the current level of the computer monitor market, although with the focus on offices or working at home, it gains advantages in connectivity with a Hub that includes a USB-C input that supports USB PD 3.0 up to 90W for charging third-party devices, a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port, audio output and four USB Type-A ports. It includes a Display Port 1.2 port for connecting digital video.

However, the big novelty of this model is an additional and independent screen with electronic ink on the right side of the monitor. It is hinged and can be tilted up to 45 degrees towards the main screen. this screen The E Ink measures 13.3 inches and has a resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels.

Another peculiarity of this screen is that it requires its own data input, which is done through the USB-C port, which also supports DP Alt mode and is capable of supplying 15W of power to a connected device such as a smartphone.

What can we use it for? It will certainly not be very useful for the average consumer, but it should be emphasized that this monitor is intended for companies, home offices or the educational segment, for example, for viewing documents without taking up space on the main screen, maximizing productivity and with a black and white, energy-efficient display that does not cause fatigue eye strain caused by conventional backlit LCD monitors.

Although the connection of the secondary screen is independent, Philips includes Philips SmartRemote software to control it and cooperate with the main screen. An easy-to-use menu lets you drag and drop files into the tool window, browse content, zoom in, zoom out, and change pages.

Of course, this Philips 24B1D5600 is not for everyone, but it can be useful for certain tasks. And it offers something “different”, which says a lot in a segment where almost everything is invented and hard to innovate.