espresso Display - Review
Last year, I saw an add on social media for a device called the espresso portable display, something that would provide a second screen for my laptop without the need to bring a bulky secondary monitor with me whenever I go anywhere. The product in question caught my attention, could a secondary display, one that is thinner than the iPad Pro, really be able to keep up with what I would need for it. I went back and forth on getting one and in the end, decided to bite the bullet, once Apple announced that they were going to bring proper second screen support to iPad OS. Having put the display through its paces, I am happy to say I am glad I made the purchase now.
There are a few things to note about this display, the first is that there are three variants there are two 13-inch models and one 15-inch option, the first of the 13-inch models is just the display and nothing else, whilst the other provides touchscreen support, something that is included on the 15-inch model as well. In addition the two touchscreen enabled devices do have speakers built-in, whereas the non-touch screen is just the display, outside of that they are identical. The other thing to note is that there are no stands or supporting options provided as part of the purchase, you either have to buy one of theirs or find your own that works for you. In fact in the box you get the screen, a USB-C to USB-C cable and the cleaning cloth, that's it, it is one of the best presentations of a minimalist product you can imagine.
When using the display with my iPad, which sadly just mirrors things, there isn’t anything else I had to do, except connect the included USB-C cable from the port on the iPad into one of the two included ports on the display, it was that simple. For those wondering why the iPad just mirrors, that is all it has done since Apple first included support for a second display, however in the new iPadOS that is in beta now, any second display attached, will act as a proper second screen. Connecting the display to my Surface Laptop required the use of a MiniDisplay to USB-C cable, which I already had, but as my model was an older laptop, it required an additional power supply, which a USB-A to USB-C cable connected to the Surface power brick was able to conquer. Much like you would expect from a desktop, the moment I connected the display, it provided me with a second screen experience and there was nothing else I needed to consider.
Something that I didn’t think about, before buying the display, was being able to use it when connected to my Switch dock, with a HDMI to USB-C cable and just like the laptop, it needed an additional power supply for the display, but it worked. Then randomly, I thought about connecting it via the USB-C port on the bottom of the Switch, directly too the display and once I connected an external battery pack to it, the Switch display did appear on the espresso display. Not expecting it to work at all, when the screen disabled on the Switch and nothing appeared on the espresso display, I will admit to a moment of panic, but then the image appeared on it and without issue. This was where I discovered the only issue with the display, at least for the model I bought, as I opted for the non-touchscreen device, I had no internal speakers on the display, so I had no sound, but a pair of headphones connected to the Switch solved that and yes, even my Bluetooth headphones still worked.
As far as gaming on it goes, I encountered no issues, I played a lot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, some Nintendo 64 games, Tetris Effect and even some Monster Hunter Rise and all looked great, just on a screen double the size of the Switch. As there are no buttons on the display, there is no way to adjust the picture when the Switch is connected, via a PC or Mac if you have one of those, you would adjust settings on the machine, so if you like your display to be a bit darker, you are out of luck here, thankfully the brightness isn’t absurd, at 300 nits, it will let you see things without much hassle. espresso do state that you can swipe up from the middle of the display, to adjust the brightness without a computer, but that never worked for me, so one can only assume that is for the touch enabled displays. Apart from the two USB-C ports on the right side of the display, there are no other options to make use of, no menu, no power nothing, it is a simple as you can get.
That simplicity also carries across into the methods of displaying the display, because as I said earlier, you don’t get any form of stand with the display, that is optional. For my use, I went with the espresso case, which acts as both a screen protector and a stand for the display when in use, it was pretty basic as far as things go. When you want to use it, you simply fold it up and over the top of the screen and with a fold in it, you adjust the angle of it, to adjust the pitch of the display, simple. Sadly though the case is pretty bad, not in terms of using it, whenever I had it setup, it never moved, even when bumping my desk, table or such, but every time I would flip it over, the magnets that hold it in place, would give way. The magnets themselves are strong though, I tested it by holding the case and letting the display dangle, my nerves were wracked, but it held, so I am not sure why it has issues flipping over. You can opt for a more permanent display stand, which the screen uses magnets to connect to and while it does collapse down, is aimed at folks who are going to elevate the display on a desk, in a more permanent fashion.
This is not the first portable display that I have reviewed, but it is by far the nicest, it is a simple product and it does exactly what you are told it will do, give you a second screen, without any real issues. Some older devices and gaming consoles will require a power supply to the display, which is something you have to get for yourself, but beyond that, it works with a few simple connections. The lack of options to the display, at least when not connected to a PC or Mac is a little irksome, so if you are someone who likes a particular setting of your display, be aware of that. As far as displays go, it is not the best around, there are much higher quality panels, but those come with price tags to match and are about as portable as a refrigerator. If you travel and need two screens, or you are a gamer on the go and you want a larger screen, I can not recommend this display enough.
The Score
9.0
The Pros
+Insanely easy to set up, just connect the cables and you are done
+Screen quality is great, delivering sharp and rich images, no matter the connected device
The Cons
-The lack of options for adjusting the screen, without the need of a PC/Mac is a letdown
-You don’t get a basic covering and the one they sell has issues
