Yahoo Finance Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Samsung latest high-res monitors go all-in on HDR
They range in size from 24 to 34 inches and feature very slim bezels.
Samsung has launched its business and consumer lineup of high-resolution monitors, and this year, all 12 of them support HDR. The S8 flagship lineup comes features two 27-inch (S80A and S80UA) and one 32-inch model (S80A), all with 1 billion color (10-bit) IPS panels and 3,840 x 2,160 (4K Ultra HD) resolution. While Samsung calls these displays HDR10 compatible, they don't meet the minimum VESA certified DisplayHDR spec of 400 nits of brightness, as they only put out 300 nits. However, they will give you the benefit of the wide color for content creation and streaming services like Netflix.
The S8 monitors have a flat borderless design with slim bezels and support 10Gbps data via USB-C, along with a USB hub. One of the 27-inch models, the S80UA, even supports 90W charging, which could be handy for USB laptops or for quick smartphone charging. Other features include full swivel and tilt functions, a relatively quick 5-millisecond response time for gaming, DisplayPort 1.2 input and HDMI 2.0.
The S7 series features two models, the 27-inch S70A and 32-inch S70A. Both have flat-screen 4K displays with HDR10, 1.07 billion (10-bit) colors, a slim-bezel design and tilt adjustment. The S6 lineup features six models ranging from 24 to 34 inches, all of which offer 2,560 x 1,440 QHD resolution. The exception there is the S65UA, a 34-inch curved design with UWQHD (3,440 x 1,440) resolution (above). All of the S6 models feature HDR10 with 1.07 billion color (10-bit) support, and Samsung's spec sheet indicates they use VA panels with 300 nits of brightness.
The fact that all of these monitors support HDR shows that Samsung thinks the tech is important for the future of PCs and Macs, even for the average user. Though panel brightness doesn't actually conform to the HDR spec, these displays are still brighter than typical consumer and business models and content creators will benefit from the extra color gamut. Samsung has yet to releasing pricing or availability.
