Fewer LED Chips at Lower Prices
This steep decline is surprising given global supply chain issues.
Mini-LED monitors are becoming more affordable while most consumer electronics head in the opposite direction.
How is this possible?
Acer’s Predator X32 miniLED monitor.Acer
Wikimedia Commons
As Young notes, Apple deserves partial credit.
The company brought Mini-LED to high-volume products like the iPad and MacBook Pro in 2021.
This encouraged suppliers to boost LED chip production and lower costs.
Wikimedia Commons
Monitor makers are also cutting prices by reducing the number of dimming zones in entry-level products.
It is important to have a fair comparison,Dr.
Guillaume Chansin, Display Researcher at Display Supply Chain Consultants, said in an email.
Cooler Master
Mini-LED costs are coming down, helped by Apples high volumes in the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro.
The slim number of dimming zones in affordable Mini-LED monitors will impact performance.
Theyll show noticeable blooming, an issue that causes bright halos to surround bright objects on a dark background.
Cooler Masters monitor is not alone.
Monoprice and AOC have announced new 27-inch models at $999.
Acer plans to release a pair of 4K 32-inch Mini-LED monitors starting at $1,799.
A variant that supports Nvidia G-Sync will be $1,999.
Cooler Master
These prices are more in line with what enthusiasts and gamers expect.
Popular mid-range monitors like the Dell S2721QS and LG Ultragear 27GP850 retail for $350 to $500.
Premium 4K options like theAcer Nitro XV282Kare typically $600 to $1,000.
The perks of Mini-LED monitors were alluring even when they sold for thousands of dollars.
Thats good news for anyone looking to buy a monitor in 2022.
