Doomscroll forever with ultra-tall 5:16 portable monitor

7.9-inch monitor feeds our obsession with feeds.

Scharon Harding – Feb 4, 2022 11:56 am | 89

In the world of displays, no one size or shape fits all. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more laptop screens play with aspect ratios that provide more vertical height than more traditional 16:9 screens. But when it comes to everlasting newsfeeds, endless social media feeds, and those captivatingly long articles, something like the 5:16 Thanko TL Portrait Display really stands tall.

Released today and spotted by Tom’s Hardware via Japanese site PC Watch, the monitor from Thanko, a gadget brand owned by Sanko, is a 0.7 lb (334 g) portable display. The 7.9-inch screen has 400×1280 resolution, for a high pixel density of 169.75 pixels per inch.

Thanko TL — Keeping a watchful eye on Twitter. Credit: Thanko

Still, it’s unclear what sort of image quality you can expect from this ultra-tall display. The product page doesn’t provide information on things like panel type, contrast ratio, or brightness.

Thanko does emphasize that the TL is geared toward Twitter timelines. It also suggests using it for Zoom, stacking video participants in a vertical line, or for keeping an eye on your computer’s CPU and GPU usage.

If you’d prefer an ultra-wide option, the TL works horizontally, too.

Thanko TL in landscape mode — Landscape mode. Credit: Thanko

There’s even a stand that supports the monitor in both portrait and landscape modes, but it’s sold separately.

Thanko TL stand — The stand costs extra. Credit: Thanko

Connectivity-wise, the monitor uses HDMI (version not specified) and a micro-USB-to-USB-A cable for power, whereas many modern portable monitors use USB-C, sometimes for power and data.

Thanko TL ports — Two ports. Credit: Thanko

The ultra-tall portable monitor is listed with a price tag of 11,200 yen, which is about $97. For comparison, the even more extreme Elsonic EK-MD088, a 7:32 ultra-tall monitor with 420×1920 resolution, is currently listed for 14,800 yen, or about $128.

Apple users, however, will have to find another way to keep vigilant watch on their Twitter feed, as the monitor doesn’t officially support Macs.

But more options for screens that are taller than they are wide may be on the way. While these small ultra-tall screens may seem like a fun, niche category, tall monitors may become more prevalent if LG’s DualUp Monitor (28MQ780) is a success. The 16:18, 27.6-inch desktop monitor should come out sometime this year.