Portable monitors are relatively common these days with many people using them as a second display for laptops and for gaming. Most like them because they are lightweight, easy to carry, and versatile. Most modern portable displays don’t need external power sources for most applications, and can easily be connected to your devices with just one USB-C cable. However, while these portable displays are useful, they’re also a bit limited as they only have one function. Dopesplay is one of the few manufacturers out there that has something different from the norm in the form of the Dopesplay DR158W Portable Monitor, also known as the Phonebook. What makes this so unique is the inclusion of a keyboard, trackpad, and wireless charger, giving this portable monitor a laptop-like profile.
DESIGN & SPECS
The Dopesplay DR158W looks like a large laptop. It’s fairly slim to some extent, but it’s heavy. Most of that weight is attributed to the mostly metal construction and the glass screen on the display. Not to mention that most portable displays are just one part whereas this has two parts connected by hinges.
The actual display is 15.6″inches and has a resolution of 1920x1080P. It’s also a touch display as well which is why the screen is made of glass. The second part of the setup is where most of the other hardware is. There’s a laptop-quality keyboard along with a touchpad. Above the keyboard sits a wireless charging pad and speakers. On both sides of the base are the ports which include 1 x USB-C charging port, 1 x USB-C DP port, 1 x USB-A port, 1 x mini HDMI port, 1 x SD card reader, and 1 x headphone jack.
Lastly for the design, the monitor and keyboard portion are able to be folded 360-degrees, converting allowing you to fold it so that only the monitor portion would be visible and the keyboard part would become a stand. This is useful if you don’t need the keyboard and touchpad.
This all these additions to the Dopesplay DR158W make it one of the most versatile external monitors out there and I’ll explain why in the next section.
EXPERIENCE
So your first reaction to the Dopesplay DR158W would be, why do you need this if you can just pickup a laptop instead? That’s a very valid question actually and the reason is that this does some thing a laptop doesn’t do. The main reason for using this is because you have other devices that would benefit from a larger screen, as well as a keyboard and trackpad, and can also act as a laptop replacement if need be, for instance, an Android phone with desktop mode or even an iPad (M1 or M2 equipped) that allows for use with an external display for extended display use.
In my case, I tried this out on both my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and on an iPad Air 5 (M1). We’ll start with the Android device. With the Galaxy S21 Ultra, you have the option of connecting to the Dopesplay DR158W either wirelessly or with a USB-C cable. When connected wirelessly, you can use Bluetooth to connect to the keyboard and trackpad, as well as the touch display. This will connect the device in mirror mode on the display. In this mode, the touch display on the Dopesplay DR158W works and you can control your Android this way. You can enable DEX wirelessly on the display too, and the touch display will also function correctly. That means now, because of the Dopesplay DR158W, you’ll have a full-fledged DEX laptop.
Of course, you can also connect to the Dopesplay DR158W with a USB-C cable and when connected this way, you do not need to connect to any of the peripherals via BlueTooth. This might actually be the best way to use Samsung DEX or any other Android desktop mode.
Now when using the Dopesplay DR158W with an iPad, it’s a bit different. On an iPad that allows for us with an external monitor, the Dopesplay DR158W works well. The keyboard works, the trackpad works, and the display acts as its own separate desktop. The only thing that doesn’t work is touch, as the iPad doesn’t seem to support external touch displays. Despite this, it works really well and helps turn the iPad into what is basically a Macbook Lite.
So is there anything I don’t like about the Dopesplay DR158W? I will say that size-wise, it’s a bit on the large side. While it is thin and the screen is gorgeous, I wish it were a tiny bit smaller and lighter. Also having the touchpad on the right side of the keyboard can take some time to get used to especially if you are used to having the touchpad beneath the keyboard. But these are just two tiny nit-pick complaints because the rest of what makes the Dopesplay DR158W so unique and good outweighs any negative.
I didn’t use it much for gaming with devices like hooking it up to a Nintendo Switch or an Xbox or PlayStation, but I would imagine they would be great for those as well. It is great for projecting games from your tiny phone though onto a much larger screen.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While I probably would not pick one of these up if I already had a laptop, due to the redundant keyboard and touchpad, I would totally pick this up if I wanted to just do all my work from my phone or my tablet. On Android, it’s especially useful if you want to run it in desktop mode which completely transforms your phone into an Android laptop. iPad users I would also recommend this if you ever wanted to expand the functionality of your iPad and just do more work on it, and with the Dopesplay DR158W, you totally can.
I also completely love the fact that it runs off of its own power and can be charged. Not only that, but it can also charge other devices, wirelessly and wired. The Dopesplay DR158W really is a versatile external monitor for those who want to take their portables to the next level.
You can pick up any of Dopesplay’s products here. If you use the coupon code “TGWK5OFF” you’ll also receive 5% off your purchase. The Dopesplay DR158W isn’t quite available yet to the general public, but you can preorder it on the site.
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This review is made possible by my affiliation with G Style Magazine. These items were sent to us by the company or its PR reps for review and evaluation. It is also featured on the G Style Magazine website which is a tech blog that focuses on the fashion aspect of tech. Please visit their site for more interesting reviews on all your favorite gadgets and gear.
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