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LCD monitors are becoming increasingly cheap, and the latest examples from China show just how low their price can go. Lenovo is selling Legion models there with IPS panels, 1080p resolution and a 280 Hz refresh rate for the equivalent of around $100. Even cheaper is the 24-inch Hisense N3G Pro, which costs about $67 and offers a 180 Hz refresh rate. Although these are basic designs, they still use IPS technology previously mainly seen in more expensive monitors. This trend is driven primarily by the shift of almost all LCD panel production to China.
Cheap IPS monitors are no longer a novelty
A few years ago, monitors with IPS panels were mainly associated with professional designs intended for work with graphics. Their prices often exceeded a thousand dollars. Today the situation looks completely different, because IPS technology has also reached very cheap consumer monitors. Good examples are the new Lenovo Legion 24-1r and Legion 27-1r models. The first has a 24-inch screen, 1080p resolution and a 280 Hz refresh rate. The second offers a 27-inch display with the same resolution and refresh rate. Both are also equipped with adjustable stands. The biggest surprise, however, is their price in China. The Legion 24-1r costs 669 yuan, about 99 dollars. The larger Legion 27-1r is priced at 789 yuan, roughly 117 dollars. Those are very low sums for IPS monitors offering a 280 Hz refresh rate. Hisense has gone even further with its 24-inch N3G Pro. The monitor uses an IPS panel with 1080p resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate. Its price is just 449 yuan, around 67 dollars. Despite such a low price the manufacturer claims 99% sRGB coverage and 90% DCI-P3. That does not, of course, mean a cheap monitor will match professional models in every respect, but it shows how much the accessibility of LCD technology has changed.
Monitors this cheap are now available outside China too
New models from Lenovo and Hisense are currently available in China, but have not yet reached most overseas markets. However, similarly cheap monitors can already be found in Europe and the United States. For example, a 24-inch MSI monitor with 1080p resolution, an IPS panel and a 144 Hz refresh rate can be found for about $80. A 24-inch curved monitor from Sceptre is available at a similar price. For around $95 you can find a 27-inch 1080p monitor offering a 100 Hz refresh rate. This means that very low prices are no longer solely the domain of the Chinese market. Basic IPS monitors can be found in similar price ranges in other regions too. The main reason is a change in the structure of the global LCD panel market. Over the past five to ten years their production has been almost entirely moved to China. The huge scale of production allows Chinese manufacturers to produce LCD panels at very low cost. According to a report cited by FlatpanelsHD, massive government subsidies supporting the Chinese industry also play a part. At the same time, manufacturers from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan have practically withdrawn from LCD production. Companies such as LG Display and Samsung Display have instead focused on OLED technology. This situation also helps explain why ever larger and cheaper LCD TVs are appearing on the market.
The LCD monitor market has undergone a huge change, and today a basic IPS panel can be bought for less than $100. Lenovo is offering 24- and 27-inch models with a 280 Hz refresh rate in China for about $99 and $117. Hisense went even further, pricing a 24-inch IPS monitor with a 180 Hz refresh rate at around $67. The falling prices are mainly due to the enormous scale of LCD panel production in China and the withdrawal of many Asian manufacturers from this segment in favour of OLED.
source: flatpanelshd
