Katarzyna Petru
Millions of people around the world spend entire days staring at a computer screen. But what if instead of a black sheet of plastic, there was… transparent glass through which you could see the world outside? Sounds like science fiction, but the startup Visual Instruments claims that's exactly what it has done – created the world's first fully transparent monitor, named Phantom. And the most interesting part: it doesn't use OLED.
Not OLED, but... pure optics
Transparent displays are nothing new. LG already has the Signature OLED T available for sale, and Xiaomi showcased the transparent Mi TV LUX back in 2020. The problem is that these panels have never been 100% transparent – light transmittance was about 40%, so the effect resembled looking through fog rather than glass. Phantom resolves this differently. The screen is made entirely of glass, and the image is not displayed in pixels, but is projected onto a specially coated pane.
The light source is located in the base of the monitor and projects the image upward so that it reflects off the glass panel at the perfect angle. The effect? The graphics literally “float in the air”, and the user sees a connection between the digital world and the real world.
It's a bit like a hologram – you can simultaneously look at the screen and through it, for example, at a window with a view behind the desk.
Transparency on Demand
Interesting fact: transparency can be turned off. Phantom allows you to adjust the level of "transparency" just like dimming windows in an airplane. If you need to concentrate, you can set it to 0% and have a classic, non-transparent screen. The company claims that the transparent mode reduces eye strain because it allows you to frequently shift your gaze to the background – unlike standard monitors that force your eyes to constantly focus on a close distance.
Technical Specifications
Size: 24 inches, 16:9 format
Resolution: 4K UHD
Brightness: up to 5000 nits in HDR mode
Colors: 100% coverage of the sRGB palette
Connections: USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI
(no information on HDMI version and refresh rate – so probably not for gamers)
Price and Availability
At launch, only 10 units of the Founders Edition will be produced.
Currency | Price |
|---|---|
🇺🇸 USD | $1,599 |
🇦🇺 AUD | A$2,470 |
🇪🇺 EUR | €1,485 |
🇬🇧 GBP | £1,270 |
🇵🇱 PLN | ≈ 6,800 zł |
*Approximate exchange rates (November 2025): 1 USD ≈ 1.54 AUD / 0.93 EUR / 0.79 GBP / 4.25 PLN.
What's the point?
Does a transparent monitor actually make sense? It's hard to say. It is definitely a striking gadget that will attract attention in an office or design studio. It may indeed help the eyes relax. But it could just as well be a beautiful experiment.
One thing is certain – Phantom shows that the future of monitors doesn't have to be dark. 🌫️
