Eyoyo EM105 10.5-inch portable monitor review: Tiny in stature, big on value

I’ve reviewed some small portable monitors here at Tom’s Hardware, but this 10.5-inch product from Eyoyo is likely the smallest. The Eyoyo EM105 is not only small in stature (just 0.31 inches thick) but it also weighs just 0.8 pounds.

Despite its size, the $105 EM105 includes two USB-C ports (DisplayPort Alt-Mode supported), a mini HDMI port, stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. For frequent travelers who need a secondary monitor that won’t take up much space in a laptop bag, the Eyoyo could be a compelling option. It also could make a great display for a Raspberry Pi project. 

Despite one notable flaw in the form of a significant stand, the EM105 is among the best portable monitors for anyone who prioritizes portability and flexibility.

Eyoyo EM105 Portable Monitor Specifications

Design of the Eyoyo Portable Monitor

The EM105 has a simple design, with a body constructed of black anodized aluminum (it is an absolute fingerprint magnet). The bezels around the panel are plastic and minimal in width (although the bottom bezel is slightly larger than the other three sides). There are two USB-C ports (DisplayPort Alt-Mode) and a mini HDMI port on the right side of the display. You’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack along with a three-way rocker switch and an exit button for navigating the on-screen display (OSD) on the left side.

The back of the EM105 is bare, save for four holes to accept a VESA 75 mount. You won’t find an integrated stand, magnetic attachment point, or a socket to attach a tripod—instead, the portable monitor ships with a small plastic stand that is adjustable for tilt.

The EM105 sits on the stand, and then you adjust the tilt of the stand to your desired viewing angle. I would have preferred that the EM105 included an integrated stand (as this tiny stand is bound to get lost while traveling), but this was a design compromise to create such a thin device. The stand isn’t very wide, nor is the EM105 securely attached when you place it on the stand. A stray arm could easily topple the portable monitor, so keep that in mind.

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A thin, faux leather case is included with the EM105, and I almost missed it at first. It wasn’t until later that I noticed the case taped to the underside of the lift-off box top. It doesn’t offer much drop protection and is mainly meant to keep the screen from being damaged during transport inside a larger laptop bag.

We should note that Eyoyo even managed to find room to fit in a pair of decent speakers, which is incredible for a monitor of this size. When you are not within the OSD, the rocker switch can be used to turn the volume up or down quickly.

Regarding power, the simplest way of connecting the EM105 to a PC is with a single USB-C cable (provided in the box) and a USB-C that fully supports DisplayPort Alt-Mode. In this case, video and power are delivered over that one cable. Alternatively, you can use the included HDMI cable along with a USB-C to USB-A cable that plugs into a 5V wall adapter (all included in the box). When connecting via HDMI, you can also use the USB-C to USB-A cable alone to power the EM105 via a USB-A port (5V at 2A).

WIthout its stand, the EM105 measures 9.17 x 6.5 x 0.31 inches and weighs 0.8 pounds. For comparison, the 15.6-inch InnoCN 151AF, which is one of the best portable monitors, measures 14.1 x 9.0 x 0.3 inches and weighs 1.6 pounds.

On-Screen Display on the Eyoyo EM105 Portable Monitor

You invoke the OSD on the EM105 by pressing in on the three-way rocker switch on the left side of the chassis. Up pops a basic user interface (shared with many budget-oriented portable monitors), where flicking the rocker switch upward navigates up through the OSD and vice versa. You select a menu item by pushing in on the rocker, and then up/down to adjust settings (like brightness and contrast). There’s a dedicated back button to return to the previous menu screen.

This no-frills OSD has the usual controls for color temperature, enabling the low blue light mode and adjusting the position of the OSD. I also discovered that the monitor supports AMD FreeSync (which was not documented by the Eyoyo), and that support was confirmed via AMD’s Adrenalin driver software.

Image Quality and Sound on the Eyoyo EM105 Portable Monitor

The EM105 measures 10.5 inches across and has a 3:2 aspect ratio. That results in an IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1280, versus the more typical 1920 x 1080 in this segment. However, some people will likely appreciate the extra vertical real estate. It also bucks the trend with a glossy screen coating, which we usually see covering OLED panels.

The manufacturer claims 100 percent coverage of sRGB and a maximum brightness of 420 nits. However, our testing showed that the EM105 exceeded the former but fell well short of the latter. The EM105 covered 109.7 percent of sRGB according to our colorimeter and 77.7 percent of DCI-P3. Maximum brightness measured a modest 292 nits, far undershooting the 420 nits specified by Eyoyo. However, that’s still much brighter than most competitors.

In everyday tasks, the EM105 was perfectly usable as a secondary monitor. Its size means you’ll need to tinker in Windows to make text easier to read. My “old” eyes needed assistance working with Microsoft Word and Excel on the small monitor.

I also used the display to watch the first episode of X-Men ’97 on Disney Plus. The colors looked great for the animated show, and surprisingly, glare wasn’t an obvious issue with the EM105. I often have problems with reflections on portable monitors with a glossy finish, but the EM105 bucked this trend. The brightness deficiency compared to the manufacturer spec also didn’t prove to be a hindrance in my home office, which has abundant overhead LED lighting.

I was shocked to find that the EM105 includes a set of stereo speakers, and even more surprised that they sounded pretty good. Of course, they aren’t powerhouses regarding output, but music and speech sounded good through the speakers, even with the volume cranked to about 75 percent. The speakers are lacking in bass, but at this price point, the speakers are a welcome addition to the EM105.

Bottom Line

The Eyoyo EM105 portable monitor offers a convincing combination of small size and light weight in a relatively-robust aluminum chassis. It has both USB-C and HDMI connectivity, allowing it to connect with various types of electronics, from PCs to Macs to smartphones to game consoles to Raspberry Pi boards. The EM105 even includes a set of speakers that sounds pretty good, which we can’t often say about portable monitors.

I was very impressed with the EM105’s overall presentation and performance, but its one glaring downside is the stand. It feels cheap, doesn’t provide a solid connection to the monitor, and is inferior in almost every way to an integrated stand.

However, the pluses outweigh the disappointment of the stand, and with a price tag of $105 at Amazon, the EM105 makes it easy on your wallet and your back to carry a portable monitor wherever you go.

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