Acer Packs USB-C Capabilities Onto H7 Series Monitors (Update: Available Now)

Update, 2/18/16, 11:10am PT: Acer informed us that the H277HU is now available from "Acer resellers and leading online retailers," although none are listed yet on the product page. The monitor 27-inch (2560x1440) monitor boasts USB Type-C connectivity and costs $499.

Why the industry is not currently rife with monitors packing USB Type-C connectivity is beyond me. The technology has been available for well over a year now, and it’s ideal for anyone that uses a laptop with an external monitor. Acer, at least, has gotten on the USB-C bandwagon with its new H7 series monitors.

USB-C On A Monitor? About Time

The H7 series monitors come in 25- and 27-inch (IPS) display sizes with a 2560x1440 resolution and boast 178-degree viewing angles. They have Acer’s “ZeroFrame” design and offer Acer TrueHarmony and DTS Sound.

The big selling point here, though, is the ports: In addition to a bevy of other ports, the H7 series feature a USB Type-C connector.

Acer has been otherwise light on details unfortunately, so we don’t yet know much about the protocols the connector supports nor what speeds. We presume it’s at least USB 3.1 SuperSpeed (5 Gbps), and Acer did mention that it will support Power Delivery. (What wattage, we don’t know.)

Therefore, at the very least, we know that you can connect some laptops to an H7 monitor and charge the device while it’s pumping video through the Type-C cable.

Smartphones, You Say?

In its press materials, Acer mentioned in passing that the H7 series is ideal for connecting and simultaneously charging laptops -- and smartphones.

For almost any other company, this would be a boilerplate thing to mention, as there are indeed a few smartphones hitting the market with USB-C instead of the old microUSB port. However, Acer isn’t just covering its bases by mentioned smartphones; it’s setting up a package deal with the just (officially) announced Acer Liquid Jade Primo, which has the USB-C, Windows 10 for phones and Continuum support to fit nicely with the H7 series as a lightweight productivity package.

You can, of course, simply snag an H7 monitor and its USB-C capabilities for use with a laptop sporting the technology. H7 monitors will start at $499 and will be available in North America and the EMEA starting in February, with availability in other regions coming later.

Seth Colaner is the News Director for Tom's Hardware. Follow him on Twitter @SethColaner. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.