What technologies to expect in 2022?
- 4k UHD resolution monitors
- 8k UHD resolution monitors
- Monitor panels with non-standard aspect ratios, e.g. 21:9 or even wider
- Curved ultra-wide monitors in general
- 8K 9360 x 1440 ultra-wide monitors with 32:9 aspect ratio
- 120Hz+ refresh rate on 4k & 8k resolutions (120Hz was never achievable before due to bandwidth limitations)
- High dynamic range (HDR) technology to compensate for smaller contrast ratios and the use of local dimming backlight technology to create better effects where needed. This will allow larger dynamic ranges between dark and bright areas allowing for accurate color reproduction (especially when it comes to HDR10/Dolby Vision).
- Monitor panel self-refresh technology for mid to high range monitors (under 120Hz refresh rate)
Popular upcoming monitors
So, in 2022 there will be popular 4k UHD resolution monitors with 120Hz+ refresh rates offering Ultra-wide aspect ratios. These are perfect for movie lovers, gamers who also want to make use of the ultra-wide monitors for productivity purposes.
TCL/CSOT
This monitor is one of the most promising 4k UHD resolution monitors with a 120Hz+ refresh rate. The price is not disclosed yet, but it should be ready to go on sale at Amazon.com soon after CES 2017 ends (if TCL/CSOT does not change their mind). It's based on an IPS panel and has 3840x2160 resolution offering 123ppi pixel density which is more than enough for a comfortable work experience without scaling enabled.
It offers 4096 levels of brightness through local dimming backlight technology, covering about 92% of DCI-P3 color space. It supports 10bit color depth as well as HDR10/Dolby Vision HDR technologies. Screen coating is semi-glossy enabling multiple people to use it at the same time without significant loss in picture quality.
The monitor has a built-in power supply unit and doesn't need any external hubs to function so it will be compatible with most desktop PC configurations out of the box. TCL/CSOT claims it has 5ms gray to gray response time which is more than enough for an IPS panel as well as 8bit+FRC color depth, but don't expect it to have super low input lag as those monitors usually have their own scalers installed on the monitor. It has 2xHDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, and USB Hub (4 x USB 3.0) ports for connectivity and two integrated speakers (3W total output).
MSI MEG Artemis 341
We all expect it to be some kind of an upgraded version of MSI Oculux NXG251 as this new monitor from MSI will also be based on a TN panel. It's expected to have 4k UHD 3840x2160 resolution and 400 nits brightness for a comfortable work experience even in bright ambient lighting.
It has G-Sync support, which is great news because many people are still using old systems with outdated GPUs so V-Sync enabled monitors can't help them here. The response time is unknown yet but it shouldn't be any different than 1ms (most likely the same 1 ms that the current model offers).
The information about this release date is not clear as MSI claims they will release this monitor sometime in Q1/Q2, but the actual date is unknown. It's expected to be released before Computex 2017 and hopefully with a lower price tag than its competitor - Oculux NXG251.
ASUS PG27UQX
This monitor was said to be the first monitor to support 4k resolution at 144Hz. This amazing monitor is expected to hit the market somewhere in Q2/2017 (most likely June or July). It will be based on an IPS panel with Quantum Dot technology which will allow it to offer a wide color gamut covering 94% of DCI-P3 color space and 600 nits brightness.
It has G-Sync support as well as ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) technology that offers a high refresh rate (144Hz) along with no motion blur effect, which works great for both gaming and watching movies.
With a 27" screen size and 4k 3840x2160 UHD resolution it offers 157 ppi pixel density for extremely sharp picture quality from very close distances, but it's important to note that the color coverage is lower than in 4k UHD resolution monitors with 99% or 100% AdobeRGB color space.
The release date is also unknown, but we all expect it to be released sometime before Computex 2017.
Acer XB273K GS
The monitor`s FreeSync version is called XF270HU and it`s expected to be released somewhere in Q2/2017. It has a 27" sized IPS panel with 4k UHD resolution (3840x2160) and offers high pixel density (163ppi) for sharp picture quality from close distances, but unfortunately the color coverage of only 94% of sRGB/Rec 709 color space.
With G-Sync support as well as Ultra Low Motion Blur technology refresh rate is 144Hz and there's a good chance this monitor will have a response time lower than 4ms due to its IPS panel.
AOC AG274FZ
This monitor is expected to be released somewhere in Q2/2017 with a refresh rate of 144Hz and 4ms response time. It's expected to be based on TN panel which means poor color coverage (94% sRGB/Rec 709).
It has G-Sync support included along with ULMB for reducing motion blur while gaming, but the brightness is limited to 240 Nits.
With 1440p resolution (2560x1440) it offers high pixel density (165ppi) that allows you to watch movies without any scaling making it more pleasant than 1080p resolution on a 27" screen. The viewing angles are 170° both horizontally and vertically so there should be no change in picture quality when viewed from different angles.
The release date is unknown, but we hope to see it asap.
Philips 329M1RV (USB-C 65W PD)
The main features of this monitor are a USB-C docking station included along with built-in speakers and an IPS panel. It has a native resolution of 4k UHD (3840x2160) which ensures high pixel density for sharp picture quality from close distances.
It has G-Sync support as well as ULMB technology that works at 40Hz making it great for both work and gaming, but the brightness is only 250 nits so it's not expected to be very bright.
With its 65W power delivery charger, it can charge your system while you are playing games or watching movies on this monitor. The release date is expected to be in November this year.
LG 32EP950
It comes with specifications that are average for all IPS monitors, but with its built-in USB-C docking station it's great for your laptop. It has a native resolution of 4k UHD (3840x2160) which ensures high pixel density for sharp picture quality from close distances.
With G-Sync support as well as ULMB technology it offers refresh rates of 60Hz and should have a low response time considering its an IPS panel. The brightness is 250 nits so it isn't very bright, but it could be worse if they used a PLS panel instead.
The release date is unknown to me, but I hope to see this monitor soon!
What should we expect from Samsung?
In 2022 we should expect wide adoption of USB-C technology. Also, since e-sports are very popular nowaday's we can expect higher refresh rates than before (144Hz) along with low response time and maybe even 4k UHD resolution.
Their panels will be even better than now and they will offer more accurate colors which means they might adopt the new DCI-P3 color space. Also, there's a good chance we'll see screens with up to 500 nits of brightness (limited by HDR).
What about LG?
In 2022 we should expect wide adoption of USB-C technology and maybe higher refresh rates than before due to e-sports. Their panels will be even more better than now and they will offer more accurate colors which means they might adopt the new DCI-P3 color space.
They could also provide a wide gamut for work or movie watching experience, but their IPS panels won't go beyond 500 nits due to limitations in HDR technologies.
AU Optronics monitors
Their new Mini LED and OLED panels will be available in 2022, which means great things for monitors! Mini LED should provide much better brightness than now (1k-10k nits) wide gamut, but it will probably increase its price. OLED panels will be even more expensive than before.
They will almost certainly try to implement a new USB-C standard due to the industry switching to this type of cable, but it also depends if other manufacturers adopt them or not. They could also push their IPS panel technology further by implementing low response time and high refresh rate.
Will you be waiting for BOE IPS panels?
The latest panels developments from BOE can bring improvement to IPS panels in 2022. They have been working on this technology for years and now they are finally ready to release it.
What we can see from their product's datasheet is that the response time will be low enough for gamers, but still inferior to TN panel, but there's a good chance that we may get a real competitor for OLED when it comes to accurate colors and high refresh rate/low response time.
Also, due to its 8k resolution, you'll need at least 93% more power than if you use a 27" 1080p monitor so your system should be powerful enough or else it won't work properly! However, a USB-C docking station could be very useful with this screen especially if you want to game on your monitor and then do work or watch movies on the go.
The price of this screen is unknown, but it may be too expensive for most people due to its 8k resolution.
What will Sharp release this year?
Their new monitors will use USB-C as well as Mini LED (will surely increase the price of such a high-resolution monitor, but it'll be worth it). They are also developing an OLED range with 5k resolution which should provide much better picture quality due to higher pixel density compared to 4k.
What are the new trends for monitors?
In 2022 we'll see a lot of new technologies which will improve screens in many ways. One of them is High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology which provides better contrast, brightness, and color accuracy from your screen.
Also, since USB-C connections are the new standard for desktops/laptops due to their low latency and high transfer speeds this means that you should expect monitors with USB-C port(s).
Even though OLED panels aren't perfect yet when it comes to colors, response time, and refresh rate they remain the best choice when it comes to picture quality! However, in 2022 they should be much cheaper than now so don't be surprised if most screens offer them by default.
In case you want a cheaper monitor, there's also a chance of seeing wide gamut IPS panels which will surely provide accurate colors and low response time (for gamers) or maybe even OLED panels. Also, Mini LED should provide a wide gamut as well as 1080p/4k resolutions which should be much brighter than current monitors can offer!
If you're an early gamer then the only problem with new screens is that they may cost too much for your budget (especially if you want a 4k panel with a high refresh rate since it'll require more power). However, in 2022 we might see 1440p resolution providing a 300+ Hz refresh rate on popular gaming monitors...
How to choose a monitor properly?
When a lot of new releases split your thoughts it is easy to pay for what you really don`t need. For example, if you are not a gamer it isn`t sense to pay more money to get a high refresh rate, because it won't bring any benefit in standard usage. Also, spending extra cash for IPS panels instead of TN may be senseless especially when you can use your monitor for work (which is not about speed).
If you want to choose a monitor that really meets your needs it is better to consider all features that are important for you and then choose the one that fits best.
Perhaps, there is no perfect monitor out there but after reading this article you should have more knowledge about what are the newest trends in the monitor industry. So, now you can buy something worthy of your money instead of wasting it on things you don't need!
Conclusion
The biggest problem with future monitors is their price as you'll need a powerful computer to work/game on them!
However, if you want a monitor that provides great picture quality then OLED panels will remain your first choice since they provide both high resolution and zero response time.
There's also a good chance that Mini LED technology will become very popular among gamers, but it remains to be seen whether or not this is actually true instead of vaporware (so don't buy such a monitor based only on rumors).