Planning to get your hands on one of the best monitors for your workstation or gaming PC? There’s good news. Due to the declining demand for computer monitors, we could soon witness a welcome price reduction for consumers.
As per a report by DigiTimes, industry analysts suggest that the market for monitors — particularly standard LCDs — has been impacted by the rise of more affordable OLED alternatives and a slowdown in overall consumer demand. This shift in demand has left manufacturers with surplus inventory, which they are expected to discount more aggressively through the end of 2024 to drive sales. A similar pattern is being observed with laptop displays as the demand for entry-level notebook panels is also declining.
Current market dynamics have led manufacturers to balance inventory reductions and price stabilization. Many brands are reducing production to avoid oversupply, but the backlog of existing units still requires attention. With traditional LCD technology facing increased competition from OLED monitors, which offer improved color and contrast at a lower price point, even high-end models are likely to see markdowns. As OLED production scales up and the technology becomes more affordable, these monitors are drawing more interest, particularly among consumers looking for better visual quality and performance for gaming or creative work.
Holiday shopping season will likely be a key opportunity for consumers to take advantage of these price cuts. Retailers and brands may use discount events to clear older inventory, especially as they prepare for upcoming new models. Major sales events could offer some of the best price reductions on monitors, as brands aim to appeal to both budget-conscious buyers and those seeking high-performance options at a lower cost.
The potential for monitor price cuts is particularly relevant for consumers looking to upgrade to larger, higher-resolution displays or advanced features like higher refresh rates and a wider color gamut. Such features, once limited to premium price points, may become more accessible as price adjustments take effect.
Though falling prices are good news for consumers, manufacturers face challenges in maintaining profitability. By strategically managing supply, they aim to prevent steep revenue losses while still responding to the evolving market. This careful balance may enable the industry to stabilize over time, despite current economic uncertainties affecting purchasing trends.
In sum, with shifts in production and an evolving market landscape, computer monitor prices could see significant drops through the remainder of 2024, bringing quality upgrades within reach for more consumers.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.