The following QQH Z12-3 Portable Monitor was provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.
The QQH Z12-3 is my third go at reviewing the portable monitor maker’s equipment and this one is by far my favourite of the bunch. Essentially a better version of the Z1-9 portable travel monitor, this time around QQH have fitting in a magnetic cover onto the display, making it even easier for me to lug around a second screen for my devices. Set up is easy and this kit can run off minimal USB power from most of the devices that it plugs into, be it via USB-C or Mini HDMI (of which cables are provided for all use cases). Even the built-in speakers have gotten an upgrade, though that’s not saying much because they’re still on the poorer side of things and the last kit’s was the equivalent of a motherboard speaker.
The QQH Z12-3 is a good companion to any tiny or portable hardware, such as mobile and console devices (like the Xbox Series S!). Lemme run you through the basics of this thing.





The Kit
The QQH Z12-3 comes in a nicely packaged box, foam coating the monitor along with the cover case already being present on the device. All of its cables come packaged in clear plastic bags like the one the unit itself is in (unfortunately, this cannot be recycled) and we’ve got the following items at our disposal:
- One charging block – Output: 5V@3A
- One USB-C Male-to-Male
- One USB-A to USB-C
- One HDMI to Mini HDMI
The QQH monitor itself has two USB-C ports—one that simply powers the device while the other is meant for DisplayPort devices (devices that output video, audio, and power in one port). The bottom most USB-C port is the DisplayPort port, of which unfortunately has both ports marked with the same symbol. But if you use the Mini HDMI port, it won’t matter which USB-C port you use as long as the connection provides adequate power. I personally spent the majority of my time with the Z12-3 with my old Samsung Galaxy S20+ hooked up to a Universal Adapter that let me not only charge my device at a high speed but also let me type away at this review in Samsung Dex mode—making this one of my favourite ways to type and eventually succumb to carpal tunnel.
The Z12-3 has its own On Screen Display (OSD) menu where you can make adjustments to brightness, contrast, and colour options. The monitor also supports image adjustments (aspect ratio, preset video modes), 12 languages, multiple source selection, a low blue light level adjuster, and even an HDR mode. This monitor inherits just about every useful feature from the previous generation of displays, even coming equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack. I personally found the standard video options to be perfectly fine for gaming and for general day-to-day work, but if you load up the Series S with this kit, you can fine tune image quality with the console’s built in calibration tool. Either way, the monitor passes Lagom’s LCD black level test at the standard video mode which is more than enough for me especially for an IPS display.
So far, I’ve been in love with this little kit. But that’s primarily thanks to its improved form factor. The magnetic case the device comes with both adequately protects the monitor and also serves as a better stand. The last QQH single monitor I used simply came with a little stand that props the unit from the back, but if I really wanted to take the monitor around, I had to bring along a second laptop bag just in case. Propping the monitor is easily done with the Z12-3, simply place the bottom portion of the screen by aligning it alongside both grooves. The monitor can also be propped vertically, albeit with more effort on your end as the cover only does so much, a downside compared to the older model—this is very much a horizontal-focused display.

My two issues with the QQH Z12-3 is the speaker and the HDR mode. The former is okay, offering a tinny stereo channel experience. You can even get around it by plugging in headphones into the monitor. Though ideally, try to get audio directly from your device whenever possible. The HDR mode exists, that’s all I can really say—the display simply cannot produce the nits required for proper HDR, so it’s best to keep it off. This monitor should also be used with 720p and higher compliant devices as lower resolutions may not display properly. For older consoles such as the original XBox, consider pairing them with the mClassic for a more consistent experience.
The QQH Z12-3 portable monitor is the best low-priced portable monitor I’ve used to date. It MSRPs at 99.99 USD, but I’ve seen it drop as low as 79.99 and even has a $10 off coupon that you can claim. A great option for having a portable 1080p@60Hz screen on the side or trying to slim down and use your mobile phone as your PC (at the expense of a few more wires to keep track of). ∎
The QQH Z12-3 Portable HDR Monitor is available at Amazon.com at an MSRP of 99.99 USD. You can also visit QQH’s Amazon.com store here to check out other monitor options, such as their dual screen setup I recently covered.