My ultrawide monitor was perfect until I tried to enlarge it

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love ultrawide monitors. I’ve been using one since the form factor launched and currently have two 34-inch models side by side on my desk. They make me more productive and immerse me when I get a chance to play games.

They are also generally more expensive than 16:9 monitors, due to their panel size. This makes anything larger than 34 inches out of reach for many, but there are still ways to get maximum screen real estate on a limited budget. One is to buy from Innocn, which has made a name for itself by using the same quality panels used by well-known brands, but putting them in a more user-friendly chassis to keep costs down.

I’ve been using the Innocn 49Q1S for a few weeks now, and this 49-inch monster has a stellar screen. It’s a QD-OLED, runs at a 240Hz refresh rate, and is one of the highest quality panels I’ve put a colorimeter on this year, which is saying a lot since this year has had some issues in the monitor space.

About this review: Innocn sent XDA the monitor used for this review. The company did not see the content before publication, nor did it have any say in it.

8/10

Screen size

49 inches

Display technology

QD-OLED

HDR

HDR 400 true black

Resolution

5120 x 1440 (DQHD)

The Innocn 49Q1S is a gigantic ultra-wide monitor featuring a 49-inch curved QD-OLED panel running at a 240Hz refresh rate. It delivers fantastic color and luminance accuracy. The chassis and stand could be better, but it’s a nice screen and you’ll soon forget its flaws.

Advantages and disadvantages

• 49 inches of magnificent QD-OLED
• Accurate colors with near-perfect sRGB and P3 coverage
• 240Hz refresh rate
• Integrated KVM with Ethernet

• Support could be stronger
• The plastic chassis seems fragile
• I want the ports to face down instead of back

Price, specifications and availability

The Innocn 49Q1S has been out for a while now and remains its ultrawide flagship. Its MSRP is $1,260, which is a lot…but then you get a lot of monitoring for your money. Even at this lower price, you still get a class-leading panel, built-in KVM for device sharing, and wired internet between two computers, plus 90W USB-C PD charging, so your laptop may not need its power brick.

There’s a lot to like about the Innocn 49Q1S

This panel is a marvel

Right out of the box, I was nervous about handling this beast on my own, but it’s nowhere near as heavy as it looks. This is probably due to the cheaper plastic case it comes in, and I’ll get to that a little later. For now, I want to focus on the good things here, and there are a lot of them.

The QD-OLED panel looks great and it surprised me with the quality displayed. It measured a peak brightness of 262 nits in SDR, which is enough for most rooms. It has a brighter look that some will find annoying, but since it’s a QD-OLED it handles reflections quite well.

It covers 100% sRGB, 98% AdobeRGB and 99% P3 color spaces. That, in itself, is impressive, as most of the expensive panels I’ve tested lag behind in terms of AdobeRGB coverage in particular. But it’s also very accurate for color overall, with an average DeltaE of 0.45. Anything below 2.0 is considered good, so it’s several levels above. It’s also good for uniformity across the entire panel, which surprised me given the size and curvature.

The included stand has a flip-up headphone holder, which is nice, although it’s difficult to reach due to the size of the panel. The stand itself is well weighted but takes up a lot of desk space, so you may want to madness for a monitor arm.

Connectivity is good too

The rear-facing ports give you tons of options, with two DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.1, one USB-C with 90W power delivery, two 10Gbps USB-A, one 10Gbps upstream USB-B, a 100MB network port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

All four display outputs can support 5K2K resolution at 240Hz and you get VESA 100 x 100 support if you want to use a desktop arm. You also get cables for each of these ports except the Ethernet one, which is a nice and refreshing change.

But you can tell where the corners were cut

At this price level, all the money has gone to the panel

You’re unlikely to move your monitor that often once the initial setup is complete, which is a good thing because the Innocn 49Q1S’s plastic body doesn’t seem like it can take the abuse. Again, it arrived in one piece, and I’ve seen many more expensive monitors of this size break in transit or when putting the stand in place, so it’s clearly tougher than it looks.

I always put my monitors on arms to reclaim desk space anyway, and if you’re like me, the slightly wobbly stand won’t be a problem. This isn’t really a problem for the included one, but it might feel more secure and not move when the desk is bumped. Oh, and consider the 2.1 speaker system a “just in case” feature. It’s not really immersive and your screen deserves better sound.

Should you buy the Innocn 49Q1S?

You should buy the Innocn 49Q1S if:

• You want an immersive screen
• You want the color accuracy of QD-OLED
• You want a 49-inch ultrawide bargain

You should NOT buy the Innocn 49Q1S if:

• You want Freesync or G-Sync to work reliably
• You need more than 1 year warranty to spend that much
• You have a smaller office

The Innocn 49Q1S is a perfect example of building on a budget, while keeping an eye on what really matters. The QD-OLED panel looks beautiful, with bright, punchy colors and inky blacks, and bright enough to use in well-lit rooms. Once you start using it for watching movies or playing games, any fears about the plastic chassis will evaporate.

Resolution

5120 x 1440 (DQHD)

Refresh rate

240Hz

Screen size

49 inches

Ports

1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DP 1.4, USB-C, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x USB-B 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm audio