Review: AOC Zifas 2218PH

Pros: AOC’s design idea is pretty obvious: its 22-inch monitor looks pretty much like a clone of Apple’s shiny but expensive Cinema Display monitors, right down to the Aluminium casing and stand. Build quality isn’t quite as good as Apple’s efforts, but then AOC compensates by not charging anywhere near as much. The Zifas also stands out by virtue of having an HDMI connection, alongside standard D-Sub. Controls are via a simple touchscreen panel at the base of the display.

Cons: The HDMI port is nice, but it comes at a price: there’s no DVI port, and only a DVI-to-HDMI cable in the box. The touchscreen panel at the front is a bit twitchy, and we found the unit’s auto-calibration often left us with a slightly dark image. Not so much a problem for basic desktop work, but those who demand colour accuracy or work with lots of multimedia may find it annoying.

Verdict: A good mix of price and features, but not perfect.4