The Samsung 27″ Smart Monitor M5 is designed to be an all-in-one monitor to be used for work and play. If you usually spend your free time watching movies and TV shows on streaming platforms then the Samsung 27″ Smart Monitor M5 may be a good fit for your use case. The Smart Monitor M5 retails for S$428.
Build quality and design
Setting up the Smart Monitor M5 is very quick and straightforward. All you need is a Phillip head screwdriver and screw in the pre-installed screws for the base and stand. The Smart Monitor M5 has narrow bezels, with a thicker chin that displays the Samsung branding in the middle (and is also where the power button is located).
At the back, the stand of the Smart Monitor M5 has a rubber loop that allows cables to pass through for easier and neater cable management. The VESA mounting points (100 x 100) are located in the center of the monitor.
Ergonomics
When it comes to ergonomics, the Smart Monitor M5 unfortunately is severely lacking in this aspect. You can only make vertical tilt adjustments. The height of the stand is fixed so you’d have to cater your setup around the monitor or get a monitor arm.
Connectivity and casting
As for video inputs, there are two HDMI 1.4 ports with one supporting ARC so you could hook it up to a soundbar like the Sound Blaster Katana V2X for better audio. There are also two USB-A ports that you can connect a keyboard and mouse to if you use the workspace mode to control your Windows or Mac.
Smart Monitor M5 also has integration with AirPlay which means you can mirror what is on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac over to the monitor wirelessly. You can also mirror your Windows PC screen over as well through the ‘Connect’ option on Windows 10 or via the Easy Connection app from Samsung. These additional features of allowing the Smart Monitor M5 to be used as display output truly makes it an all-in-one monitor all key needs.
There is also a Remote Login where you access your PC or Mac over the internet using remote IP address. While it works, the experience isn’t the most ideal as it really depends on your internet speed. I think you’re better off just hooking your PC or Mac to the monitor via a HDMI cable.
Display and user experience
Smart Monitor M5 uses a VA panel with a max brightness of 250cd/㎡, which isn’t the brightest compared where you have monitors peaking up to 400cd/㎡. But personally, I don’t even use the Smart Monitor M5 at its maximum brightness anyway so s of 250cd/㎡ is sufficient unless it is against strong backlight.
Colours are pretty good for a VA panel, but cannot compare to the vibrancy that you get from a IPS panel. It’s still nice to use for entertainment purposes which the Smart Monitor M5 is largely designed for. As the Smart Monitor M5 only has a 1080p resolution at a 27-inch size, the image won’t look as sharp. 1080p is best used on a 24-inch screen size.
The Smart Monitor M5 is designed to be like a TV and monitor combination. You have a useful 27-inch size that is great for office work, but also have convenient smart TV apps built right into the monitor. Smart Monitor M5 runs on Tizen OS, which you’ll find familiar if you own a Samsung Smart TV. The user experience is exactly the same. The included remote comes in very handy for switching sources and jumping to entertainment apps such as Netflix, Disney+, etc. Adding a keyboard and mouse makes it much easier to search for your favourite content and navigate between apps.
If you plan on getting connecting your PC/laptop to the Smart Monitor M5, I’d recommend getting a USB switcher like this. That way, your PC/laptop and the Smart Monitor M5 itself can share the same keyboard and mouse so you don’t have to switch this around. Given this monitor is 2023 refresh, it would have nice to see Samsung include this feature as a button on the monitor.
Sound and other features
The built-in speakers are ok for general media consumption, but it’s recommended that you connect an external speakers for better audio. As the monitor does not come with 3.5mm AUX-input, your only options are soundbars that have HDMI ARC or speakers that have Bluetooth.
Lastly, if you use Samsung SmartThings as your Smart Home system then the Smart Monitor M5 acts as a built-in IoT hub to manage your smart home right from the monitor itself.
Conclusion
The Samsung 27″ Smart Monitor M5 is designed for individuals who enjoy the convenience of using apps for media consumption and doing work all from one screen. It even has smart features such as Apple Airplay and Windows PC screen mirroring, along with SmartThing integration to make it a smart device for multiple use cases. At S$428, Smart Monitor M5 is quite expensive considering it to be a 1080p 27-inch VA monitor. But if you’re looking for an all-in-one smart monitor solution, the Smart Monitor M5 seems to be one of the few monitors in the market that marry the smart TV and office monitor as a single device.