Philips has shared details of its latest ultra-wide monitor at the recent IFA trade show in Berlin. The Philips 492P8 consists of an LED-backlit, Samsung-manufactured 49-inch VA panel with a resolution of 3,840 x 1,080 (32:9 (3.56:1) aspect ratio, 81.41 PPI). Refresh rate and response times are unknown at this hour although Philips did share with AnandTech that its new screen sports a brightness rating of up to 600 cd/m² and a contrast of 5,000:1. It's also got an 1800R curvature and an sRGB color gamut.
Connectivity options include a single DisplayPort connector, two HDMI ports and a D-Sub connection (plus 3.5mm input and outputs). There's also a USB hub with two USB 3.0 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet jack.
Philips' monitor is wide for sure but I'm not sure it's all that great of an offer.
Serious gamers are probably going to look elsewhere for G-SYNC / FreeSync and speedy refresh rates while those eyeballing loads of desktop real estate would likely better be served by using a decent 4K TV as a monitor. With the latter option, you'd get double the vertical resolution for less money than Philips is asking.
The Philips 492P8 is set to arrive sometime in the second quarter of 2018 priced around $1,075. Unless Philips announces some pretty incredible specs between now and then, I'd probably keep looking.
Lead image courtesy AnandTech