Philips 40B1U6903CH review: a 5k monitor ready to level up your productivity

There's no definitive answer for what the best 4K monitor is, because it's going to be different for everyone, from gamers to movie lovers. The Philips 40B1U6903CH – which is actually 5K resolution – has broad appeal though, even if it's primarily aimed at home office setups.

It's a significant size, with a 39.7-inch screen, with the curve of the monitor adding to the bulk. Besides the display, which is the most important part of any monitor, it also comes with some interesting features – including a webcam that pops out from the top of the unit.

Our full Philips 40B1U6903CH review breaks down everything you need to know about this monitor, from assembly to screen quality, which will help you decide whether it's the right pick for you – or perhaps one of the best gaming monitors would suit you better.

Philips 40B1U6903CH: Price & Availability

The Philips 40B1U6903CH 4K monitor is available to buy now: the widgets embedded on this page will direct you to the cheapest deals for the monitor currently available on the web, but at the time of writing you can pick it up for around £1,400 in the UK from retailers including Currys and Amazon. It's not currently available in the US.

Philips 40B1U6903CH review: Design & Setup

There's definitely something businessy about the aesthetic of the Philips 40B1U6903CH, but that's not necessarily a negative. What's sleek and understated to one pair of eyes is rather dull and plain to another. Make your own mind up – personally I could've used a little more flair around the design, as it does look a bit 'standard office issue'.

The stand is at least something different from the normal blocky base, though you are going to need a screwdriver to get this assembled. I prefer the tool-free approach as it's quicker and easier, but it's not difficult to put the Philips 40B1U6903CH together – and I managed it in about 20 minutes.

This is a big monitor, and most people will probably be grateful for a bit of assistance in setting it up. When put together, it measures 948 x 605 x 236 mm at its maximum height (which you can adjust, as well as swivelling it). It weighs in at 13.5 kg too, so it's not the easiest to move around from desk to desk – it's best staying in the same spot.

As far as ports go, you get two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, and one Thunderbolt 4 (upstream) port. There's also a Thunderbolt 4 (downstream) port (supporting daisy chaining), and USB hub capabilities comprising four USB-A slots and one USB-C slot (all USB 3.2 Gen 2, with three ports on the side), and an Ethernet socket.

Philips 40B1U6903CH review: Picture & Features

Running at a native resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels, the IPS WLED panel here qualifies as both a 4K and a 5K monitor. Add in the ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio, and you've got an awful lot of screen space – whether you want to use it for spreadsheets or videos (or maybe both at the same time, snapped to each side).

The 300 nits of brightness is perfectly acceptable, though gamers will want more than the 75Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time. I tried a few games with the monitor, and there are no real issues if you're prepared to lower your expectations to some degree – but you won't get the smooth, eye-popping visuals that you do from the best gaming monitors.

For tasks like working on documents or browsing the web, the Philips 40B1U6903CH is a superb monitor. It's clear and crisp, with a stack of handy features such as the energy-saving mode that dims the screen when you're not looking at it – though you can easily switch this off if you don't like it.

As well as the decent selection of ports that I've already mentioned, including the USB hub, there's a competent 5-megapixel webcam that pops up from the top of the screen (and which works with Windows Hello), as well as a headphone hook on the side so you can keep your over-ear headphones off the desk.

The on-screen menus do all the jobs they need to, though the interface is rather rudimentary – as are the cheap-feeling plastic buttons under the monitor that enable you to get around the menus. The built-in 5W stereo speakers aren't overly impressive, meanwhile, but these are minor drawbacks on what is otherwise an excellent monitor – and I much prefer the option of having built-in audio rather than not!

While professional creatives will find better colour gamut and high dynamic range (HDR) spec on other models, the Philips 40B1U6903CH is unlikely to disappoint those wanting a good all-round office monitor that goes above and beyond with its screen dimensions and curvature. It's a monitor I was reluctant to stop using and pack away, which is always a good sign.

Philips 40B1U6903CH review: Verdict

I'm a fan of ultrawide monitors, which give you comfortably enough space to put two or even three windows up side-by-side – meaning you can get more done without constantly switching between them. It's like having a dual-monitor setup, without having double the displays and cables.

If that's the kind of screen experience you're after, then the Philips 40B1U6903CH fits the bill perfectly. You've got lots of screen space and a sharp pixel density, which all adds up to a display experience that's as good as you get from IPS WLED. It's a great screen for getting work done, and it'll do fine with games and video content as well.

Aside from the picture, there's all the extras you get – like that pop-out webcam, the USB hub with a selection of ports on the side, and the picture-in-picture mode that lets you view two input sources at once. Philips has managed to cram just about every monitor feature in here, with a few exceptions – like 90-degree rotation on the stand.

There's no denying it's on the expensive end of the scale for what you get back in return, but I think there'll be plenty of people more than happy to make the investment, because it ticks so many of the boxes you want from a home office monitor. It's not the cheapest or the most stylish greater-than-4K monitor around, but it's definitely one of the best.

Also consider

You've got plenty of alternatives to the Philips 40B1U6903CH to pick from, if needed. If you want the superior screen tech offered by OLED, then the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 really stands out – and it won't cost you as much as the Philips monitor, though you do have to make do with a smaller screen and a lot fewer pixels.

The BenQ PD3225U is also worth a mention. It's not cheap but it'll cost you less than the Philips, and it has the specs (including colour ranges) and the extras (such as a wired puck) make it a really appealing option for creatives working with images and videos.