I have been in the market for a new monitor and just a few days after my purchase, (I bought a Viewsonic XG270QG) an ad for a seriously powerful display started popping on Instagram called the "Eve SPECTRUM." The SPECTRUM has three models: QHD 144Hz, QHD 240Hz, and 4K 240Hz. My initial reaction was dread for upgrading too early, such as the fate of any amateur PC gamer; but after conducting further research, that feeling turned into concern for the people who ordered this early. Let us talk about why.
Display Specification
This is Eve’s mid-range panel and it cost $550 and would cost an additional $100 for the stand. The 4K 144Hz panel cost $650 and the QHD 144Hz cost $400. As you can tell, the device’s specs are tremendous. Plenty of ports, wide color gamut, and 1ms Gray-to-Gray response time.
Reputable display manufacturers like Asus, Acer and LG, the manufacturer of SPECTRUM’s panel, have monitors of the same caliber for almost $150 more than EVE’s monitor on places like Amazon and Newegg.
Pretty good deal right? Well, those are pre-order prices and if you want to reserve one, you need to put in $100 for down payment, which seems reasonable considering the value that they are offering.
Consider this, my Viewsonic monitor is an IPS, 144Hz, and 1440p display. That upgrade costed $625 including tax. It is possible to get that monitor for cheaper but that is the price of impatience. Picking Eve’s panel, whether it is the low tier for its price or the 240Hz for its performance, seems to make a lot of sense.
I thought that this monitor had to be fake but as it turns out, the LG panel inside of this thing is real, making this display less far-fetched.
However, the business does not seem so reliable when it comes to supplying the demand.
EVE V and Unfulfilled Orders
The EVE V, from my understanding, is EVE’s first crowdsourced laptop to compete against Microsoft’s Surface.
EVE V echoes the SPECTRUM’s aim to deliver a high-spec machine at a reduced rate, however, the EVE V’s launch was not received well. Check out Unboxed Therapy’s video on the matter:
After doing research through forums, there turns out to be a ton of customers who did not received their product. There is even a subreddit for backers who have not received their EVE V laptops. Kirk Miller is one of many who pre-ordered the laptop and the company took his money and left. He has yet to receive a refund as of May 2020.
Here is Miller’s video on his experience with “EVE Tech” and how he was scammed:
Keep in mind that the EVE V was launched back in 2017 and some customers still have not received refunds. People like Miller are still waiting for their money back. The subreddit currently has 399 members and the most recent post was made back in April.
The subreddit is filled with complaints about refunds and ways to get your money back. People strongly suggested contacting their banks and do a charge-back for the purchase.
This story is still developing. I am trying to get in touch with the redditor responsible for the aforementioned subreddit. More will follow
Should You Pre-Order the “SPECTRUM?”
The short answer is: Not really. Considering how the customers are treated, Eve does not seem worthy of the market’s trust. Eve said that their monitors will increase in price if you do not pre-order but the deal does not equate the risk involved with the company.
I suggest to wait for the SPECTRUM to launch fully and make a decision then. If Eve does launch the product and it goes well, then the slight premium on the monitors may still be a good deal, considering what the LG panel is capable of.
Besides, if Eve does make this monitor, I am sure LG, Asus, Acer, and all the other experienced monitor manufacturers would have their own versions. The specs of the SPECTRUM may be impressive but it is not worth risking your hard-earned dollars for.
Update (06/29/2020): A recent post by u/Scienceisexy on r/evev that the user still have not received a refund since December of 2017. The subreddit community responded with empathy and honestly by saying that Eve is ignoring them, and that they were scammed.
It might be safe to say that these people might not be getting their money back.
Update (07/17/2020): A wiki page has been established for Eve’s Surface alternative, the Eve V. On the “Reception” tab:
Currently, it can only be purchased direct from Eve-Tech online, which have been promoted by periodic flash sales. However, Eve-Tech has experienced difficulties fulfilling orders, drawing complaints from customers who have not seen orders or refunds delivered 18 months after purchase.
The subreddit continued to grow, gaining ten more member (myself excluded).
Update (09/01/2020): “Eve has stated following up on form previously created,” said r/evev user kirkle8 “so if you haven’t filled this out I’d recommend you doing so.”
The link to the form should be posted here.
According to kirkle8, Eve is promising refunds by the end of the year.
Update (01/20/2020): EVE Spectrum pre-production rolls in
The first wave of impressions for the long-awaited Eve Spectrum are here. Thunderbolt Laptop’s George Hall sent me a private message about their Eve Spectrum review and gave me the tip that that reviews will start to release from other tech channels. The review showed promised that Eve is going in the right direction.
Here are pre-production photos of the Eve Spectrum:
The review by Thunderbolt’s Ed Shway shared some concerns regarding color grading certifications and unfinished firmware. Besides those qualms, the view seemed to vet for the majority of Eve claims on the Spectrum. Before you start preordering, keep in mind that the Eve Spectrum is still in pre-production and has yet to prove their trustworthiness but to say that the product is ready would be generous.
Linus Sebastian of LinusTechTips also received a pre-production and did a more in-depth analysis of the color accuracy. The Spectrum was all over the color gamut in Linus’ CalMAN software test. Linus demonstrated the roughness of the software as well as a dark shade in the middle of the screen. Linus was able to fix the shade by turning the monitor into HDR mode, among other things.
Linus also said that he was concerned on the “business side of things,” saying that he is worried that Eve doesn’t have enough funding for production.
nightstand 
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