Review: The Dell 32-inch UltraSharp Monitor has a high-contrast black IPS screen

get it; Not everyone finds screens sexy like me. For most people, a little extra color or a larger range of tones doesn’t distinguish one monitor from another. So I don’t blame Dell for stuffing the UltraSharp U3223QZ 4K display with fluff like motion-activated controls, monstrous speakers, and a webcam with presence detection. But after weeks of using the monitor, I didn’t find any of these additional features as exciting as the monitor’s black IPS panel.

The U3223QZ has a lot to prove. For one, it debuted at the same MSRP as the 5K Apple Studio Display (starts at $1,600). Since then, Dell has made the price more competitive ($1,029 as of this writing), but it’s still pricey for a 31.5-inch screen. The Dell U3223QZ is also one of the few monitors to use IPS Black technology, which is supposed to produce twice as much contrast as a typical IPS monitor. I confirmed this with a colorimeter and, more pleasantly, with my own eyes.

Bonus features on the U3223QZ have their advantages. The speakers are above average and the webcam can automatically log you in and out. But for many people, it makes more sense to save the money and buy this screen’s version without the webcam… and without the dedicated Microsoft Teams button.

design

If you want an IPS Black panel, 31.5 inches is your biggest choice. All panels are 4K, which means the larger U3223QZ panel has a lower pixel density (139.87 ppi) than its smaller sibling, the 27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2723QE (163.18 ppi). If that bothers you, we’ll remind you of similarly priced studio monitors from Apple. It crams 5K resolution into a (traditional) 27-inch (217.57 ppi) IPS panel, which makes the UltraSharps’ pixel density seem paltry.

The U3223QZ display has Apple-compatible shapes and forms, including slim bezels, a silver trapezoidal base, and a smooth gray plastic back. The variety of connection options help connect up to two computers at once, but I preferred USB-C with Power Delivery. This means fewer cables running through the stand’s hole, which also helps with essential cable management.

thicker lines

The U3223QZ has the slim bezels of Dell’s UltraSharp monitor range, but still gives off big feelings. That’s because, in addition to the slim bezels, the panel is framed by thicker top and bottom borders to accommodate the speakers, 1.3-inch camera (top), and touch controls (bottom). It’s the most eye-catching monitor to grace my desk in a while.

Due to technical issues, I checked two U3223QZ modules. Both of our review units had cloth running through the speakers, and it sounded pretty tight, but still a lot of cloth to snag over a long period (the screen has a three-year warranty). Each of my review units also had an annoying gap between the panel housing and the tweeter.

Meanwhile, the bottom-left corner of the screen contains touch controls for launching Microsoft Teams, starting or ending a call, adjusting volume, and turning the microphone and camera on and off. The buttons only light up when the hand is close or when mic mute or the camera shutter is activated, which is good because the bright lights are somewhat distracting.

The controls are not programmable, which is a shame for someone who doesn’t use Teams.

The U3223QZ supports tilt from 5 to 21 degrees, swivels 30 degrees left or right, and allows for a height adjustment of 5.88 inches. Impressively, the screen is lower than most, with just 1.5 inches between the desk and the screen’s chin at the lowest setting. For comparison, the Samsung S80UA 4K monitor I place is at least 2.75 inches above the desk.