Dell’s videoconferencing monitor has a 4K webcam, USB-C hub, and more

Dell’s new 32-inch UltraSharp videoconferencing monitor supports 4K in more ways than one — the first, obvious for a display, is its 3840 x 2160 panel. But it also has a built-in 4K webcam, perfect for the age of Zoom meetings and working from home. Better still, you can connect to the monitor with a single USB-C cable, which will provide a video signal to the screen and send 90W of power back to your laptop.

The monitor’s official name is the U3223QZ (Dell’s naming is catchy as ever), and its webcam uses a Sony 4K HDR STARVIS CMOS sensor. That’s similar to the imaging tech that Dell uses for its $200 external UltraSharp webcam, but unlike that device, the monitor has two built-in microphones. Dell also says that you’ll be able to adjust the camera’s tilt by 20 degrees and switch between 65, 78, and 90-degree fields of view. All of that should add up to you showing up crystal clear in meetings (if that’s something you want to do — not everyone does!).

Image: Dell

That webcam is attached to a decently specced display: it’s 31.5 inches, IPS, and runs at 60Hz. While the low refresh rate means it probably won’t be a game streamer’s first pick — a shame, because a built-in face cam would actually be handy — it should be totally fine for a home (or regular) office. Plus, it has two 14W speakers built in, which should let you hear anyone you’re talking to well enough, though they might appreciate it if you just used headphones instead.

The monitor also has a lot going for it beyond the screen and videoconferencing features. If you connect to it with USB-C, it basically acts as a hub, giving you access to five 10Gbps USB-A ports, ethernet, and another USB-C port. If your computer supports Display Stream Compression, you can even use the monitor’s DisplayPort out port to daisy-chain another 4K monitor. Oh, and like some other Dell monitors, the U3223QZ has a dedicated Microsoft Teams button on the front.

Image: Dell

It’s also got HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 input ports, and if you plug in multiple devices, you can view them in picture-by-picture or picture-in-picture modes. Handily, it’s also got a built-in KVM, which lets you use one pair of peripherals with multiple computers.

The ergonomic situation also seems pretty solid: the U3223QZ’s stand supports tilt, swivel, and height adjustments, including the ability to turn the monitor vertically according to Dell’s 3D demo (though that may make things awkward if you’re trying to use the webcam). If that’s not enough, it also has 100mm x 100mm VESA mounting holes for attaching the display to a monitor arm.

The monitor will be available starting March 29th, and Dell says it’ll share pricing information closer to the release date.

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