Our Apple Studio Display review found the 12MP camera with its 122-degree field of view far from exciting. The immediate performance was mediocre, matching an Apple laptop webcam and falling behind external webcams like the Logitech C920. A beta update for the Studio Display's webcam, however, seems to have addressed noise reduction, contrast, and framing.
Similar to the UltraSharp's high-res webcam, the shooter in the Studio Display has Apple's Center Stage feature to keep you in the center of the frame when moving, but we found it to be dizzying. The feature, however, enables you to tilt the image without requiring any physical adjustments.
Mics and speakers
Neither monitor's video-calling prowess claims end at the webcam.
Dell's U3223QZ has a pair of echo-canceling microphones and a pair of 14 W speakers the company claims are "strategically placed near ear-level for optimal hearing." There are also buttons for quickly disabling the microphones and camera. The Dell monitor is also more Microsoft Teams-friendly than is probably necessary, with a soft-touch control panel on the bottom-left corner.
Meanwhile, the Studio Display has a six-speaker system, including four woofers and two tweeters, that support spatial audio. During testing, they delivered clear voices and instruments—and slightly too much bass at low volumes. The monitor also has three microphones that use a high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming. Because the monitor has an A13 Bionic CPU, it also supports Hey Siri commands through those mics.
Image-quality claims
The U3223QZ and Studio Display are both IPS (in-plane switching) monitors, but the Dell monitor has a new take on IPS from LG Display called IPS Black. For a deeper look, see our IPS Black explainer article. But basically, IPS Black monitors are supposed to have 35 percent deeper black levels than traditional IPS monitors (like the Studio Display). While the typical IPS monitor claims 1,000:1 contrast, the IPS Black monitors currently available claim 2,000:1. Higher contrast is supposed to give the latest UltraSharp more nuanced details in shadowed areas and highlights with greater pop.
Apple doesn't make a contrast claim with its Studio Display, but we recorded 1,040:1 with the monitor set to 200 nits.
We recorded 589 nits on the Studio Display, making it notably brighter than U3223QZ's 400-nit claim. That's particularly important if you plan to use the display in a bright environment. We also recorded 98.9 percent DCI-P3 color coverage on the Studio Display, which is just slightly more than what the U3223QZ claims.
The U3223QZ also supports HDR, unlike the Studio Display. However, with VESA's lowest-tier DisplayHDR 400 certification and no local dimming, we're not expecting stellar HDR.
Of course, without testing the U3223QZ we can't be sure of its true image quality.
Bigger panel or more pixels?
When comparing the Studio Display against any display, we can't forget about its crowning jewel: 5K resolution. 14,745,600 pixels in a 27-inch panels gives you a pixel density of 217.6 pixels per inch (ppi). The U3223QZ has fewer pixels (8,294,400) to work with across a larger 31.5-inch panel, resulting in 139.9 ppi. If you prefer a smaller monitor, Dell also makes a 27-inch monitor with an IPS Black panel, the UltraSharp U2723QE.
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