Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C hub Monitor review: A great option for those who need a dual display setup

When I started working from home last year, I thought my temporary work setup would serve me well for a few months till the time things get normal. For the first few days, like millions of young working professionals, our dining table at home got converted into a mini office, but I quickly realised I needed a proper workspace of my own.
Although now I work in a separate room and have a dedicated workspace, one thing that hasn’t changed is how I use my laptop. By afternoon, my back would start to hurt and my eyes strain to look at the laptop screen. But ever since I have started using Dell’s UltraSharp 24-inch USB-C hub monitor, it has made my work life less stressful. Adding a second screen to my Chromebook has not only made it much easier to multitask but also provided a little extra real estate to my workspace.

Here’s how I tested a dual-screen extended setup on a Chromebook using the Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub monitor.

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor price in India: Rs 56,831

The good

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Premium design

The Dell UltraSharp 24 sports a modern aesthetic that is sleek and sophisticated. The monitor has a silver finish identical to the company’s premium XPS laptop lineup. Although made of plastic, the monitor doesn’t flex or feel cheap. Most importantly, the monitor looks great on the desk. What you get with the monitor is a two-part support arm that can be easily assembled and attached to the screen without any technical knowledge. It took me less than 10 minutes to set up the monitor.

Editors in the digital space can use the vertical orientation of the screen to manage the website in a better way. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: View smartphone-made content on a big screen

The most impressive thing about the stand is the different ways you can use the monitor. I can easily adjust the tilt and height with a single hand. The monitor is even able to swivel and extend towards you up to 150 nm. And if you prefer a vertical monitor, it can be rotated 90 degrees, which is perfect for people like me. Editors in the digital space can use the vertical orientation of the screen to manage the website in a better way. They can read captions, edit the content, and even read social media comments.

If you are a heavy Twitter and Linkedin user, or someone who is glued to Instagram, the rotating screen seems like the future of home entertainment. The reason is simple: because people shoot videos in portrait mode on Instagram and Snapchat, it makes sense to watch the content in a vertical portrait mode, just like your phone. While there is a use case of placing the monitor vertically, the truth is most audiovisual content that is consumed is still mostly horizontally.

Still, there are advantages of rotating the screen to portrait mode but it depends on what purpose it solves for you as a user. For me, though, the rotating screen changes how I use Facebook and WhatsApp on the big screen. I think content creators like the option to easily rotate things into portrait mode for easy viewing.

Just a single USB-C cable (up to 90-watt power) connects your PC or Chromebook to the monitor which not only provides the video signals but also charges the notebook simultaneously. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Built-in USB-C hub

I didn’t realise this until I saw the full charging mark on my Chromebook, but the Dell UltraSharp 24 monitor has the built-in hub feature. Basically, the monitor also doubles as a USB-C docking station. Just a single USB-C cable (up to 90-watt power) connects your PC or Chromebook to the monitor which not only provides the video signals but also charges the notebook simultaneously. This one single solution eradicates the need to invest in an expensive docking station, something I really liked about the monitor. You also get three Type-A ports, a built-in RJ-45 Ethernet port for wired connectivity, a DisplayPort 1.4, an HDMI port, an audio jack, the power input, and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port.

The Dell 24 monitor works perfectly with my Chromebook. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Perfect size

A 24-inch size is perfect for a monitor. It’s not too big and not too small. At first glance, one could mistake it for a giant smartphone, attached to the stand. I mean just look at this monitor. It’s so thin, the small bezels and edges give it the feel of a smartphone rather than a transitional monitor. The on-screen menu is simple and can be accessed via a physical joystick on the rear of the monitor. The main menu easily lets you change brightness and contrast and even change input sources.

Watching videos on it delivers an amazing experience. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Colour pops

The monitor has a 1920 x 1080p resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate and brightness of around 350-nits. I am not an expert, but the colours have more pop and the text appears sharper to my eyes on this monitor. The display is incredibly bright as well. For instance, while reading indianexpress.com, the text is incredibly sharp. You see clarity and sharpness while going through a web, a ppt, or writing a story on Google Docs as I did. Watching videos on it delivers an amazing experience. The good thing about the monitor is the glare is nonexistent.

Here’s how I maximised my productivity using the two-screen setup. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Two monitors are productive

The purpose of using this monitor was to see how I maximise my productivity at work with two monitors. Look, the idea of having a two-monitor setup is simple: add two screens to your laptop and expand the screen real estate. I used the Dell UltraSharp 24 monitor hooked to my Chromebook for work and play. The Dell monitor has this sharp and crisp display that allowed me to work on Google Docs for mostly writing stories with minimal eye strain, while the screen on my Chromebook was used mostly for keeping tabs on breaking news and chatting with colleagues using WhatsApp Web. The dual-monitor setup allowed me to multitask at the same time it addressed the issue of eye fatigue I had with a laptop screen.

The Bad

Not everything is perfect on this Dell monitor. I wish the monitor had built-in speakers. Although I plugged in my Harmon/Kardon speakers with the monitor, I feel any monitor from now on should have onboard speakers. High Dynamic Range (HDR) is missing and so does support for Adaptive Sync for smoother visuals.
I also feel the price of this monitor is on the expensive side especially since it lacks a 2K display. I can easily get a nice QLED TV from Xiaomi for around the same price.

Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub Monitor review: Should you buy it?

I think this is a terrific monitor because it offers both versatility and functionality at the same the quality of the display doesn’t disappoint. But then this is not a cheap monitor. Its appeal lies in how you turn the monitor to 90 degrees and use it in portrait mode; plus, it offers a single-cord experience which is unmatched. I think both creators and business users should consider this monitor.