Philips 34B2U6603CH/00 Curved Business Monitor Review
The Philips 34B2U6603CH/00 is a curved business monitor that offers great value for money, priced around £560 on Amazon with deals as low as £420.
Design
The monitor features a sleek black design with a silver stand. It has thin bezels on the top and sides, but a larger bezel at the bottom. The stand is height-adjustable and tiltable, providing flexible positioning options. On the left side, you’ll find USB-A, USB-C, and headphone jack ports.
The monitor includes a pop-up webcam on top, with standard control buttons and power light on the bottom right. Additionally, there’s a busy light, call light, and mute light on the bottom left for easy communication status tracking. The PowerSensor in the bottom bezel works seamlessly with Windows 11.
Rear ports include two HDMI, one DisplayPort, three USB-C, RJ45 LAN, and two USB-A ports. A pull-out earphone hook is located on the side for convenient storage of your headphones.
Specifications
The Philips 34B2U6603CH/00 boasts a 34-inch curved screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, WLED backlight supporting 16.7 million colors and a 4000:1 contrast ratio. It offers 450 nits brightness in SDR and 550 nits in HDR.
The monitor supports resolutions up to 3440×1440 at 100Hz via HDMI and 120Hz via Thunderbolt 4. Its anti-glare surface ensures better readability in bright environments.
Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the monitor offers audio out/mic-in combo, RJ45 LAN port, Thunderbolt 4 downstream with 15W charging and daisy-chain support (not tested). Side ports include USB-C and two USB-A ports for easy device connection.
Webcam and Audio
The built-in 5MP webcam delivers 1080p video quality with AI face tracking and crop features. Windows Hello support is included, although it was not tested on Mac. The microphone offers clear audio, while the stereo speakers provide decent sound.
Setup and Real-World Usage
The monitor comes with a stand, HDMI cable, USB-C cable, and power cable. Assembly is straightforward, and the monitor is plug-and-play ready. I’ve used this monitor daily for two weeks, and here are my impressions:
- Display quality is crisp and clear, with noticeable improvement when using Thunderbolt 4 over HDMI.
- The curved screen enhances comfort during long usage sessions, and the high brightness eliminates any noticeable glare.
- Plenty of screen space makes multitasking a breeze.
- The webcam and microphone deliver excellent video and audio quality for calls, with AI cropping working well for framing.
- Speakers are adequate but may require external audio for better call quality.
Settings and Menus
Settings are easy to navigate using the physical buttons on the monitor. You can tweak contrast, brightness, inputs, and more with ease.
Verdict
The Philips 34B2U6603CH/00 is a fantastic business monitor tailored for Windows users but offers plenty for Mac users too. My main complaint is the slow input switching when devices are powered on or off, although manually changing inputs provides an easy workaround.
With its high resolution, clear display, quality webcam, and thoughtful design, this Philips monitor might just be the ultimate business monitor for many users.
