BENQ MA320U: AFFORDABLE AND VERSATILE 32-INCH, 4K DISPLAY

BenQ's 27-inch MA270U (reviewed separately, fave.co/3Exw3EW) provides a very affordable alternative to Apple's expensive Studio Display (fave.co/3E5nXk4), but its sub-$500 price tag does involve some compromises.

- BY CLIFF JOSEPH

In this review, we are looking at the 32-inch MA320U. It is slightly more expensive, at $599.99/£549.99, but as well as providing a larger screen, it also addresses some of the weaknesses of its 27-inch stablemate and produces a brighter display with bolder, crisper colors. Just for the record, though, we should point out that the screen actually measures 31.5 inches when measured diagonally.

Unsurprisingly, the basic design of the two MA-Series monitors is very similar, with a silver and black case that is mostly made out of plastic. It can’t match the slimline elegance or the sturdy aluminum construction of Apple’s displays, but it does provide features that are missing from its more expensive Apple rivals. Most notably, the stand provided with the MA320U allows you to adjust the height of the screen at no extra cost—whereas Apple charges an extra $400/£400 to provide that option with its Studio Display. Going one step further, the MA320U can also rotate through 90 degrees into the upright (portrait) position, which can be useful for graphics or photo-editing work.

A cable holder is attached to the stand.

BenQ pays good attention to smaller details too, including a cable holder that clips onto the stand and keeps your cables a little tidier—which is particularly handy if you're using the display with both a desktop Mac and a MacBook laptop, or perhaps a Windows PC. There’s also a rubber pad on the base of the stand where you can rest your MacBook, or smaller items such as a set of AirPods (although it's a shame that the pad doesn't provide Qi wireless charging as well).