Dell Technologies has unveiled a new wave of commercial PCs and monitors designed around the needs of a transformed workforce that spends more hours with more devices in more settings than ever before.
The forthcoming laptops, workstations, desktops, and displays, which are part of a larger slew of products set to be officially unveiled next week during the 2021 CES conference, arrive at a time when work-from-home computing, remote learning, and other newly pervasive use cases have reinforced the continued relevance of a product category too often dismissed as past its prime, according to Ed Ward, senior vice president of Dell’s Client Product Group.
“About 10 years [ago], to 2010, it was widely reported that the PC was dead. We can happily say that those reports were greatly exaggerated,” he states. “The PC has come through and shown its value again.”
Among the new portables due later this year is the high-end Latitude 9420, a 14-inch unit configurable as either a laptop or a 2-in-1. Equipped with a 16:10 QHD display, the device comes with features specifically tailored for videoconferencing, including noise-cancelling microphones that reduce background disturbances from kids and pets, and “SafeShutter,” which Dell claims is the industry’s first automated electromechanical webcam cover.
“When you open your Zoom call, the camera automatically opens up,” says Rahul Tikoo, a senior vice president in Dell’s Client Product Group. “When you close your Zoom call, the shutter automatically closes.” Users can employ a “camera mute” key to control the shutter as well.
ComfortView Plus technology in the unit’s display, Dell says, reduces blue light emissions, enabling users to work long hours without eye strain.
When it ships in March, the Latitude 9420 will be available with up to an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor featuring Intel’s vPro technology, and will deliver 66% better performance than its prior generation predecessor. Encased in machined aluminum, the product’s starting weight is 2.9 lbs. Pricing for the new device has yet to be announced.
A trio of new Dell monitors, available in curved 24-inch and 27-inch form factors as well as a 34-inch model that Dell says is the world’s first curved videoconferencing WQHD monitor certified for use with Microsoft Teams, is also optimized for videoconferencing. The units all feature a 5MP IR camera with ComfortView Plus, dual integrated 5W speakers, a noise cancelling microphone, and built-in support for Microsoft Cortana and Windows Hello. Due in February, they will list at $499.99 to $1,049.99.
Another monitor showcased today, the UltraSharp 40, is according to Dell the industry’s first 40-inch ultra-wide curved WUHD display. A built-in connectivity hub in the new product, which ships later this month for $2,099.99 and up, includes Thunderbolt 3 and RJ45 ports that can deliver up to 90W of power to PCs and peripherals.
“You can charge up your notebook using the monitor,” Tikoo says.
A fresh set of Latitude 5000 series devices—the 13-inch 5320, 14-inch 5420, and 15-inch 5520—will reach market next week at prices still to be determined. The 13-inch model can be configured as a laptop or 2-in-1, while the larger units ship solely as clamshells.
