New Dell laptops use simultaneous Wi-Fi and wired connections to lower latency

Dell announced its new lineup of Latitude business laptops and Precision mobile workstations today. In addition to sporting trimmer builds and Intel's latest 12th Gen mobile CPUs, the new clamshells and two-in-ones also carry updated AI software for improved network latency and to help boost privacy and battery life.

Dell Optimizer software adds fresh features

Dell's Optimizer AI-based optimization software will be preloaded on its new Latitude and Precision laptops. But unlike with earlier laptops in these lines, users and IT managers will actually be able to pick the features they want and ditch the rest.

Among features up for selection is ExpressConnect. Dell updated ExpressConnect to allow the new laptops, which offer Wi-Fi 6E, to utilize a Wi-Fi network and either a second Wi-Fi network or a wired connection simultaneously to send and receive data traffic. Some laptops will require a USB adapter to connect to a second Wi-Fi network, Dell says.

The feature will enable users to see up to three times less buffering, 30 percent faster app and app-data processing, 20 percent more data transfers, and eight times "better video quality" compared to if the feature were off. Obviously, all manner of variables, like how strong your connections are, will affect any potential gains.

Dell also added some other features to Optimizer that put the software more on par with other business-targeted offerings from competitors like Lenovo and MSI. Those features include using the laptops' infrared (IR) webcams to identify if someone is looking over the user's shoulder. If Optimizer sees someone, it will quickly blur the screen.

Similarly, the camera can tell if you've looked away and then dim your screen to save battery.

Dell Optimizer includes a feature called neural noise cancellation. Neural noise cancellation performs a check on the firmware and driver level to block background noise during video calls. It can also block background noise coming from the other end of a call.

Dell says that older Latitude and Precision laptops will be able to update Optimizer to include the new features. Some new offerings, like the IR camera-initiated screen blurring and dimming, require special hardware to work.

The laptops

Starting with the Latitudes, Dell claims its new Latitude 9430 is smaller than any other business PC with a 14-inch, 16:10 screen. Available as a clamshell or two-in-one, it's 12.22×8.47×0.32 inches (31×21.5×0.8 cm). The clamshell weighs 2.8 pounds (1.3 kg), while the two-in-one is 3.2 pounds (1.5 kg).

The Latitude 9430 also comes with a boost in webcam sharpness (1080p) compared to the preceding Latitude 9420 (720p).

The Latitude 9430 goes up to an Intel 12th Gen Core i7, 32GB of LPDDR5-5200 RAM, 1TB of storage, and 2560×1600 resolution. The 9430 will start at $2,245 when it comes out in April.

Dell also announced a refresh of its 5000-series Latitudes, which includes the 5330, 5430, and 5530 models, as well as its Latitude 7000-series lineup, with the 7430, 7530, and 7330.

The 7330 includes a new option called Ultralight. Dell's 13.3-inch Latitude 7330 Ultralight has a starting weight of 2.13 pounds (1 kg), making it the lightest Latitude Dell has ever made.

With Dell also refreshing the Precision 5000 workstation line, the most interesting is the Precision 5470. Again, size is the prize, with Dell labeling this the "smallest, thinnest, and most powerful 14-inch mobile workstation" available.

The machine is 0.74 inches (1.9 cm) thick and starts at 3.26 pounds (1.5 kg). All CPU options are configured at 45 W, and the laptop can carry up to an Intel Core i9-12900H with six Performance CPU cores, eight Efficiency cores, and up to a 5 GHz turbo speed. GPU options go up to an Nvidia RTX A1000.

Maxed out, the Precision 5470 has 4TB of storage, 64GB of LPDDR5-5200 RAM, and 2560×1600 pixels. Dell didn't yet share a price for the Precision 5470, which comes out next month.