Video conferencing has become increasingly important due to the global pandemic, and it's still hugely important even as many return to offices. While using apps like Zoom or Google Meet isn’t necessarily difficult, multi-tasking during a call can be somewhat cumbersome. Thankfully, Dell is streamlining the video calling experience with its new Latitude 9330 2-in-1 business laptop.
The new “collaboration touchpad” lets you access microphone, chat and screen sharing via LED buttons located along the top of the touchpad. As The Verge notes, these functions are similar to what’s available on the Elgato Stream Deck – only tailored for a business laptop.
Other video conferencing features include a Full HD IR camera with an automatic shutter and four noise-canceling mics. The laptop will also have Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, so you should hopefully enjoy a smoother and stutter-free virtual meeting.
Dell’s Latitude 9330 is a 13-inch convertible laptop with a 16:10 (2560 x 1600) touchscreen. The device is configurable with up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 or i7 vPro processor, 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM. It also packs a 50 Whr battery and either an Intel Iris Xe or integrated graphics.
We don’t have a firm release date at the moment, but Dell says the 2-in-11 will launch sometime in June 2022. Latitude 9000 series laptops are generally expensive so expect to pay premium prices for this latest model.
I’m one of the many folks who rely on video conferencing for both work and my personal life. As such, I think having dedicated video conferencing buttons on a laptop’s touchpad is fantastic. Having to constantly scroll up to the video call to mute myself (for example) can be a tad annoying, especially if I’m working on something during the call.
Though this functionality isn’t as impressive as having an 8-inch screen beside the touchpad like the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, it’s still a welcome feature that could make the Latitude 9330 one of the best 2-in-1 laptops. I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say I want to see more laptops include features like this.
