Dell Refreshes Commercial PC Lines, New Latitude 9510 Laptop Arrives Late

Dell’s new premium Latitude 9510 laptop, embedded with AI-based optimization capability and support for 5G wireless networks, is now available.

The Latitude 9510 with a 15-inch display is the first of Dell’s newly created, top line Series 9000 commercial laptops. The Series 9000 line also includes a 2-in-1 model with a 14-inch display, the Latitude 9410. Unlike the 9510, the 9410 doesn’t yet offer the 5G option. Nevertheless, the 5G option with the Latitude 9510 laptop won’t arrive until this fall.

Both Series 9000 models are among several new Latitude laptops Dell is shipping today. Until now, the 7000 Series was Dell’s top-line, premium Latitude for enterprises and business customers. Dell on Tuesday is also rolling out three updated Series 7000 models —the 7210, 7310 and 7410. In addition, the company is shipping several new Precision workstations, with several set to arrive in the coming weeks.

Originally slated to arrive in late March, Dell introduced the Latitude 9510 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Asked why the systems shipped nearly two months later than planned, the PC giant issued a vague response. “Our team is executing well through challenging dynamics,” according to a statement.

However, COVID-19 has put constraints on all companies’ global supply chains. While Dell’s response didn’t cite the pandemic directly, the company pointed to its supply chain as a “strategic advantage.”

Dell credited  its supply chain’s “flexibility” for its PC shipment growth during the first quarter.

“We continue to leverage its flexibility to fulfill PC orders as quickly as possible,” according to the statement.

The statement emphasized that Dell was the only vendor among the top five that grew year-over-year shipments in the first quarter. According to IDC’s Q1 2020 PC Tracker, Dell shipped nearly 10.5 million PCs during the quarter, up a little more than 1% year over year. Industry-wide, PC shipments declined nearly 10%.

With the new high-end Series 9000 family, Dell is targeting executives and users who want high performance and portability. Officials said Dell has been able to develop the more powerful, yet smaller Latitudes due to advances in thermal engineering and design.

The 9000 Series laptops are Dell’s smallest and lightest 15-inch Latitudes to date, starting at 3.1 pounds.

Dell’s Meghana Patwardhan

“This year, we’re pushing the boundaries on some first-to-market innovations and beautiful design with devices that boost productivity and help professionals focus on the tasks that matter most,” said Meghana Patwardhan, Dell’s VP of commercial mobility, in a video presentation for media and analysts.

The commercial systems now shipping, or set to arrive next month, are the first with Dell’s new BIOS-level security protection. Dell’s new SafeBIOS Events and IoA, announced last month, detects changes to the systems’ BIOS for indicators of attacks.

AI Features for Optimized Performance

Dell is raising expectations for its new Latitudes and the updated portfolio of Precision workstations.

The new systems are the first that support the new Dell Optimizer software, which uses AI to learn user behavior. Based on that machine learning, Dell Optimizer removes …

… background noise during teleconferences, enables faster authentication and optimizes battery performance.

Dell Optimizer has four key features:

Dell Optimizer is available with the new Latitudes and Precision workstations rolling out today, though features and capabilities will vary. The Latitude 9510 provides the Dell Optimizer’s maximum capabilities, based on its description as Dell’s most intelligent laptop.

The Latitude 9510 laptop is Dell’s first Intel Project Athena-validated system. Intel certifies PCs that conform to Project Athena as meeting its Key Experience Indicators (KEIs). The KEIs include rapid response to usage patterns, thereby optimizing system response and battery life.

Dell claims the Latitude 9510 laptop can offer 34 hours of battery life. Though laptops rarely meet vendor battery life claims, that is considerably longer than Dell has claimed for existing 7000 Series Latitudes.

Among Dell’s other new commercial systems: