While CES offers a lot of new gadgets to consider and anticipate every year, it also brings a lot of updates to existing product lines. Dell announced a major update to its commercial line of notebooks, revealing a refreshed Latitude 7000 series along with a few new displays and accessories that aim to make the lives of all types of workers easier.

According to Dell representatives, the company wanted to not only improve the internals of its elite enterprise line but also incorporate some of the design aspects most loved in its XPS series. The members of the Latitude 7000 series (there are 12-, 13-, and 14-inch models) are made with woven carbon fiber and magnesium alloy, making them thinner and lighter than previous models. They're painted with a soft-touch finish as well, so even if they don't have the sleek, silvery look of the XPS series, they're still elegant. The display bezels have been slimmed, however, the north and south sides of each screen remain slightly thicker so you can pick up any touchscreen models without disturbing anything on the screen.

As with all of Dell's commercial notebooks, the 12- and 14-inch Latitude 7000 models can be customized to suit any business needs. Both can support up to Intel Core i7 processors, up to 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSDs, and up to 55 watt batteries. Intel HD Graphics 520 come standard, but the 14-inch can be upgraded to an Intel HD Graphics 540 GPU. Both have anti-glare HD display options, and you can upgrade the 12-inch model to an FHD touch display and the 14-inch notebook to a QHD touchscreen. Ports on each model are the same, including an SD card reader, SIM card slot, three USB 3.0 ports, and one HDMI port.

The 13-inch Latitude 7000 has a few extra perks, namely one Thunderbolt 3 port among the standard USB ports. It also supports Core M7 processors and Dell claims its battery can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. Its 13.3-inch display comes in FHD and QHD options, with the QHD being touchscreen and enforced with Corning Gorilla Glass.

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino



Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

In an effort to accommodate the most mobile employees, Dell created a sleek laptop-tablet hybrid version of the Latitude 12 7000. Weighing just 3.1 pounds and measuring a mere .67-inches thick with its keyboard attached, this two-in-one is ideal for those who find themselves working regularly in many different settings. As a tablet, it stuns with a 12.5-inch Gorilla Glass-covered screen, available in full HD and 4K options. It can be connected to its specific Latitude 12 Premier Keyboard to turn it into a notebook, or you can opt for a wireless keyboard and mouse. When I spent some time with the hybrid, the keyboard was pretty comfortable to use as was its trackpad. It didn't make me feel nearly as cramped while typing as other tablet keyboards.

The Latitude 12's specs make it a solid working notebook: Intel HD Graphics 515, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 512 PCle SSD storage, a 30WHr battery with ExpressCharge, and all of the Dell Data Protection security features of the regular laptops. It also sports two USB Type-C ports, an SD card reader, a microSIM card slot, and it includes a Type-C to Type-A USB 3.0 dongle so you can connect your current peripherals even if they're not Type-C compatible already.

While most of the refreshed products surround mobile working, Dell didn't forget about the times you just need to sit at a desk. The company released two new docking stations that are compatible with its updated notebooks: the Dell Dock WD15 and the Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB15. Both are certainly small enough to be portable, but the Dock WD15 is meant to be used with any of Dell's Type-C compatible notebooks (like the hybrid Latitude 12 7000).

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Measuring 6.1 x 4.3 x .83 inches, it connects to your laptop with one cable, allowing you to expand your workstation in nearly any way you can think of. It supports two external displays while featuring two USB 2.0 ports, three USB 3.0 ports; Ethernet, HDMI, mDP, and VGA slots; combo audio and speaker output ports, an AC adapter, and a lock slot. Since the Thunderbolt Dock has the same port options, the main differences between it and the Dock WD15 are size and power. The Thunderbolt Dock is a larger square, measuring 5.7 x 5.7 x 2.05 inches, and it can support 4K displays at up to 60Hz while the Dock WD15 can only support 4K at 30Hz.

While Dell didn't incorporate OLED into any of its business laptop displays (companies including Lenovo were all about embracing OLED this CES), it did develop the Dell UltraSharp UHD 4K OLED monitor. The 30-inch display can reach 100 percent AdobeRGB and 1.07 billion color depth, making it best for designers, photographers, and anyone who prioritizes color accuracy. The monitor also supports USB Type-C, so you can connect many of Dell's new laptops and accessories to it easily and reap the benefits of OLED while you work.

The Latitude 12 and 14 7000 is available now starting at $1,079, and the Latitude 13 7000 will be available in March starting at $1,299 (UK pricing TBC). The two-in-one Latitude 12 7000 will be available at the end of January starting at $1,049 (£929), along with the Dell Dock WD15 and the Thunderbolt Dock which will be $199 (£179) and $299 (£289) respectively.