Dell’s new monitor can transform into a touch display

Dell’s new 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor is a new 23.8-inch 1080p monitor that can effectively transform into a touchscreen tablet thanks to its articulating stand. Dell is pitching the monitor for use in retail or warehouse environments, in addition to homes and offices. The company has produced monitors with a similar form-factor in the past, such as the P2418HT which dates back to at least 2017. 

Like the P2418HT before it, the new P2424HT’s design can’t help but remind me of Microsoft’s lineup of Surface Studio computers, which also feature touchscreens and articulating stands that allow them to be used like graphics tablets. But at just $519.99, Dell’s new monitor is clearly in a completely different league from last year’s Surface Studio 2 Plus all-in-one, which starts at $4,299 and has a whole computer built into its chassis to go along with its 28-inch 4500 x 3000 display. Microsoft was previously rumored to be developing a Surface monitor for release in 2020, but such a device is yet to materialize.

New for this specific Dell monitor is an Ethernet port, which the company claims make it “the world’s first 23.8-inch touch monitor with ethernet connectivity.” I love this fantastically specific claim to fame. You may have seen monitors with built-in Ethernet ports before, and you may have even seen them in a touch monitor. But have you ever seen Ethernet in a 23.8-inch touch monitor? I think not. 

Unlike Microsoft’s Surface Studio, Dell’s monitor is reliant on an external laptop or desktop computer to work. Dell’s spec sheet notes that its 10-point multitouch is compatible with both Windows and macOS (Linux users are limited to just 3-point touch), and its USB-C port offers 90W of power to a connected computer. Alongside this upstream USB-C port, there’s an HDMI 1.4 port and DisplayPort 1.2 connector, plus three USB-A ports, an additional USB-C downstream port, audio line-out, and the aforementioned Ethernet.

Solely as a monitor, the 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor’s specs are middling. It’s a 1080p IPS LCD panel, with a refresh rate of 60Hz. It’s equipped with a built in 3W mono speaker, and Dell advertises that the display covers 99 percent of the sRGB color spectrum. 

The Dell 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor is available to order directly from Dell now for $519.99, and ships immediately.