Touchscreens seem to be taking over the laptop world, perhaps mirroring their ubiquity in the mobile space and elsewhere. But it’s still hard to find a touchscreen stand-alone monitor, unless you count all-in-one desktop designs. The latest offering from Dell’s well-regarded P series takes a leap into this wide-open space, offering the popular, laptop-friendly USB-C hub and a touchscreen all in one package. But the touchscreen isn’t just an add-on feature. With a stand that folds down for tablet-like interaction, it becomes the monitor’s centerpiece.
Dell’s 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor, P2424HT to its friends, looks barely distinguishable from other Dell displays at first glance. It’s got the thin bezels, the silver-ish base, and a ho-hum 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate on the IPS panel. But push it down a bit and it articulates until the bottom edge is flat on your desk, offering an approximate 30-degree angle for the 10-point touchscreen. It’s a neat trick, especially considering that the stand is barely any bigger than Dell’s normal pack-in stands. It’s reminiscent of the fold-down action of the (much, much larger) Surface Studio. The screen includes a padded bottom for just that function, and cables are routed and protected to make it all work smoothly.
Further reading: Best USB-C monitors 2023: These displays have a hidden talent
Speaking of cables, the P2424HT includes a surprising number of ports. In addition to the usual HDMI and DisplayPort, you get USB-C video and power (up to 90 watts), dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 on the bottom, and another 3.2 port and USB-C port (15 watts) on the side. Those two ports get a nifty pop-up cover for when they’re not being used. There’s also a headphone jack and an RJ45 Ethernet port, which The Verge notes is a first for a 24-inch touchscreen monitor, and the USM ports include KVM multi-machine capabilities. 3-watt speakers fire out of the top, which makes sense if the monitor will spend a lot of time with its butt on the desk.
The monitor is going for $519.99 at launch, which is surprisingly cheap for a touchscreen panel, even if it is on the smaller side. At the moment there aren’t any options for bigger or more high-res panels in this fold-down form factor, but hopefully they’ll be coming soon. For more coverage on the best monitors for every user, check out our 2023 roundup.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.