HP Dragonfly G4 vs. Dell Latitude 9430

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  Source: HP

  HP Dragonfly G4

  HP’s Dragonfly G4 is expected to launch Spring 2023, complete with the latest 13th Gen Intel CPUs, strong collaboration tools, outstanding audio, and a bunch of different display options. It’s the right choice if you prefer traveling light and want the latest performance hardware from Intel.

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  Dell Latitude 9430

  Dell’s Latitude 9430 is available in clamshell and convertible designs, with the latter supporting inking. Its performance hardware isn’t as new as in the Dragonfly G4, but it’s available now and should be a great laptop for any professionals who need long battery life and a durable build.

Price, availability, and specs

The HP Dragonfly G4 is expected to launch Spring 2023. We don’t yet have a firm starting price, but we can look at the predecessor Elite Dragonfly G3 and see that laptops from this family don’t come cheap. Prices for the Dragonfly G3 currently start at about $1,839 before any sales or discounts, and that’s expected to be about the same for the Dragonfly G4 when it launches. To start, HP’s official website will be the best place to shop.

Dell’s Latitude 9430 is available in clamshell and convertible form factors, and the design will change depending on which display you choose. The non-convertible option with an FHD+ non-touch display starts at about $1,939 at Dell’s official website. If you switch over to the QHD+ touch display and 2-in-1 design, the starting price bumps up to about $2,139. You can also find this laptop at some third-party retailers like Amazon, though the configuration options aren’t nearly as broad as if you shop at Dell.

Here’s a look at the specifications available in each laptop.

Design and features

Dell’s Latitude 9430 comes in a clamshell or 2-in-1 design depending on the display you choose. The latter design offers extra versatility — the 360-degree hinges allow you to rotate the screen around for tent, stand, and tablet modes — and it’s capable of inking. If you’d rather stick with a clamshell design that can only be used as a notebook, you will save money. Both designs are made with a durable aluminum chassis that have undergone durability certification, and both come in a Gunmetal Gray color. The 2-in-1 version is relatively heavy at 3.17 pounds (1.44kg), though you can shave off some weight by sticking with the clamshell design.

HP’s Dragonfly G4 is strictly a clamshell laptop, and it weighs in at just 2.2 pounds (0.99kg). It also has a smaller overall footprint owing to its smaller 13.5-inch display. If you want to travel as light as possible, HP’s laptop is the way to go. It’s made of a blend of magnesium and aluminum and comes in Slate Blue or Natural Silver colors.

Ports are about the same across the two brands, though Dell’s laptop adds a microSD card reader. The HP and Dell laptops otherwise have two Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI 2.0, an optional SIM card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. You should be able to handle most work without the need for extra dongle or adapters, but you can always connect one of the best docking stations for a more permanent and convenient setup.

HP Dragonfly G4

These PCs all have a comfortable keyboard, but I’d give a slight edge to HP after using these keyboards to type thousands of words (albeit in slightly different laptops). I love the oversized keycaps on the Dragonfly, though some might prefer the chiclet-style keys on the Latitude. It will likely come down to personal preference, but at least you know you’re getting a quality keyboard no matter which laptop you choose. Similarly, both laptops have oversized touchpads for easy and accurate pointing.

Both laptops have four speakers, with two located on the keyboard surround and another two on the bottom panel. The Latitude 9430 splits the top-firing speakers to flank the keyboard, while the Dragonfly G4 keeps them together below a grille between the keyboard and display. Both laptops have amplifiers to boost sound, and you won’t likely be disappointed if audio is a priority. You’ll be able to hear colleagues clearly without a headset, and you’ll be able to comfortably listen to music while you work.

This plays into the focus on collaboration tools that is becoming ever more important as employees move to a remote lifestyle. The Latitude 9430 has a 1080p front-facing camera with privacy shutter, plus there’s an IR camera for Windows Hello. Dell’s ExpressSign-In allows you to log in and out of your laptop automatically when you approach or depart, and it can also dim your screen to save battery when you’re looking away. The Dragonfly G4 is equipped with a front-facing 5MP camera with 88-degree FOV, as well as a ton of collaboration tools working behind the scenes to fix lighting, skin tone, framing, background, and more. It’s shaping up to be one of the best laptops for collaboration.

The business world often demands your attention even when you’re outside of Wi-Fi range. Dell and HP have both included optional 4G LTE and 5G connectivity to solve this issue. You also get standard Wi-Fi 6E and modern Bluetooth, but the extra mobile connectivity should be a boon for those who often travel or work in the field.

Display

HP Dragonfly G4

When I compared the HP Dragonfly G4 with the Elite Dragonfly G3, I noted that the displays aren’t really changing between generations. The Dragonfly G4 has a 13.5-inch screen with a tall 3:2 aspect ratio, and you can choose between several different models. The most affordable has a 1920×1280 (FHD+) resolution, 400 nits brightness, optional touch functionality, and optional anti-glare finish. Next up are touch and non-touch versions of the FHD+ Sure View display with 1,000 nits brightness. If you’re often working in public, this screen can prevent others from seeing what’s on your screen when they look over your shoulder.

HP also offers a 3000×2000 (3K2K) OLED touch display with 400 nits brightness. This is the screen you want if the best color and contrast are required, but it will cost the most.

Dell offers two 14-inch displays across the 9430 lineup, but they’re tied to the laptop’s overall form factor. If you want a clamshell design, you’re stuck with a 1920×1200 resolution, anti-glare finish, and non-touch panel. If you go with the convertible design, the screen gets bumped up to a 2560×1600 resolution with touch, anti-reflective finish, and inking capabilities.

Both displays have Dell’s ComfortView+ for low blue light and easier viewing, 500 nits brightness, 100% sRGB color, and Dell Intelligent Privacy add-on. Much like HP’s Sure View feature, Intelligent Privacy can detect when someone is looking over your shoulder and make the necessary screen adjustments to block their view.

Performance and battery

HP Dragonfly G4

We haven’t yet had a chance to test the Dragonfly G4’s performance first-hand, but we do know that it’s getting Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake mobile processors with integrated graphics, up to 2TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage, and up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The newest 13th Gen hardware is expected to bump up the performance compared to 12th Gen chips, but it’s not as huge of a jump compared to 11th Gen and 12th Gen.

Dell’s Latitude 9430 is still using 12th Gen chips, but they can still handle a heavy workload. Core i5-1245U and Core i7-1265U chips are available, and you can combine them with up to a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD and 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Like the Dragonfly G4, there’s no dedicated graphics option; it’s integrated Intel Iris Xe handling the display.

We tested performance in our Dell Latitude 9430 review, noting that the Core i7 U-series CPU can keep up with some Core i7 P-series chips (like the one in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7). The laptop can crush productivity work and will even handle some photo editing and spreadsheets with ease. That’s helped by the minimum 16GB of RAM available in all models.

Battery life is also quite good. Real-world use still saw the Latitude 9430 run for about eight hours on a charge, which is especially important in the business world. We haven’t yet performed battery tests on the Dragonfly G4, but we do know that it’s getting HP’s new Smart Sense and Intelligent Hibernate power-saving features to help the laptop run as long as possible on a charge.

Which business laptop is right for you?

These two business laptops will handle many of the same tasks with ease, and they’re both designed to withstand a harder life of long days and frequent travel. Dell’s laptop offers the option for a convertible design, while the Dragonfly G4 is strictly a notebook. HP’s laptop is thinner, lighter, and overall more compact, making it a great option for travel. That extends to the optional 5G connectivity, though you can also get the mobile hookup with Dell’s laptop.

We haven’t been able to test the Dragonfly’s performance, but its newer 13th Gen Intel hardware is expected to offer a performance bump compared to the 12th Gen hardware in the Latitude. Dell does offer strong battery life and solid performance in its own right, but if you want the latest you’ll have to stick with HP. As for collaboration tools, HP’s Dragonfly G4 is at the forefront with its 5MP camera and supporting software.

HP’s laptop isn’t expected to launch until Spring 2023, and if you need a laptop right now the Dell Latitude 9430 is readily available. You can also check out the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 predecessor if you prefer HP. Our collections of the best Dell laptops and the best HP laptops also have a ton of other great hardware to check out.

Source: HP

HP Dragonfly G4

The HP Dragonfly G4 is a better choice for those who like to travel light. It also has newer performance hardware, a bunch of different display options, and high-end collaboration tools for those who work remotely. It’s expected to launch Spring 2023.

Dell Latitude 9430

Dell’s Latitude 9430 is available now in clamshell and convertible designs. It’s not as lightweight and portable as the Dragonfly G4, but it still brings strong performance and high-end features geared for professionals.