Working from home is becoming the norm for many companies and Dell has released the Dell Speakerphone with Multiport Adapter to cater to the demand of portable professional conferencing solutions for home offices.
Priced at RM920.00, the Dell Speakerphone with Multiport Adapter combines the features of a USB-C hub, microphone, speaker and more into a compact and portable design. So how does it feel to use in a home office, or even when I am out and about? Let’s find out.
Dell Speakerphone MH3021P Specifications
| Ports & Connectors | 1 x USB-C (Data, Power up to 90W, Video) 1 x HDMI 2.0 2 x USB-A |
| Video Connections | HDMI 2.0 : 4K (3840 x 2160) @ 60Hz USB-C : 4K (3840 x 2160) @ 60Hz |
| Microphone Frequency | 100Hz – 10kHz |
| Microphone Coverage | 360 degrees, omni-directional |
| Speaker Frequency | 200Hz – 20kHz |
| Digital Signal Processing | In-built echo cancelation and noise reduction |
What’s In The Box?
The Dell Speakerphone MH3021P includes the following out of the box:
- Dell Speakerphone MH3021P
- Carrying Pouch
- User Manual
Design
The Dell Speakerphone is shaped like a disc in the size of my palm, making it extremely portable to carry. Underneath it is a USB-C cable that can be wrapped around for cable management or storage.
On top is a mesh grille housing the omni-directional microphone and speaker, surrounded by button controls for video conferencing apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. LED indicators flank each button and lights up when the Speakerphone is on mute. The dedicated buttons can control volume, answer / end calls, and muting the microphone.
In terms of connectivity, there is an extra USB-C port that can be connected to a power brick to provide 90W USB-C charging via the wrap-around cable. The USB-C and USB-A ports also support data transfers of up to 10Gbps. For video output, the USB-C port does triple duty and outputs up to 4K 60Hz. Alternatively, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port that is also capable of the same output.
All in all, despite being compact, the Dell Speakerphone could connect to a multitude of devices, perfect for busy video conferences in the home office.
Setting Up
Hooking up the Dell Speakerphone to the laptop is easy as it is plug and play, no drivers required. All I had to do was to plug in the USB-C cable underneath the Speakerphone to my laptop or PC and it will work flawlessly.
User Experience
The Dell Speakerphone eliminated the need for a separate desktop hub as it can connect to a myriad of devices at the same time. For example, the Speakerphone can connect to an external monitor using HDMI or USB-C at 4K resolution, 2 USB 3.1-A devices such as a webcam and a portable HDD to the laptop with just a single cable, on top of charging my laptop using PD port. Plus I could attend conference calls through better audio quality speakerphone.
It does lack an ethernet port, SD card slots and is designed for mobile use. It greatly reduces echo cancellation and background noise so that the other person on the online meeting is not distracted with background noise when working from home where kids tend to disturb sometimes.
The Speakerphone is Zoom certified and works well with other conferencing apps. Everyone on the call mentioned they are hearing it loud and clear. This is due to its 360 degrees omni directional microphone that picks up voices nicely. Paired with the aforementioned background noise cancellation, the Dell Speakerphone delivered good quality audio for both sides of the conversation.
Conclusion
Ever since I started working from home since the pandemic, I was always on the lookout for a device that can connect to all my devices when I am on a meeting with a client. It took up minimal desk space and quickly connects to other devices to mimic an office setup for meetings.
Sure the price tag is a bit steep, but it saves so much room that I could not recommend it any less.
For more information, please head over to Dell’s official website to learn more.
