Logitech’s new docking station has a screen on it.
Logitech has announced the Logi Dock Flex, its latest all-in-one USB-C docking station designed to alleviate some of the frustrations of hot desking and hybrid working. The Logi Dock Flex kinda resembles an Amazon Echo Show smart display, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen that allows users to reserve rooms and monitor desk availability via Zoom Workspace, Microsoft Teams, or Logitech’s new desk booking software.
A built-in display is a strange addition to a docking station, but Logitech has still managed to cram the Logi Dock Flex with plenty of ports to support a standard office setup. There are two USB-C ports and a single USB-A port located below the screen on the front of the Logi Dock Flex. On the rear, you’ll find two additional USB-A ports, a USB-C port, a gigabit ethernet port, and a Kensington lock slot.
It can support two 4K monitors via one HDMI and one DisplayPort connection and supplies any laptop it’s hooked up to with 100W of charge via its dedicated USB-C connection. Employees can also use the Logi Dock Flex screen to join meetings and display their calendars, photographs, and away messages.
The Logi Dock Flex is the successor to the original Logi Dock, which is an adorable cube-shaped docking station with a built-in speakerphone. “We took a multidimensional approach to building Logi Dock Flex that not only solves desk booking and management issues but promotes social collaboration and gives IT and workplace managers data on how the tech and space are being used,” said Scott Wharton, general manager of Logitech B2B.
At $699, the Logi Dock Flex isn’t exactly cheap. If you don’t need the built-in display, then there are plenty of more affordable docking stations, and many — like CalDigit’s TS4 — also provide Thunderbolt support, which the Logi Dock Flex appears to lack entirely. It does include a free version of Logitech’s desk booking software, but that can be run independently via the Logi Tune mobile and desktop apps. A paid version of the desk booking software is also available for an annual subscription of $49 per desk, which provides additional features like analytics, advanced user management, and office maps.
The Logi Dock Flex will be available on an undisclosed date in “fall 2023.” The Logitech desk booking software is available now, and premium features included within the priced offering will run as a free beta until July 1st, 2024.
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