Black Friday laptop deals: What should small and medium-sized businesses be looking for?

Businesses continue to refresh laptops more frequently, with the average laptop refresh cycle falling to four years in 2025, according to Sage.

And while Black Friday is typically a shopping window associated with consumer tech, it’s also a great time for businesses to snap up a good deal to upgrade their business laptops.

TL;DR

• Black Friday deals promise big cost savings, but if you pick the wrong devices you may end up with a product ill-suited to your needs
• Knowing what you want and need from a laptop before buying is key to getting a good deal, even on Black Friday
• The Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 offer a strong mix of performance and connectivity, with excellent displays, long battery life, and strong security credentials
• With laptops catering to lightweight workloads and more demanding tasks, the Dell Pro lineup is well suited to a range of business needs and sizes

As tempting as the cheapest models are, they rarely offer the best long-term value for growing businesses. In fact, Microsoft research shows almost a quarter (24%) of IT decision-makers said choosing cheaper hardware ultimately led to higher long-term costs through breakdowns and inefficiencies.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) concerned about making the right laptop decision, there are several key considerations:

• Performance needs: Choose devices that can handle the unique workloads of you and your employees.
• Battery life: Choose laptops that provide employees with juice to last a full working day, whether traveling, in meetings, or off-site.
• Security features: SMBs are just as vulnerable as large enterprises. Protect company data and employee credentials with built-in security.
• Ports selection: Make it easy for employees to connect monitors, peripherals, or other everyday equipment.
• Display: Choose a display that suits your team’s unique needs, from everyday office tasks to creative work, and data analysis to customer presentations.
• Wireless and cellular connectivity: Give your people reliable ways to stay connected in the office, at home, or while traveling.

Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops bring together the performance, battery life, security, connectivity, and display options businesses need to support their teams.

What CPU and memory does your business need?

The CPU and memory are two of the most important components of any professional laptop, but the right ones for your business depend on the kind of work you're going to do with them. Both the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 are available with Series 3 Intel® Core™ Ultra and AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO 400 Series CPUs, making them excellent for multitasking, even on the more affordable Pro 3.

For everyday tasks like email, web browsing, and office apps, a Dell Pro 3 configured with standard DDR5 memory is plenty. But for more demanding video editing, 3D design work, or heavy multitasking, the Dell Pro 5's optional expandable LPCAMM2 memory, with configurations up to 64GB, can give you a real boost.

How do you choose the right display?

For standard office work, the default non-touch, WUXGA LCD panels on Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops are ideal. They offer a bright and responsive display, along with smart technologies that help preserve battery life. Optional built-in privacy panels on select Dell Pro 5 configurations help maintain organizational security and personal privacy too, enabling secure, flexible working conditions without the need for additional accessories.

If you're planning some color-intensive or creative work, the Dell Pro 5 also comes with high-definition display options, including WUXGA OLED panels that can help reduce eye strain and offer an accurate image of whatever photos or video you're working with, ideal for creatives.

Dell Pro 3 vs Dell Pro 5 at a glance

What laptop requirements do SMBs need for working on the go?

The two key features you need to consider when you're away from the office are battery life and portability. Both the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 range feature some of Dell’s longest-lasting batteries yet, with the Dell Pro 5, specifically, able to last well over 22 hours on a single charge for mixed-use workloads.*

The Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 are built with mobility in mind, offering a lightweight design that's easy to carry between meetings, client sites, or home working setups.

When comparing configurations, consider:

• Battery life that can cover a full working day
• Weight and portability for commuting, meetings and client visits
• Fast charging for quick top-ups when necessary
• Cellular connectivity for working away from reliable Wi-Fi
• A durable design that can cope with long-term use

How secure are the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops?

Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops feature a range of security features to keep company data safe, and the devices themselves secure from tampering. Quantum-resistant BIOS and TPM 2.0 support keep your workers protected against contemporary malware and theoretical future attack vectors, while the Dell Pro 5 additionally offers Dell SafeID with ControlVault3+ for added protection of passwords, biometric login data, and security codes.

What ports and connectors are the most important?

USB-A and USB-C ports are the most useful, everyday ports you’ll need providing support for legacy peripherals, high-speed data transfers, and device charging. Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops come with a range of USB ports of both types, ensuring you have plenty of I/O for various accessories and adapters.

For external displays, HDMI 2.1 ports offer support for up to 4K resolution at 60Hz, while RJ45 Ethernet at Gigabit speeds delivers easy connectivity options for business networks.

What about webcams?

Both the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 feature high-definition webcams, with the Dell Pro 3 offering up to an FHD (1080p) HDR camera and the Dell Pro 5 providing an upgraded option up to an 8MP (1440p) RGB HDR camera. High-quality video paired with optimized audio can help deliver a professional presence in virtual meetings, ensuring crisp, clear sound for all participants—even when sharing a single laptop.

Do the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 keyboards have backlighting?

Yes, both the Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 laptops feature a backlit keyboard, which makes it much easier to work late into the evening or in dimmer environments.

Can you connect without Wi-Fi?

When you're away from a secure Wi-Fi network, select Dell Pro 3 and Dell Pro 5 configurations can keep employees connected with optional WWAN capability, including 5G, for high-speed internet access wherever they go. Availability varies by configuration and region.

If you think Dell laptops are the right call for your business, find out more on the Dell website: US readers click here.

* Based on testing using the Mobile Mark 30 battery life benchmark comparing Dell Pro 5 14 and Dell Pro 14 Plus, April 2026. Dell Pro 5 14 was tested with Intel® 336H vPro® CPU, UMA graphics, 32GB LPCAMM2 memory, WUXGA Non-Touch OLED display (dark mode) and 70 Whr battery. Dell Pro 14 Plus was tested with Intel® U5 236V vPro® CPU, UMA graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x memory, WUXGA Non-touch Super Low Power display, and 55Whr battery. For more information about this benchmark test, visit www.bapco.com. Actual battery life may be significantly less than the test results and varies depending on product configuration and use, software, usage, operating conditions, power management settings and other factors. Maximum battery life will decrease with time. The stated Watt-hour (Whr) is not an indication of battery life.