ZDNET Key Takeaways
- Dell’s 2024 Inspiron 14 2-in-1 It’s the perfect convertible laptop for busy professionals on the go.
- This model offers solid performance thanks to its AMD hardware and decent battery life.
- Some users will be disappointed by the lackluster display.
Dell is known for making solid work laptops, like the Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 that I reviewed earlier this year, which offers solid performance and great quality-of-life features, but the company has now upped the ante with yet another solid work device: a convertible 2-in-1. Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7445.
The new convertible Inspiron 14 allows you to fold the screen completely back to turn the device into a tablet, giving you flexibility not available in previous models. As a result, the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is a great fit for users who need a computer that can do multiple tasks. The touchscreen alone adds a lot of functionality to the toolkit, allowing creative professionals to draw on the spot or sketch diagrams for their work.
Inside, the Inspiron has a different hardware configuration than the older model. Instead of an Intel chipset, this convertible comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, an AMD Radeon 780M graphics card, and 16GB of memory. This configuration is designed to easily handle office-related tasks like multitasking through documents and hosting video calls.
And one of the best business laptops I’ve tested isn’t a Lenovo ThinkPad or a MacBook.
I wanted to know if it performed better than the Inspiron 14 Plus with its Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, so I ran some benchmark tests. The results showed that the two models performed similarly. However, I noticed that the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 was the better performing model with faster image rendering speeds than its competitors.
Unfortunately, the Inspiron 2-in-1’s Full HD Plus (1,920-by-1,200-pixel) touchscreen is a bit of a disappointment. Whereas we’ve seen lower-resolution laptops make up for poor visual fidelity with software enhancers (such as HDR 10), Intel’s machine has no such features, resulting in dull colors.
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That’s the main difference between the two. There are a few other little things to mention. For example, the rounded wrist rest is back and provides a comfortable feel. As for the keyboard, it doesn’t feel bad in your hand. Each key has a soft feel, but the key travel is good enough to make up for that. However, the trackpad is smaller this time around, which I didn’t like as much.
If you travel or commute with your laptop for work, this machine weighs just 3.77 pounds so it won’t get in the way, and it’s made of aluminum, so it’s sturdy enough to withstand frequent travel.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 also has downward vents to expel heat, something I’m usually not a huge fan of. But interestingly, the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 doesn’t generate much heat in the first place. The laptop stayed cool even over long periods of use and was very comfortable to work with. I’m not sure what steps Dell took to improve the cooling system, but I’m glad they did.
Of course, we can’t forget the speaker system. Dell’s Inspiron 14 2-in-1 comes equipped with a great set of speakers. Music and movies sound great coming out of the computer’s drivers. Part of the sound quality comes from the built-in woofer, which adds some powerful bass to the output. The drivers also support Dolby Atmos, which can envelop you in a bubble of sound.
Also, the work laptop with the best display I’ve tested isn’t a MacBook or a ThinkPad.
As for the battery, we followed ZDNET’s usual testing and put the laptop under moderate stress, which involves playing a YouTube live stream nonstop at 720p with 50% brightness. The Inspiron 2-in-1 managed to last up to about 8 hours in the best power efficiency mode. Not bad, and enough to last a full day, but we’d have liked it to last 10 or 12 hours.
ZDNET BUYING ADVICE
The price is Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Prices start at $729, which is a great price for this laptop. For under $1,000, you’ll have a solid work machine that’s ready for any task. If you upgrade to a Ryzen 7 8840HS processor (which is what we tested in this review), the price rises to $949.
We also recommend choosing the Midnight Blue color for your laptop, as the Ice Blue option comes with Windows 11 Pro, which makes it $100 more expensive, so if you’re not interested in a pro-level OS, go for the darker shade.
