The Editors’ Choice award-winning Dell Latitude 7420 series is one price rung down from the competition. This laptop is loaded with security measures and features, making it a great choice for businesses.
The Dell Optimizer application adjusts everything from audio quality to charging speed based on what it learns about your behaviour over time (in theory). The Latitude line’s compatibility for Intel’s vPro, a hardware and firmware platform with a variety of security measures that makes it simpler for IT departments to manage devices remotely, is perhaps its most significant feature.
Design
The Latitude 9420 is a sleek and stylish laptop that is heightened by opulent diamond-cut edges and chrome accents. These features provide this laptop the sophistication required for business level executives. Unfortunately, they can’t produce the “Wow factor” that Dell assigns to its XPS range. The Latitude 9420 2-in-1 is identical to its unnamed forebears when closed. The lid features a gunmetal grey finish with subtle horizontal striations that says, “Been there, done that.” A chrome Dell logo is located in the middle of the ridges. ..
The laptop is a great value for the price. It has a lot of features, including a fingerprint sensor and dual chrome hinges. The screen is also very clear and the keyboard is comfortable to use.
The Dell Latitude 14-inch is a high-end laptop that uses a chisel to remove material from all four corners, creating a real edge-to-edge viewing experience. The front edge’s notch, which makes it simple to open the lid with one finger, is another wonderful addition. On the front edge of this Latitude, there is a little battery indication LED that is concealed. The Latitude is still characterless. It looks and feels just as high-end as the pricing would imply, but when compared to devices like the HP Elite Dragonfly or ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, it will (for better or worse) blend into the background due to the predictable colors and materials.
Keyboard and touchpad
The illuminated keyboard on the 2-in-1 computer has undergone a significant improvement. The fingerprint-enabled Power button has been moved to the keyboard’s corner, and the key caps themselves are now somewhat larger than those of the 9410. However, the specific PgUp and PgDn keys have been eliminated, which may annoy some users.
The key feedback on the Dell Latitude 9420 is solid and consistent, but a deeper journey would have provided a more enjoyable typing experience.
The new clickpad is larger and more comfortable than the previous model. It has a 14-inch form factor, but it doesn’t feel crowded. The feedback is smooth and the clatter is mild. We would have liked a firmer response for a more satisfying click.
Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 review: Display
The laptop’s screen is both its strongest point and the first thing you notice about it. The resolution is great, the graphics are sharp, and the language is easy to read. It’s a pleasure to work with, and instead of the current 4:10pm ratio, a ratio of 4:3 would have been much more productive.
The convertibility of the laptop is another key feature that makes it perfect for using with a touch screen and pen. This way, you can read books and articles while still having the ability to rotate the screen.
The Windows Hello facial recognition sensors and the webcam are both included, but a fingerprint sensor is also available. The fingerprint sensor is incredibly quick and reliable.
Audio
The Quad speakers with two top and two down-firing speakers produce high-quality sound that can fill a home office. The intricate electronic tones and hushed vocals of slenderbodies’ “Focus” were clear to hear. Unfortunately, some piercing hi-hats made the treble sound tinny in comparison to the nicely dense midrange and bass. In José González’s stunning acoustic rendition of “Heartbeats,” the guitar strumming was expertly harmonised with the melancholy vocals. And the electric bass tones were thumping when we listened to the original song by The Knife.
Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 review: Graphics
The Iris Xe 96 EUs laptop’s graphics performance is among the fastest we’ve seen so far. If these synthetic results are any indication, Intel’s edge over the rival Radeon RX Vega series is growing. However, outcomes in real-world games can be substantially different.
According to the graph below, Witcher 3’s idle mode exhibits variable frame rates between 80 and 105 FPS as a result of the CPU and GPU clock rates that are constantly changing. Therefore, while performance on average may be great, performance from moment to moment may be unstable. Final Fantasy XV is a striking exception, with average frame rates in the majority of games significantly closer to those of the Radeon RX Vega 8.
Performance
We encountered numerous performance issues with the Dell UltraSharp 4K camera, a 4K monitor, an FHD monitor, and a Thunderbolt dock.
The top webcam on the market is the Dell Inspirion 7200. It’s perfect for a work-from-home setup, and the manufacturer shipped it along with the Latitude. And yes, despite the 720p webcam, this is a business that genuinely values the ability to work from home—likely more than any other.
Dell ignored the 10th generation Ice Lake series last year on its Latitude 9410 2-in-1, so we believe this may have been for the best. The latest 11th generation Tiger Lake vPro alternatives are noticeably faster than anything from the Ice Lake series, especially in terms of graphics performance, so even if that meant going with the older and slower Comet Lake-U series, we believe this may have been for the best.
The Core i5-1145G7 and i7-1185G7 configurations do not support vPro.
Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 review: Battery life
Our lab testers, who are experts in battery life, said that the Latitude 9420 2-in-1 with a QHD+ display lasted for 15 hours and 2 minutes on our Laptop Mag Battery Test. This is an incredible runtime considering the high-res panel, which is frequently a battery-draining “improvement.”
This category is competitive when it comes to battery life; business laptops typically do better than consumer models on our runtime test. While outlasting the ThinkPad X1 Yoga (14:45) and the premium average (10:56), the Latitude 9420 2-in-1 lagged behind the EliteBook x360 1040 (15:45) and Latitude 9410 2-in-1 (16:54). We can vouch for our runtimes because the Latitude 9420 2-in-1 let me to binge-watch Cobra Kai while on vacation without having to recharge it.
Heat
The Latitude 9420 2-in-1 is a laptop that stays cool under a hard workload thanks to graphene paint, two heat pipes, and a dual vent system for optimal ventilation. After playing a 15-minute YouTube movie, the touchpad warmed to only 83 degrees Fahrenheit while the keyboard reached 89 degrees.
Both temperatures are significantly below our comfort threshold of 95 degrees. The only place that went over that threshold was the underside, albeit the 98 degrees it reached isn’t cause for alarm. Additionally, you will learn our article on Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 review.
Configuration options
The Latitude 9420 2-in-1 is a high-end business laptop for companies with considerable budgets. It has a price starting at $2,039 and comes equipped with an FHD+ (1920×1200 pixel) display, a Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD for that price. You can get a Core i5-1145G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD by spending an additional $100.
For a little more than $2,739, you can buy a model with a QHD+ (2560 x 1600) screen and a more powerful Core i7-1185G7 CPU. This model also includes a fingerprint sensor in addition to 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a few other niceties.
Conclusion
The Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is a business-oriented laptop that is similar to other Latitude models in terms of design. You receive a sleek, shiny silver lid with the Dell logo prominently displayed. It attracts fingerprints a little bit, but not too much.
The Latitude 9420 is a great choice for mobile professionals who need a 2-in-1 form factor and excellent battery life. It has a great display and speakers, making it perfect for working on the go.
