That's not the end to this machine's versatility, either. Numerous specifications are available, the internals can be accessed, and it's littered with ports and sockets.
Design
This is a pure business machine, so it won't win many style points. The lid is coated with dark, matte metal with a lighter hinge made of anodised aluminium, and the interior is finished with the same material around the screen and sunken keyboard. It doesn't turn heads, but build quality is beyond reproach – the wrist-rest doesn't flex, the screen barely moves, and the base is strong.
We have no major issues with this machine's ergonomics. The backlit, spill-proof keyboard is sunken to afford each button more travel, and they're all excellent – comfortable and consistent, with an action that settles at a nice point between soft and firm. The single-height Return key is a niggle, but that's our only qualm with this keyboard, which has more than enough quality for serious typing. The trackpad is just as good – wide, and with a pair of sensible, snappy discrete buttons.
That's not the end to the Dell's versatility. We've reviewed the cheapest Latitude 12 5000 specification, which can be had for £600 (around $930, or AU$1,165). Spend £662 (around $1,030, or AU$1,290) and you'll get a machine with a Core i5-5300U processor but the same components elsewhere, and fork out £895 (around $1,390, or AU$1,740) and you'll double the memory and replace the 500GB hard disk with a 256GB SSD. Larger batteries and touchscreens are available, too, but they also cost more.
On the inside
The Latitude's specification is sensible rather than barnstorming. The Core i3-5010U is a dual-core, low-power part from Intel's latest Broadwell range, which means it's designed to balance performance with efficiency. It's paired with 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard disk – standard for this kind of system.Connectivity is covered by dual-band 802.11ac wireless and a mobile broadband card, and there's Gigabit Ethernet. TPM 1.2 and NFC are both installed.
Little impresses about the screen – it's matte, so it won't be disturbed by bright office lights, but its 1,366 x 768 resolution puts paid to serious work, making it tricky to open large applications or have two windows open side-by-side.
Here is the Dell Latitude 12 5000 spec sheet as provided to TechRadar:
- CPU: 2.1GHz Intel Core i3-5010U (dual-core, 3MB cache)
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 (1,600MHz)
- Screen: 1,366 x 768 13.3-inch WLED display
- Storage: 500GB hard disk
- Ports: USB 3.0 x 3, mini DisplayPort, SDXC card reader, HDMI, audio jack, Smart Card slot
- Connectivity: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, mobile broadband
- Camera: Widescreen HD (720p)
- Weight: 3.4 pounds (1.56kg)
- Size: 12.2 (310mm) x 8.3 (213mm) x 0.9 (23mm) inches (W x D x H)
- PCMark 8 Home: 2613
- PCMark 8 Home battery life balanced 50% screen: 2 hours 6 minutes
- PCMark 8 Home battery life power saver 25% screen: 2 hours 14 minutes
- PCMark 8 Home battery life high performance 100% screen: 2 hours 4 minutes
- PCMark 8 Work battery life balanced 50% screen: 2 hours 23 minutes
- 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 3740; Sky Diver: 2382; Fire Strike: 528
- Cinebench R11.5: CPU: 2.41; Graphics: 16.18fps
- Cinebench R15: CPU: 210cb; Graphics: 20.47fps
The Latitude fell behind in gaming tests, despite all three machines mentioned having the same Intel Graphics HD 5500 core. The Dell could only manage a score of 528 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike test – but both rivals rose beyond 700 points in the same test.
The Core i3 chip doesn't match its rivals in most benchmarks, then, which makes those machines more suitable for tougher work tasks. However, if you need a laptop for general purpose work and web browsing, the Latitude has ample power.
Screen
The Dell's matte finish is good, but its resolution of 1,366 x 768 hampers serious work efforts – and falls behind its rivals, which have 1080p or 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreens. That's not the Dell's only problem.
Those dull colours aren't accurate, either. The measured colour temperature of 7,169K is on the cool side of the 6,500K ideal figure, and the screen's average Delta E of 9.84 is miles short of a good result.
The Dell's screen is low resolution and lacks quality, which means it's only suitable for low-end work tasks – anything that demands more screen space or colour accuracy will flounder.
Dell's latest laptop ticks the right boxes when it comes to business
features, but its rivals swap these hard-nosed additions for slimmer,
lighter designs, better components and slicker screens. Any buying
decision depends on your needs, and whether you'll benefit from office
features or consumer-driven advantages in other departments.
The Intel Core i3 processor is decent, too, thanks to the Broadwell architecture – it's got enough grunt to handle work tasks. The 500GB hard disk offers ample room for file storage, and all of this is wrapped in a package that's slimmer and lighter than many business portables.
The Latitude has poorer battery life than its competitors, too, and its screen suffers with a worse resolution and a lack of quality.
We liked
Dell's latest laptop is, quite literally, a solid business machine: its smart, understated frame exhibits great build quality, and the impressive keyboard and trackpad highlight sound ergonomics. Its edges are covered with ports, and it's got a sensible specification that includes TPM, a mobile broadband slot and dual-band wireless.The Intel Core i3 processor is decent, too, thanks to the Broadwell architecture – it's got enough grunt to handle work tasks. The 500GB hard disk offers ample room for file storage, and all of this is wrapped in a package that's slimmer and lighter than many business portables.
We disliked
The Dell might be slim, light, and offer reasonable power, but both of its main rivals are thinner, have more grunt and weigh less. Dell's XPS 13 looks slicker, and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 12 can be used as a tablet.The Latitude has poorer battery life than its competitors, too, and its screen suffers with a worse resolution and a lack of quality.
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