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Despite the fact that Dell’s Latitude line has historically been associated with business laptops, the Latitude 9440 2-in-1 has some DNA from the company’s consumer flagship. The new convertible has a design that is more influenced by the cutting-edge appearance of the Dell XPS 13 Plus than the conventional appearance of its corporate ancestor. It is an improvement as well as an upgrade, as it comes with more features, additional controls, and a robust build for a laptop. The device goes from being exquisite to ungainly the moment you fold back the screen to use it as a tablet, so we do wish that the 2-in-1 functionality had received a little more attention.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 Specifications
In this regard, the Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 is not unique. It’s easy to see that this laptop is at the top in its class because it features excellent performance, an attractive display.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7 11th Gen |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe |
| Display | 14-inch FHD Touchscreen |
| RAM | Up to 16GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C, 2 x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, microSD card |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 hours |
| Link | Check Price |
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1: Design and Build
The thin Latitude 9440 was a pleasant surprise when I took it out of the package, revealing a dark gray finish on the top of an aluminum lid with a silver reflective Dell logo in the center. Although the trend toward more subdued tones in professional computers can become old, I appreciate the convenience and portability of this 2-in-1.
When I opened the case, I saw a small deck with keys that were practically borderless. The keyboard occupies most of the middle, with a thin border separating it from the thin speakers that flank the edges. Similar to the keyboard, the trackpad has no borders, which is visually appealing but impractical in practice (more on that later). The top and deck, at least, have a solid, substantial feel about them.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1: Display
The Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 has a display that is made with a 14-inch matte IPS panel that has a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels. Considering that this is a business laptop, I expected something a little underpowered; instead, I was blown away by the color richness and brightness of this display.
The color depth of the trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse took me by surprise when I saw it. Even the darkest blacks of Spider-Man’s costume appeared to have a hypnotic inkiness to them.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1: Ports
Dell appears to have taken a “do it yourself” approach to the Latitude’s port selection, with only two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the left and one on the right), plus a headphone jack and a wedge-lock slot (on the right).
Having three full Thunderbolt 4 ports is great, but the lack of an HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a Type-A port, or even a microSD slot makes it seem like the manufacturer only included so many USB Type-C ports because of the proliferation of docking stations and USB Type-C hubs needed to meet the needs of the average business user.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 has a good keyboard that makes typing easy. The lighted keyboard makes it easy to see and find the keys even when there isn’t much light around. The keys are responsive and easy to type on because they have a good amount of movement and good tactile feedback.
The layout of the keyboard is open and has plenty of room between the keys. This makes it less likely that you’ll accidentally hit the wrong key and lets you type more accurately. Also, the keys aren’t too loud, so they won’t bother you too much in quiet places. The Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1’s keyboard is easy to use and comfortable, whether you’re typing up a document or having a long email chat.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1: Performance
The Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 is a compact and versatile laptop with great performance. It has a powerful Intel Core i7 processor, allowing for effortless multitasking and the use of resource-intensive programs. Visuals are improved even further with the built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, and graphics rendering is always smooth. The laptop’s fast NVMe SSD and up to 16GB of RAM provide lightning-fast data access and response. The 14-inch Full High Definition (FHD) touchscreen display offers crisp images and allows for both finger and stylus interaction.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1: Battery Life and Heat
Although the battery life of the Latitude 9440 is above average, it was not nearly enough to compete with other goods in its class. The Latitude 9440 2-in-1 lasted an average of 10 hours and 55 minutes over three consecutive tests of Laptop Mag’s battery life, which consisted of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The test was conducted by Laptop Mag.
Price and Configuration
Our Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 comes equipped with a 13-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, an Intel Core i7-1365U-vPRO CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics. The price for this configuration on Dell’s website is $3,126. The base $2,367 configuration shares the same display and processor with a slightly different CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. For commercial users, the fact that vPro Advanced Management is disabled may be a deal breaker.
Final Words
When it comes to the Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1’s performance as a laptop, we have a lot of positive things to say. The display is first-rate, giving superb color and brightness, and the keyboard is a huge win as well, with a frameless design and a wide touchpad that comes with one-touch Zoom controls. In addition, the touchpad has a frameless design.
The length of time that its battery can hold a charge is also near the top of our charts. However, while in tablet mode, the 9440 reveals its flaws, namely a palm rest that has sharp edges and a little bit of excess weight. The streamlined port choices that Dell offers is convenient if you already own a docking station or a variety of adapters, but it may be extremely frustrating if all you want to do is connect an HDMI monitor.
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 review: The good and The bad
Dell’s Latitude 9440 2-in-1 blends premium build quality with practical new features to create a stylish convertible ideal for professional use.
The Good
- Great performance
- Decent speakers
The Bad
- Only one screen choice
Questions and Answers
The Dell Latitude E6420 and E5420, which we stated above, had the longest battery life of the systems we evaluated, clocking in at 7 hours 34 minutes and 7 hours 32 minutes, respectively.
As a system within a system, Latitude ON serves a unique purpose. An external module equipped with its own CPU and operating system is necessary. Because of this, the laptop may perform as efficiently as a Netbook.