However, there is little to love about this keyboard, which does not even have a simple white backlight to facilitate night-time typing. The keys are glossy, making them difficult to see when placed under indirect lighting. The up and down arrow keys are also densely packed together, making it difficult to operate with precision – the 15-inch Surface Laptop 5 leaves space on either side of the keyboard, but this model has a full numeric keypad, which some users may appreciate.
All configurations of the Inspiron 15 (3525) come in carbon black and feature the same display – a simple 15.6-inch 1080p display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This display has an anti-glare treatment for better visibility in different conditions, but otherwise does not look great, especially due to the generally tasteless plastic bezel. The display features a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which makes scrolling and mouse movements feel very smooth.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]For basic use, this display performs well. The anti-glare finish plays a big part in making the display easy to read, and the 120 Hz refresh rate helps a lot to make everything on the display a little more responsive, especially scrolling and mouse movements. However, the visuals lack colour, contrast and impact. The panel sucks the life out of TV and movies, cementing this laptop’s role as a productivity machine.
The port configuration gives the impression of complexity: on the one hand, the Inspiron 15 Plus offers the latest Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C, DisplayPort support and Power Delivery), but on the other hand, the 15-inch has an RJ45 port and a Kensington lock There are none; a total of three USB ports (two Type-A 3.2 Gen 1) and one audio jack is also a bit underwhelming. At least the Dell device is equipped with a full-fledged SD card reader, albeit a very slow one.
Interface placement is less than optimal. The back has no ports due to the design and hinge, and the rear of the sides is occupied by vents, so the ports are quite far forward, which can limit operation when an external mouse is used on either side.
Dell has combined aluminium alloy and plastic to create the chassis of the Dell Inspiron 15 laptop. Given the price range of the laptop, an all-metal enclosure is not available, but the brushed metallic finish of the laptop gives it a premium look.
Dell has designed a lid with a silver metallic finish, which makes the laptop look more expensive than it actually is. In the centre of the lid is the silver-coloured Dell logo, which is in perfect harmony with the rest of the lid. Opening the laptop lid requires the use of two hands due to the stiff hinge. However, when you open it, you see a screen surrounded by a narrow bezel.