The appeal of convertible laptops with hybrid design is simple: Let me instantly turn my laptop into a makeshift tablet to sketch out a design we want to share, then put it on a tray table to watch a video. As with all hybrids, the trick is to compromise as little as possible in each category. The latest revision of the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 manages a respectable balance.
With a 14-inch display and a modest 3.5 pounds, the device handles easily as a sometimes tablet. And with a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1255U CPU and Intel Iris Xe graphics, it delivers snappy performance for a slim machine. The downside is a somewhat weak screen with limited color coverage, which doesn’t quite put it at the top of the line for that money.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Specifications
- Laptop Class Convertible 2-in-1
- Processor Intel Core i7-1255U
- RAM (as Tested) 16 GB
- Boot Drive Type SSD
- Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 512 GB
- Screen Size 14 inches
- Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1200
Where to get Dell Inspiron 14?
The alternatives are, ironically, the Inspiron 14’s close cousin, the 16-inch Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (which we are testing together), but with a brighter screen and a more powerful Intel Core i7-1260P CPU. But, if 16 inches is too big for your needs, consider the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 Gen 7, a similarly priced model that we just awarded an Editors’ Choice award for mainstream convertibles.
The brightness (278.7 cd/m²) and contrast (859:1) of the matte 14-inch display (1,920×1,200 pixels) in the 16:10 format miss their respective targets – more is expected here from an 800-euro (~$811) mobile laptop. We consider values above 300 cd/m² or 1,000:1 to be good.
At least: PWM flicker was not detected. Connectivity is a mixed bag. You get two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, but no Thunderbolt 4 support – which is disappointing – along with a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a full-size HDMI 1.4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack and a full-size SD card reader. The SD card reader is an excellent addition to what is otherwise a standard offering.
The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7420 is the first laptop we reviewed with the Intel 12th-gen Core i7-1255U. It is a 15-watt, 10-core (two Performance and eight Efficient), 12-thread CPU that is a midrange lower-power option for thin and light laptops. We tested several machines with the 28-watt, 12-core (four Performance and eight Efficient), 16-thread Core i7-1260P, and then Intel also has the even less powerful Core i7-1250U, with the same core and thread count as the Core i7-1255U, but running at 9 watts.