Dell is The middle of the transition. It has a new logo, as well as a new way to simplify the brand. The Dell 14 Plus is one of the first laptops to launch waters in this new era, the end of sub-brands such as XPS and Inspiron. While the more exciting XPS replacement is still coming, the Dell 14 Plus has arrived on the shoes of the old Inspiron Plus laptop.
While it’s far from the most exciting laptop in the world, it offers a solid balance of quality and value, which can be correctly classified as a cheap laptop if it has more configuration options.
Dell on the case
Photo: Luke Larsen
The Dell 14 Plus isn’t what I call a pretty laptop. But I don’t think it’s about being. Instead, it tries to become rude. In the past, this could have meant a plastic black shell. Today, this means a silver chassis with as few distractions or ornaments as possible. The Dell 14 Plus did it successfully.
More importantly, the laptop feels very solid. The lid is absolutely zero, probably because of the tight damage to the hinge. You can’t open it with one finger, though – actually, the lid of the finger doesn’t even have a lip. Although the device is only 0.67 inches thick, the cover is also thicker than usual. This isn’t thin compared to the MacBook Air, no, but it’s thin enough to make you feel modern to provide modernity for laptops at that price. It also allows enough space to squeeze some traditional ports, including USB-A and HDMI. This is a complement to the two USB-C ports and the headphone jack. My only complaint is that both USB-C ports are on the left, which means the only side you can collect from it.
The screen is one thing that prevents the Dell 14 Plus from feeling a more advanced laptop. It has some thick plastic borders and uses a heavy matte finish. While this helps deflect the glare, it cheapens the display’s appearance, making it look dimmed and more saturated. This is awful because the screen itself is a solid one. This is an amazingly well-calibrated IPS panel with decent color coverage. According to my tests, it tops with a brightness of 332 nits, which won’t blow your socks, but won’t have much impact on the experience.
I should mention that Dell offers better display options on its 2-in-1 model. This is a sleek mini protagonist, although it is not currently possible from what I see.
The Dell 14 Plus has a serviceable keyboard and touchpad. After receiving the device, I was worried about the quality of the touchpad, as one aspect of its mid-sized laptop tends to be compromised. The touchpad is not perfect – the surface is not as smooth as I want it to be. But I’m happy to report that this kind of touchpad will feel sensitive and the click mechanism won’t be too big.
Limited options
Photo: Luke Larsen
The Dell 14 Plus has only a single processor option, namely the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V. This is Intel’s modern, efficient CPU, a steady growth in battery life over the past generation. I’ve tested the chip multiple times and the Dell 14 Plus can handle it. The Dell 14 Plus is even made relatively cool and quiet. This is not a laptop you buy to run heavy applications or games, but a laptop created for a school, office work, or briefing, the Dell 14 Plus has a lot of muscle.
