These are the identical chips that each one the opposite laptop computer makers have entry to, so the problem Dell has is to make the 7490 stand out in different methods.

Dell makes use of the Latitude model for a variety of computing merchandise, together with laptops, tablets and Ultrabooks. They’re primarily geared toward enterprise customers, although probably a few of the cheaper gadgets could be of curiosity to college students too.

Of those, the 7000 Sequence is an Ultrabook vary and accommodates machines which have 12, 13 or 14-inch shows, and both Seventh-gen Intel , or, as with the brand new Latitude 7490 mannequin reviewed right here, Eighth-gen processors and chipsets.

Worth, availability and worth

If you’re prepared to simply accept earlier era Intel know-how and comparatively little cupboard space, a Dell Latitude 7490 will be purchased for as little £1,119 ($1,049).

Nonetheless, when you’d like one thing with extra present silicon inside and SSD storage, then the fee is £1,219 ($1,209). A flagship mannequin, with a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is £1,529 ($2,039). In contrast with what Lenovo, HP and Toshiba ask for equally specified , that worth appears, like the entire 7490 collection, very aggressive.

Lenovo has the ThinkPad T480, though it doesn’t supply the identical processor on that mannequin (but). It isn’t on the Lenovo X1 Carbon both, and that prices extra for a decrease spec.

On worth, the HP EliteBook 1040 G4 is an effective match, even whether it is nonetheless utilizing Intel Seventh-gen silicon on that mannequin.

Asus has the wonderful ZenBook three Deluxe UX490UA that may be discovered for just a little extra, however comes with a Core i7 class CPU, 16GB of RAM and double the storage of this overview mannequin.

As with many of the Dell vary, customization choices can be found on the level of buy, however with this collection, the quantity of RAM and storage is mounted for every mannequin.

When you don’t just like the mixtures on supply, some reminiscence and storage enhancements are doable by the top consumer.

Design 

For good or dangerous, the Latitude 7490 is made largely of plastic.

The place others obfuscate the precise nature of their gadgets with paint and skinny steel facings, Dell embraces plastic as its materials of alternative, and the floor end achieved with it’s admirable.

Poorly designed plastic machines flex and buckle, however the Latitude 7490 feels ridged and sturdy in all of the essential areas, just like the hinge, and the place you place your palms to sort.

The display hinge is robust and permits the show to lie totally flat. What worth this might need on a machine that doesn’t have a contact show we’re uncertain, however there could be some benefit we’ve ignored. Some 7490 fashions do have contact shows, we’re advised, though on the time of writing we couldn’t discover any on the UK or US Dell websites.

Due to the 180-degree hinge journey, Dell saved the rear of the 7490 totally clear, with no ports or vents by any means on the again. All of the ports are on the edges, and the vents are beneath. Due to this fact, it’s price taking into consideration that it is best to by no means place the machine on a gentle floor the place the vents may change into blocked, as it will undoubtedly overheat.

The ports haven’t modified in any respect from the 7480 collection, with triple USB three.1 (Gen 1) Sort-A ports and a single Thunderbolt three USB Sort-C. There’s additionally an RJ-45 Ethernet port, Sensible Card slot, microSD card and SIM card receptacles.

The overview machine didn’t have the LTE module to utilize the SIM slot, and as the usual for these isn’t a worldwide one, the choices for the LTE might be completely different world wide.

Not offering a full-size SD card slot is mildly annoying, however adapters for Sort-A USB ports don’t value a lot.

The keyboard and trackpad are each higher than we’d anticipated and exude the standard we’d anticipate from a costlier model. We particularly appreciated the trackpad, which has keys at each high and backside as a substitute of utilizing a versatile decrease edge.

Given the quantity of gutter house to the left and proper of the keyboard, perhaps a wider design may have been employed. That mentioned, the keyboard design works properly sufficient for typing, even with massive arms.

One other robust level is the AU Optronics 14-inch IPS panel that’s a good brightness and has a wholesome colour gamut. It additionally doesn’t use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate brightness, with the damaging affect that may have on eyesight.

Ergonomically, this is among the smaller machines on this class, if solely by a number of millimeters. There are smaller machines, just like the Lenovo X1 Carbon, however this machine is definitely very moveable.

As a substitute for the earlier 7480 fashions, the brand new 7490 appears a lot the identical from the surface, however has had a whole overhaul internally.

New Intel Kaby Lake R processors have gone past what designers may beforehand think about with a 15W finances, and the overview mannequin had an Intel Core i5-8350U quad-core 1.7GHz (Turbo three.6GHz) processor underneath the hood, which is the equal of many desktop CPUs.

Technically this chip can take 25W in a dash, but additionally gear right down to 10W ought to longevity be the first goal.

The processor isn’t consumer upgradable, however it’s doable to take away the bottom by undoing eight screws – then you may improve the quantity of RAM and alter the storage choices.

Safety

Enterprise machines are extra centered on safety than shopper notebooks, and the Dell Latitude 7490 is properly endowed to maintain its contents secure.

The three major items of the safety puzzle are a Sensible Card reader, NFC sensor and fingerprint reader. Those that additionally need face recognition can add it as an choice, however the overview machine simply had a easy 720p 2D digital camera.

Those that are inherently paranoid, and all of us ought to be by now, might be involved that the digital camera doesn’t have a privateness cowl.

The fingerprint reader is a high-quality machine that not often misinterpret in our exams. As that is prone to be the safety mechanism most individuals will use, it’s an enormous plus level that it really works reliably.

Specs 

The Intel Core i5-8350U quad-core CPU is quickly turning into the darling of laptop computer designers. It delivers a lot of the facility that the Intel Core i7-8550U presents however has a decrease unit value and a much less detrimental affect on battery life.

The 8GB of DDR4 system reminiscence and 256GB of storage is sufficient to run, however heavy customers may discover that storage will get considerably cosy after a number of months use.

The Dell coverage on reminiscence and storage is that these items aren’t typically adjustable within the customization a part of the acquisition path, and due to this fact if you’d like extra, then it is advisable to select a distinct mannequin. Or, get a screwdriver out and supply the elements for a consumer improve.