Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Laptop Review

Rebrand aside, does the Dell 14 Plus continue the Inspiron's legacy in offering good value for money? I've been testing the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 to find out.

About the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 laptop

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
• Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14 inches, 1920 x 1200 resolution, IPS, touch
• Battery: Built-in 4-cell 64WHr battery
• Webcam: 1080p
• Ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x Thunderbolt 4, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm audio
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth
• Weight: 3.55lbs
• Dimensions: 12.36 x 8.90 x 0.65 inches (W x D x H)
• Special features: Convertible design, touchscreen

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is only one of a number of Dell Plus laptop models. There are four in total: two 14-inch variants and two 16-inch variants. Each size comes in a traditional laptop style or as a 2-in-1 with a flip-around display.

Even within these options, you'll have all the standard PC configuration choices, with the ability to choose between various processors, different amounts of memory, and varying amounts of storage. All of these differences impact final pricing, and the specifications listed above are only for the model that we're reviewing. With these specs, you can expect a list price of $1,179.99, with frequent discounts.

For those unfamiliar with Dell's new branding, which I consider to be pretty confusing, the Dell Plus series replaces the Inspiron series. These are workhorses that are designed for productivity, but not necessarily Dell's ultra-premium laptops.

Why you should trust us

All of our reviews are conducted by experts in the given category. I personally have tested many of the most popular recent laptop models, including various Dell laptops, all modern MacBooks, a slew of gaming laptops, and more. I have a deep understanding of what it takes to make a great laptop—and what can contribute to one that's subpar.

What we like

No-fuss portable design

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 isn't necessarily the most unique-looking laptop out there, but it's still stylish and sleek. It has a no-fuss design that I quite like for its minimalism. That design is coupled with a decent build, though its build quality isn't as high-end as some other laptops in this price range, like the MacBook Air, nor Dell's own more expensive laptops. Thankfully, it doesn't feel cheap. The body has nicely rounded edges and a unibody look, even if it doesn't have the same unibody design as the MacBook Air.

The laptop is pretty lightweight, though again, not as light as some other options like the MacBook Air. With a weight of 3.55 pounds and a thickness of 0.65 inches, it's easy to carry in a backpack without feeling too heavy, which is always helpful.

Our review unit is a 2-in-1, which means that it can be used as a tablet too. I've never found using a laptop as a tablet to be very comfortable or ergonomic, but you can flip the display around the main body if you choose. Perhaps more useful is the ability to flip it around into tent mode for watching videos, for example. I think most will prefer the laptop form factor, but if you know you like the 2-in-1 design, then you'll like Dell's implementation of it here.

Solid port selection

The laptop has a solid port selection. On the right edge, you'll get a USB-A port and an audio port, while the left edge is where you'll get the USB-C port, Thunderbolt 4 port, and HDMI port.

I would have liked to see one more USB-C port, perhaps on the right edge, so you can connect modern accessories on both sides instead of having to snake a cable around to the left side.

Still, the port selection is better than many others in this price range, and while I personally have switched entirely to USB-C, many will appreciate the continued USB-A support.

Great performance for the price

Our review model came with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor coupled with 16GB of RAM. This is kind of the mid-range performance option for this laptop, as it's also available with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and an Intel Core Ultra 9.

For productivity use cases like web browsing, emailing, and so on, the Core Ultra 7-equipped laptop performed very well. This laptop has Intel Arc integrated graphics, so it's not designed for gaming, video editing, or other demanding graphics use cases. If you're looking for something to handle those tasks, you'll need to buy a different machine, but if you're looking for a productivity laptop, you'll find that it's easily powerful enough for your needs.

Most users simply using web apps and other basic services will be perfectly happy with the Intel Core Ultra 5 model, though. Likewise, those who want a laptop for heavy multitasking and who want to ensure that their computer remains fast and responsive for as long as possible might consider upgrading to the Core Ultra 9. The device is also available with AMD Ryzen chips, and those options are a little cheaper, which is nice.

Most of my work is web-based, so I largely use the laptop through a browser. Anecdotally, with many browser tabs open at a time, the laptop performed well, and I never experienced any hang-ups or stutters. In benchmark results, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 performed quite well. The Core Ultra 7 is a high-performing chip, and it allows the laptop to perform about as well as other Windows laptops in this price range, if not better. The laptop scored 2,727 in GeekBench 6's single-core test and 10,796 in its multi-core test, which is perfectly respectable.

There is an elephant in the room when it comes to laptop performance, though, and that's the MacBook Air. The current MacBook Air comes with Apple's M4 chip, and in general, the M-series has represented a massive shift for Apple's laptop performance overall. Intel has struggled to keep up, largely due to its lack of willingness to shift to a different architecture many years ago. The effects are still being felt, and the MacBook Air does indeed perform a fair bit better than the Core Ultra 7 Dell 14 Plus, in pretty much every task. For many users, this simply doesn't matter. Most users have a preferred operating system, and they're not looking to switch. If you want a Windows laptop, then the Dell 14 Plus performs as well or better than anything at this price point. But if you are willing to get a MacBook, then you'll find you end up with a laptop that just performs better.

Good battery life

Part of the push towards ARM-based chips (like the Apple M-series) has been to achieve better power efficiency, but Intel has made big efficiency improvements with its latest chips. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 has a great battery life that most will find gets them through a full day of moderate use. Heavy users could certainly push it run out of juice before the day is up, but most will be able to avoid charging during the day, which is nice. I ended an eight-hour work day with 45% remaining, and I never worried about the battery running out during the day, except when I forgot to charge before the day started.

To be clear, there are plenty of other laptops that have a longer battery life. M4 MacBook Air is one such machine, but even in the Windows world, the likes of the Zenbook A14 will likely stay running for longer. That's not to mention the slew of Snapdragon-based laptops that are adopting new architectures for better power efficiency. But, unlike a few years ago, this isn't a comparison between "bad" and "good." It's a comparison between "good" and "great."

Nice-feeling keyboard

I actually kind of like the feel of the keyboard built into the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. That said, I can understand if others don't quite like it as much. The keyboard offers plenty of travel, but it's not necessarily the clickiest out there, and at times, the keys can feel a little soft. I got used to that feel pretty quickly and quite liked the typing experience. Maybe I'm the weird one?

What we don’t like

Trackpad is only adequate

The trackpad, on the other hand, leaves a little to be desired. It isn’t very responsive on the edges and feels cheap when you click in. It certainly doesn't feel anywhere near as good as what Apple offers on the MacBook Air, but even some of Dell's own more premium laptops have a better-feeling trackpad. I wish the company would bring features like that down to this price point.

Display could be better

More disappointing than the trackpad is the display. The screen on the laptop is fine for productivity, and I certainly wouldn't call it a poor display. But the 1920 x 1200 IPS panel on our review unit isn’t very bright, and colors aren’t very vibrant.

That's disappointing for a 2-in-1, as interacting with the display is kind of the point. If you buy the 14 Plus 2-in-1, it's your only option, too. If you go for the standard Dell 14 Plus laptop, you can opt for a 2.5K anti-glare display, but it's still an IPS screen instead of an OLED one, and it still has 300 nits of brightness. That display does not support touch, which is why it's unavailable on the 2-in-1. All that to say, for now, if you want a high-end screen experience, you'll have to go for a higher-end laptop line.

I did find that the touch responsiveness is solid, and you can buy an optional stylus accessory to use with it. I was able to test that with this laptop, and it worked pretty well, but again, it costs extra.

Too much bloatware

Any bloatware is too much bloatware, and it's not necessarily too bad on the 14 Plus 2-in-1. The biggest offender comes in the form of McAfee, and if you're not careful, you'll be automatically signed up for McAfee when you set up the laptop. You'll be asked if you want to sign up, but the default is for that box to be checked, so don't zoom through setup without checking the settings you're signing up for.

Apart from McAfee, the 14 Plus 2-in-1 comes with regular old Windows 11 Home, but you can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro if you so choose, and some configurations come with it out of the box.

It also comes with Copilot+, including the slightly controversial Recall feature, which has been reworked to be more secure but is now available as a preview. This isn't a review of Windows or Copilot+, but if you're used to Windows and have used it for a while, there's nothing really that notable about this iteration of it besides the Copilot features that you may already be using anyway.

Warranty

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 comes with a one-year warranty; however, that warranty mostly just covers manufacturer defects and basic tech support for troubleshooting issues. You can pay for additional warranty and support, but that will cost extra. In other words, you'll want to be careful with the device, as if you damage it, you'll need to pay for the repairs.

Should you buy the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 laptop

Yes, but consider other variants, and the MacBook Air, first

The Dell 14 Plus (available at Best Buy) , in general, is a workhorse laptop at a great price. You don't get fancy features like Dell's best trackpad or a build that's quite as light as some other options, but the laptop is reliable and gets the basics right.

That said, if you're not tied to a single operating system, the M4 MacBook Air is still our top pick for the best laptop in this price range. It performs better, has a better screen, a thinner build, and a longer battery life. For some, those things aren't enough to switch to macOS, and if that's the case for you, then the Dell 14 Plus is worth considering, whether you go for the laptop or the 2-in-1.