At CES 2019, Dell is launching an update to the Dell Latitude 7000 (model 7400), with a significant update of the industrial design, which leads to a much more compact and potentially more powerful offering for SMBs and professionals.
The overall look went from a dark design to an aluminum, more premium looking computer which also has a 360-degree folding design very much like the current 7390 model. The footprint of the computer was reduced, and this is particularly visible on the thinner screen bezels – usually everyone’s favorite.
As a result, Dell can pack a 14” display into a smaller weight and footprint than the previous 13.3” design. Dell claims a 25% reduction of the overall design volume. In addition to the weight reduction to ~3lbs (from 3.12 lbs). The display has CNC aluminum diamond cut edges which were previously reserved to more expensive laptops.
At the top of the display, there’s an option for a Windows Hello IR webcam that can detect your 3D facial features to unlock Windows, without asking you to enter a complex password. Please use a strong password to keep everything secure. The webcam can also spot when you go away, and locks the PC automatically.
For those who need to be connected at all times, Dell is offering an integrated LTE CAT16, which crossed the (theoretical) threshold of Gigabit LTE with up to 1Gbps of download and 150 Mbps of upload speeds. Although you may not go as fast in the real world, the average speed is surely higher than lower LTE specifications.
Finally, this laptop series is equipped with Intel’s newer 15-Watt TDP Whiskey Lake processors which are more power-efficient than the Kaby Lake designs. We might put it to the test in a review when it becomes available, but for now, it looks very nice on paper.
Finally, the maximum 78 Wh battery size caught our eyes. That’s a huge jump from the 45Wh of the current 7390 model in this series. It’s not clear how the extra battery capacity affects the size and weight, but it’s always a good option to have.
Starting at $1599, it fits into the high-end laptops category, so it will be really interesting to see how it will compete on the market.
Specifications highlights
- CPU: 8th Gen Intel® Core™ WHL-U, Quad Core
- RAM: Up to 16GB LPDDR3 SDRAM 2133MHz (on board)
- GPU: Intel® Integrated UHD Graphics 620
- Display: 14” 16:9 FHD (1920×1080), Active Pen, 300 NITs
- Storage: M.2 2230 up to 2TB (class 35 and 40)
- Battery: 52 Wh to 78 Wh, 65W to 90W charger
- Connectivity: WiFi 6+BT 5.0 or WiFi AC+BT 4.2, Qualcomm X20 LTE modem (optional)
Ports
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (with PowerShare, USB Type-A)
- 2 x Thunderbolt™3 with Power Delivery & DisplayPort (USB Type-C) HDMI 1.4
- SIM card slot (WWAN only)
- SD 4.0 Memory card reader
- Noble Wedge Lock slot
- Power Button
- Volume Up/Down Rocker