Case
All parts of the plastic casing have been assembled neatly, and thus the plain Dell device makes an elegant impression. The display back of our review sample features a magnesium alloy. Instead of being content with rubber nubs, the screen is completely encircled by a rubber rim. The color of the metal hinges adds contrast, and they make a robust impression. The subjective feel is very pleasant owing to the subtle curves. Maintenance and repair are possible via the removable base unit. Unfortunately, it is also the only way to replace the battery and needs time. The material-related drawbacks have to be expected in terms of stability. However, the plastic casing cannot be dented anywhere. Overall, the casing makes a decent and business-suitable impression. An unsightly drawback is that dust settles between the display's bezel and the screen, which then has to be removed with care.
Keyboard
High-quality input devices are a must for a work device like the Latitude. The black chiclet keyboard in Dell's laptop has a long drop and quiet typing noise. The keys feature a pleasant firmness and good pressure points. Touch-typing artists can easily go on a creative rampage with this keyboard. The review sample's keyboard convinces with its two-level backlight.
Display
The Latitude line has been treated to a matte, Full HD screen. The IPS screen comes from AU Optronics and has an average brightness of 270.8 cd/m². A touchscreen with Gorilla Glass is alternatively available. However, its exact price is not yet known.
An unpleasant feature of the installed screen is the existing screen bleeding. White spots are very visible on black backgrounds.
The brightness of Dell's laptop is still on par with its rivals. It extends its lead with a contrast of 1001:1. The comparison models achieve 320:1 (Lenovo T440s) and 406:1 (HP EliteBook 840 G1).