Dell Latitude 7330 UL review: an ultra-light business laptop

Enterprise laptops aren’t all of the stuffy, button-up affairs they’re usually identified for. Excessive-end machines are persevering with to push the envelope, and now provide businesspeople comparable designs and options to mainstream gadgets.

Dell’s Latitude 7330 13-inch Ultralight is an effective instance. It’s terribly gentle — which is one thing nearly anybody may respect.

Nevertheless, Dell restricted the Ultralight model to the purpose the place a few of the most crucial enterprise options are lacking. And it’s not quick sufficient or long-lasting sufficient to make for a compelling laptop computer generally, regardless of its gentle weight.

Worth and configurations

I reviewed a high-end configuration of the Latitude 7330 Ultralight (UL) with an Intel vPro processor and an old-school 16:9 show.

The Latitude 7330 Ultralight model has restricted configurations in comparison with its heavier siblings. For instance, there’s no 4G LTE WWAN choice, there’s just one 16:9 Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS show to select from, the webcam is restricted to 720p with no infrared digital camera for Home windows 11 Hi there help, and the battery is simply 41 watt-hours in comparison with 58 watt-hours.

The entry-level mannequin is $1,766 for an Intel Core i5-1235U non-vPro CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe SSD. The high-end configuration is $2,499 for a Core i7-1265U vPro, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. My overview configuration was the next-highest configuration, $2,265 for the Core i7-1265U vPro, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Dell has one other business-class 13-inch laptop computer, the Latitude 9330, that features a extra fashionable 16:10 show and isn’t practically as gentle. It runs a couple of hundred {dollars} greater than the Latitude 7330 equally configured.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is a aggressive laptop computer, albeit a 14-inch mannequin, that’s additionally comparatively skinny and light-weight. It’s a number of hundred {dollars} lower than the Latitude 7330, even with sooner CPUs and higher shows. Lastly, the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is across the identical worth because the Latitude 7330, albeit with out Intel’s vPro and a smaller SSD. It’s simply as light-weight.

Design

The Latitude 7330 is accessible in three choices of supplies: aluminum, carbon fiber, and magnesium alloy. I reviewed the magnesium model, dubbed the Latitude 7330 UL, which weighs simply 2.13 kilos. That’s gentle sufficient to make it onto our checklist of lightest laptops. It’s skinny, however not amazingly so, at 0.67 inches, and its massive prime and backside bezels imply it’s not the smallest 13-inch laptop computer round by way of its footprint on the desk.

It’s wider and barely much less deep than the two.2-pound Elite Dragonfly G3 that’s 0.65 inches thick, however that laptop computer has a bigger and taller 13.5-inch 16:20 show. It’s additionally wider and barely much less deep than the Latitude 9330, which has a 13.3-inch 16:10 show, weighs 2.8 kilos, and is 0.55 inches thick. Lastly, whereas the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is wider and deeper, it’s thinner at 0.60 inches and weighs simply 2.48 kilos — greater than the Latitude however with a bigger show. Finally, the Latitude 7330 UL stands out for its weight however not for its thickness or the scale of its chassis.

Magnesium is a robust steel, however it’s not as stiff as aluminum. The Latitude 7330 UL, subsequently, has some flexing within the keyboard deck and its lid bends awkwardly, displaying off some LCD discoloration. That doesn’t make it a poorly constructed laptop computer, however it doesn’t really feel as stable as all-aluminum machines just like the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the HP Spectre x360 13.5. The hinge permits the lid to open about midway with one hand, however then it stiffens and also you’ll want the opposite hand to open all of it the way in which. It does maintain the show firmly in place throughout heavy typing periods. I’ll word that the magnesium alloy makes for a softer contact than aluminum, though it’d really feel extra like plastic to some folks.

Aesthetically, the Latitude 7330 UL is about as minimalist as they arrive. The traces and angles are easy, and solely the chrome Dell emblem on the lid provides any aptitude. There’s nothing incorrect with simplistic designs in the event that they’re exceptionally streamlined and engaging, however this one is boring. The Latitude 9330 has that extra streamlined look, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 sports activities the long-lasting and engaging ThinkPad aesthetic. For my cash, the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a sleeker and better-looking laptop computer.

Ports and connectivity

Connectivity is nice, with two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a full-size HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. We’re lacking an SD card reader, and the Ultralight model doesn’t provide the non-obligatory Smartcard reader and eSIM. Wi-fi connectivity is updated with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, however once more the Ultralight model doesn’t have the non-obligatory WWAN help of the aluminum model.

One good characteristic is Dell’s new ExpressConnect know-how that permits you to join to 2 wi-fi networks concurrently for larger pace, and the laptop computer may be configured to hook up with the perfect accessible community.

Efficiency

So far as I may inform working via Dell’s very complicated configurator, the Latitude 7330 UL may be configured with certainly one of two Twelfth-gen Intel U-series CPUs. There’s the 15-watt 10-core (two Efficiency and eight Environment friendly), 12-thread Core i5-1235U operating at as much as 4.4GHz, and the Core i7-1265U that has the identical core and thread rely however goes slightly sooner at 4.8GHz and embody Intel’s vPro know-how. My overview unit outfitted the Core i7-1265U, which promised not less than as quick efficiency because the Core i7-1255U (as much as 4.7Ghz) laptops that I’ve lately reviewed.

In our benchmarks, although, the Latitude 7330 UL fell behind all the opposite Intel Twelfth-gen CPUs we’ve examined. That was true in Geekbench 5, our Handbrake check that encodes a 420MB video as H.265, and the video rendering benchmark Cinebench R23. The Latitude even fell behind within the PCMark 10 Full benchmark, which assessments a wide range of productiveness, multimedia, and inventive duties.

The Latitude 7330 UL did exhibit some throttling that probably restricted efficiency. And the Dell Optimizer utility offered varied thermal tuning modes, of which I examined the balanced and efficiency. Switching to efficiency mode made a modest distinction in Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23, and a extra important enchancment in Handbrake. As typical, switching modes didn’t impression the PCMark 10 Full rating by a lot.

Total, the Latitude 7330 UL’s efficiency was sooner than Intel’s Eleventh-gen, however lower than the requirements of Twelfth-gen machines. That doesn’t imply the laptop computer can’t deal with demanding productiveness workflows, however it’s not going to be as quick as competing — and in lots of instances, a lot inexpensive — machines.

Neglect gaming until you’re taking part in older titles with low decision and graphics. The Intel Iris Xe isn’t a quick GPU in the perfect instances, and the Latitude 7330 UL is among the many slowest.

Show

I instantly observed that the Latitude 7330 UL’s 13.3-inch 16:9 Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS show was brilliant with true blacks for an IPS show. Colours appeared dynamic with out being oversaturated, and aside from the old-school side ratio, I discovered the show fairly good throughout my testing.

Based on my colorimeter, my eyes didn’t deceive me. The show was extremely brilliant at 503 nits, nicely above our 300-nit normal. Its distinction was wonderful for an IPS panel at 1,650:1, which made black textual content pop on white backgrounds. Colours hit the premium show common at 95% of sRGB and 74% of AdobeRGB, though that common has been creeping upward currently. Accuracy was good at a DeltaE of 1.56, the place lower than 2.0 is taken into account ok for inventive work. Amongst our comparability group, the Latitude 7330 UL most intently matched the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, with the previous being brighter and the latter having barely wider colours.

Sadly, the Latitude Ultralight doesn’t embody choices for touchscreens.

Productiveness employees, at whom this laptop computer is aimed, will take pleasure in this show if they’ll reside with the decision and side ratio. Creators will need to look elsewhere, however then once more, this isn’t a laptop computer meant for all-day video or photograph modifying.

Two downward-firing audio system present the audio and put out a stunning quantity of quantity, with zero distortion and clear mids and highs. There was even a contact of bass.

The audio system have been ok for watching Netflix and informal music listening, though motion films and extra demanding music tastes will demand an excellent pair of headphones.

Keyboard, touchpad, and webcam

The keyboard’s keycaps are barely small, however the important thing spacing is beneficiant sufficient, making it simple to hit the appropriate letters. The switches are agency with a quick bottoming motion, that means that should you like slightly extra strain, you’ll like this keyboard. It is perhaps a bit a lot should you’re accustomed to lighter keys. I’d charge it behind the perfect laptops, together with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10’s lighter and even snappier model.

The touchpad helps Home windows 11’s multitouch gestures nicely sufficient, and its floor is comfy. It’s a bit on the small aspect, although, thanks partially to the shorter show and a basic lack of area on the palm relaxation.

There’s additionally no Home windows 11 passwordless login help. In order for you an infrared digital camera for facial recognition or a fingerprint reader, you’ll want to decide on one of many heavier fashions. That’s notably disappointing for a enterprise laptop computer, the place safety is commonly an essential issue.

Lastly, the webcam is simply 720p. Once more, there’s a worth to be paid for the lighter chassis — a Full HD webcam and infrared digital camera isn’t an choice on the Ultralight.

Privateness and safety

Dell builds a number of privateness and safety instruments into its Latitude machines, together with its SafeBIOS to assist keep away from hacking and Dell Encryption Enterprise. There’s additionally a wide range of different enterprise administration instruments together with Intel Energetic Administration Expertise (AMT) for distant administration and Intel {Hardware} Defend for hardware-enhanced safety. These are greatest supported by an Intel vPro chip, which my overview unit was outfitted with.

As a result of my machine lacked an infrared digital camera, it didn’t help the onlooker detection, Look Away Detect (which dims the display screen based mostly on person habits), and ExpressSign-In wake on method instruments that different Latitude 7330 fashions help. The only nod to privateness on the Ultralight mannequin is a sliding bodily shutter for the webcam.

Battery life

The Ultralight model of the Latitude 7330 is restricted to a 41-watt-hour battery, whereas the opposite fashions may be outfitted with 58 watt-hours. The show is simply Full HD, and it makes use of a 15-watt CPU, so I used to be hopeful that I’d see not less than respectable battery life.

In our suite of battery assessments, although, the Latitude 7330 UL fell about an hour beneath common throughout the board. In our net looking check that cycles via a handful of advanced web sites, it managed simply seven hours, and in our video check that loops an area Full HD Avengers trailer, it hit 10.5 hours. Lastly, within the PCMark 10 Software check that greatest signifies productiveness battery life, the Latitude made it to eight.5 hours. That’s lower than every of the laptops in our comparability group and beneath common generally.

The Latitude 7330 UL is unlikely to get you thru a full day of productiveness work until your duties are gentle on the CPU. Something extra and also you’ll be pulling out your charger.

Our take

The Latitude 7330 Ultralight appears like an awesome concept. Take a stable enterprise laptop computer and assemble a model with lighter supplies, making it one of many lightest laptops you should buy. However Dell compromised an excessive amount of, stripping off a few of the options that will be most compelling to its goal market.

It doesn’t assist that efficiency is on the low finish of its class, and its battery life is lower than common. Sure, it’s a really gentle laptop computer, however that’s not sufficient to justify its excessive worth in comparison with some compelling options.

Are there any options?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 can also be very gentle, given its 14-inch show. It provides comparable enterprise options, is quicker, and will get higher battery life. It’s a stable competitor.

Lenovo’s Yoga 9i Gen 7 is a superb different should you don’t want these (generally lacking) enterprise options. It’s attractive, well-built, and has a shocking show. It’s additionally sooner and cheaper.

Lastly, I all the time advocate Apple’s MacBook Professional 14 as an choice. Once more, should you’re not plugging into an enterprise, you gained’t discover one other laptop computer that’s as quick with such wonderful battery life, together with probably the most stable construct accessible. And it’s not rather more costly, if in any respect.

How lengthy will it final?

The Latitude 7330 UL has some slight bending and flexing, which is frequent in a magnesium chassis. However, that doesn’t imply it’s not sturdy sufficient for years of service. It’s moderately well-equipped for the close to future as nicely. Dell provides a 3-year guarantee with the Latitude, which is welcome.

Must you purchase it?

No. There are higher enterprise laptops accessible which are solely barely heavier. The Latitude 7330 UL simply makes too many compromises for its gentle weight.

Editors’ Selection