HomeGames & TechDell Latitude 5289 2-in-1 Ultrabook review

Dell Latitude 5289 2-in-1 Ultrabook review

The Latitude 5289 is a convertible 2-in-1 business laptop from Dell. It’s small size sees it fall into the Ultrabook category. This machine is designed to be incredibly portable and easily adapt to the task at hand.

Dell’s Latitude range has always been aimed at the business user and this model is no different. Out of the box I was impressed by the small size, light weight and design. It looks stunning and the build quality is excellent. The machine feels soft to the touch but incredibly solid.

As with all Dell machines the Latitude 5289 is available in a variety of configurations. These allow you to tailor a machine to your needs and budget. It starts at around £1,100 (ex. VAT) for the most basic configuration and costs around £1,500 (ex. VAT) for the most advanced.

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Specs

The model I reviewed was towards the higher end configuration:

  • CPU: 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7300U (up to 3.5GHz with 3M cache)
  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 SDRAM @ 1866MHz
  • Graphics: Intel HD 620
  • Storage: M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 1703

The higher options include bigger, and secondary, hard drive. Up to 16GB RAM and an i7-7600U CPU (up to 3.9GHz with 4M cache).

Common across all the range is the 12.5-inch touch screen which runs at a Full HD resolution of 1920×1080. The screen looks gorgeous and features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 making it extra touch and resistant to scratches. The screen also houses a front-facing 6.5mm HD (720p) webcam. The screen features two 360 degree hinges which allow you to use the laptop in four different ways. There’s standard laptop mode, tent, stand and tablet. The small screen really helps keep the size and weight of the machine down. It’s 305mm x 210mm x 18.5mm and weighs just 1.34kg.

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The chiclet keyboard is nice to use and feels really responsive. It features backlit keys which make it easy to see in lower light conditions. Due to the small size there isn’t room for a dedicated numpad. Below the keyboard is a touchpad with two buttons (left/right mouse). I found the touchpad really nice to use in the absence of a mouse.

An optional extra with the Latitude 5289 is the pressure sensitive (2,048 levels) Dell Active Pen http://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-active-pen-pn557w/apd/750-aavp/handhelds-tablet-pcs for around £80. I imagine users that plan to make use of the tablet mode will definitely want one. Unfortunately I wasn’t sent one of these with my review model so it’s hard to comment further.

Connectivity

Considering how small it is the chassis features an impressive array of connectivity options:

  • 2x USB 3.1 (with Power Share)
  • 2x DisplayPort over USB Type-C
  • HDMI 1.4
  • uSIM card slot (WWAN)
  • uSD 4.0 Memory card reader
  • Noble Wedge Lock slot
  • Dual-Band Wireless-AC
  • Bluetooth 4.1

If you want to connect the machine to anything else then you really need to invest in some adaptors or a docking station.

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Performance

The Latitude 5289 feels quick and responsive to use. The machine boots and wakes from sleep quickly. It doesn’t break a sweat with simple Windows tasks and is more than capable at running multiple programs and switching between them.

It’s an ideal machine for business oriented tasks such as Word Processing and Spreadsheets. I’ve spent a couple of weeks using the machine with Office 365 and it really is a joy to use. It also performs well for web browsing, watching video and photo editing.

The M.2 SSD drive impresses with much faster speeds than mechanical drives. This means you can easily run multiple programs while Windows goes about it’s business without the need to keep waiting. The speed of the drive makes copying large files quick.

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As great as the machine is, it’s not one that’s designed for gaming. It will play some popular games at low settings but it’s really more suited to basic games. It does come with Candy Crush: Soda Saga and Royal Revolt 2 preinstalled. During more intensive use such as games and video the laptop does tend to get rather hot. It’s worth noting that the built-in stereo speakers are actually pretty decent.

A feature that really impressed me was the battery life. The included 60W battery features ExpressCharge technology and I found that it can easily endure 10 hours of use. This is plenty for a full working day and means you can use it happily without worrying it’s going to run out on you.

Verdict

The Dell Latitude 5289 is a wonderful machine for business users on the go. The small size and light weight make it very portable. The variety of modes means you can quickly adapt the machine to your current task. The tablet mode works well but as you can’t disconnect the keyboard it can feel heavy after a while. If you’re not on the move a lot I’d recommend attaching it to a bigger display.

The Dell Latitude 5289 2-in-1 was reviewed using a review unit supplied by Dell.

Manufacturer: Dell Official Website: www.dell.co.uk

Greg Ellwood
Greg Ellwoodhttps://8ce250469d.nxcli.io
Greg is the Deputy Editor of Entertainment Focus. He writes about Games, Tech and TV. You can find him on Xbox/PSN/Steam as Tahllian.

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