The latest Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has quite the premium features to call it a high-end laptop; there’s Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H processor, a subtle yet attractive design, and a hefty price tag. This is topped with some AI bits, the season’s flavour. But is the Rs 1,00,000 price justified? Is the laptop good enough to be recommended for all your needs? I spent a few weeks with the Inspiron 14 Plus to find out.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440
Rs 1,01,689
What Is Good?
- Sturdy design
- Fast charging support
- Great performance
What Is Bad?
- No OLED display
- The trackpad could have been better
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is priced at Rs 99,889.99 (via Dell’s website) and 1,06,999 (via Amazon).
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Build and Design
The Inspiron 14 Plus will catch your attention with subtle and minimal looks. I am a sucker for matte finishes with sturdy build quality, and this laptop ticks all those boxes. Be it a sturdy surface or a cushion as a base, the laptop doesn’t wobble. The lid comprises aluminium while the rest of the body has a plastic build. That said, Dell isn’t cheaping out on the quality of materials used, so that the premium-ness of the device stays intact.
| Ports | Specification |
| Ports (Right side) | Audio jack, Micro SD card reader, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, air vents |
| Ports (Left side) | Power jack, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, Thunderbolt 4.0 |
| Connectivity Options | Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, 2×2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth |
However, the laptop weighs 1.6 kg and feels quite bulky. Carrying it around, especially to work feels like a hassle and if you think you can easily lift it with one hand, well, you may then have a good physique! It comes in a single Ice Blue colour, which looks more silver but what’s there in a name?! Jokes aside, it looks quite nice and feels stylish. I also liked the rounded corners, which give a nice feel and ensure comfortable usage.
The Inspiron 14 Plus gets a 1080p web camera, which didn’t cause any problems during video calling sessions. The quality is good and there’s support for features like auto-framing, eye contact, and background blur, which are mostly handy. The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner and it was quick enough to register my fingerprint and unlock the device in 1 to 2 seconds. I enjoy a fingerprint scanner on a laptop and the Inspiron 14 Plus’ version was likeable.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Display and Audio
The 14-inch display size felt perfect for working and even watching videos for fun (I do watch for work too!). The slim bezels allow for a much broader screen estate, giving it an immersive view. The screen is vibrant and the colour reproduction is good when watching movies and TV shows. However, with other companies in the market opting for an OLED display, it would have been beneficial to include one here as well.
| Display | Specifications |
| Type | IPS |
| Size | 14-inch |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 |
| Resolution | 2240×1400 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Screen brightness | 300 nits |
| Other features | Non-Touch, Anti-Glare, ComfortView Plus, Dolby Vision |
Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the display, especially when I worked in dim lighting conditions. The display isn’t reflective and even if you use it outdoors or under a tubelight, there won’t be a problem.
For the audio needs, there are dual speakers backed by Dolby Atmos Core and Waves MaxxAudio Pro. These are a loud pair of speakers and listening to music or videos at 50% is enough.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Keyboard and Trackpad
The Inspiron 14 Plus has a backlit keyboard, which is a plus point. This is quite helpful when you want to work with the lights off. The key spacing is great and the keys have good tactile feedback. They also have a uniform profile. Overall, I quite like the keyboard and coming from the MacBook, it didn’t take me time to adapt to the Inspiron 14 Plus’ keyboard for typing articles.
What sticks out like a sore thumb is the Mylar trackpad. In all honestly, using it was a pain. It required too much pressing to get the work done and it impacted my productivity. While it’s wide enough, I wish Dell had made it on par with its keyboard, so, that using the combination would’ve been a breeze. This is when I did miss my MacBook.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Performance
Moving on to the good things, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus’ performance is solid. I was quite impressed with the ease with which I could get my tasks done. My laptop usage is more for work and I can carry on daily tasks like typing, and photo editing on Canva – all with 12 to 15 Chrome tabs open.
| Hardware | Specification |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H, 16 cores, 22 threads |
| GPU | Intel Arc Graphics |
| NPU | Intel AI Boost |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5X, 6400MT/s |
| Storage | 1TB SSD, PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 |
As for the synthetic benchmarks, the Inspiron 14 Plus did a good job. The Geekbench, Cinebench, and PCMark 10 scores were impressive but it did lag behind a little when compared to the Asus Vivobook S 16 OLED‘s Geekbench scores. The laptop comes with the same internals. The Dell laptop also had a lower single-core score on Geekbench. That said, the Inspiron 14 Plus also returned good read and write speeds, especially when compared to the S 16 OLED and the Galaxy Book 4 Pro. Weirdly, the Cinebench 2024 multi-core score was high and a single-core score couldn’t be obtained despite multiple attempts. You can check out the comparison with its rivals below.
But I do feel the laptop didn’t manage the thermals quite well as without much workload I could feel the heat on the keyboard. This happened sporadically but did make me cautious when engaging in intensive workloads. You also get a dedicated NPU, which is meant to handle AI tasks for the laptop.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Battery and Charging
It has a 64Wh battery, which lasted me for about four to five hours with moderate to heavy usage. However, the PCMark battery test showed 11 hours and 9 minutes, which is quite good. This wasn’t the most impressive output but fairly decent. The laptop comes with a 100W charger with a Type-C port, which ensures fast charging. It can fully charge between an hour and 15 minutes.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Review: Verdict
So, is the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus a good work laptop? I would say yes. Its minimal and professional looks make it an ideal choice for people specifically looking for a simple yet powerful experience. The performance department won’t leave you disappointed either.
That said, the trackpad and the battery life could have been better. Plus, it lacks an OLED display. While most aspects tick, I feel it’s a little overpriced, given the basics are neglected. At this price, the Vivobook S 16 OLED for a better display or even the HP Pavilion Plus 16 (for those focused on gaming) can be chosen. That said, the subtlety it offers can’t be ignored and those who can overlook its issues can opt for it.
