Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 review: Spacious laptop, oversized tablet

Price When Reviewed

$1,249.99

Best Prices Today: Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1

$1249.99

$1249.99

$1379.00

The Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is a roomy convertible laptop computer based mostly on a 16-inch, 16:10 show. The show gives a spacious workspace in laptop computer mode, nevertheless it feels too massive in pill mode except you’re a content material creator utilizing it as a big canvas. And, in case you are a inventive professional searching for a spacious convertible, you could be disenchanted by the restricted upgrades Dell gives for it. While you’ve gotten your selection of two 12th-gen Intel Core processors and may go for a UHD+ OLED show, the one GPU improve obtainable is an entry-level cell GeForce MX half. And you may’t improve the 512GB SSD.

For fundamental use, our Inspiron 16 2-in-1 as configured with its 12th-gen Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM gives robust software efficiency and a show sufficiently big to multitask with out feeling squeezed. The keyboard and large touchpad are snug, and the general design of the aluminum chassis is clear and compact. We additionally just like the 1080p webcam with its bodily privateness shutter and the legendary battery life. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is a brilliant choose if you would like a big-screen convertible that shall be used primarily as a laptop computer and pressed solely often into pill obligation.

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 specs

Our Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is at present promoting for $1,249.99 and options the next specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1260P
• Memory: 16GB
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 16.0 inch,16:10, 1980 x 1200 decision
• Webcam: 1080p with privateness shutter
• Connectivity: 2 x USB-C (with Thunderbolt 4), 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 1.4, SD card reader, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 87 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.1 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Measured weight: 4.7 kilos (laptop computer), 0.8 kilos (AC adapter)
• Price: $1,249.99

The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 begins at $799.99 for a system with a Core i5-1235U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Our $1049.99 take a look at system contains a CPU improve to the Core i7-1260U and doubles the reminiscence to 16GB. For one other $300, you may improve the baseline 1920×1200, 300-nit show to an OLED panel with a 3840×2400 decision that’s rated at 400 nits of brightness. The show improve additionally swaps out the built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics for the GeForce MX550, an entry-level cell GPU with 2GB of devoted VRAM. And for some purpose, the OLED improve comes not with a silver chassis however a darkish inexperienced physique. 

Some premium 2-in-1s embody a pen for the contact show, however Dell doesn’t embody one with the mainstream Inspiron 16 2-in-1. Dell’s energetic pen is offered individually; it normally prices $50 however can usually be discovered for $40 from the producer.

A big show match for a laptop computer

Our Inspiron 16 2-in-1 take a look at system relies on a 16-inch 16:10 show with a 1920×1200 decision. This FHD+ decision is sufficient to produce a pointy image throughout the 16-inch panel. The purpose to improve to the UHD+ OLED show is extra for the OLED panel and the unimaginable distinction you get with it quite than the elevated decision. The baseline show we obtained gives a dynamic picture with brilliant whites and inky blacks, even when it falls in need of absolute black. It’s rated for 300 nits, and my measurements put its peak brightness nearer to 400 nits. It’s brilliant sufficient for indoor environments, even in an workplace that receives plenty of pure mild.

The 16-inch show with its 16:10 side ratio gives ample room to navigate Windows and multitask. The added vertical area in contrast with a 16:9 show ends in much less scrolling by way of lengthy Word docs, expansive Excel sheets, and internet pages. It’s actually a unbelievable dimension for a piece pc the place you might be juggling a number of home windows, and its spaciousness can be helpful for dwelling use for watching reveals or motion pictures. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The massive display is much less helpful once you flip the show round and use the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 as a pill. It feels outsized and awkward, particularly when holding it in a single hand and utilizing the opposite hand to swipe or faucet on the contact show. Creative varieties, nonetheless, may benefit from the massive canvas of the roomy display for sketching and drawing.

The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 weighs 4.7 kilos, which may be a bit heavy for a each day commute. It weighs a bit greater than different 16-inch 16:10 laptops and convertibles, together with the 4.3-pound Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED, the 4.35-pound MSI Summit E-16, and the 4.45-pound HP Spectre x360 16.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

With its understated design, the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 will look the half at dwelling or within the workplace. It contains a skinny, all-metal chassis in minimal adornment. In reality, there may be nothing that may let you realize it’s a Dell machine when you’re seated in entrance of it. There is nary an organization brand on the keyboard deck or skinny show bezels. A easy Dell brand is centered on the lid, and the underside panel has an Inspiron insignia.

Big keyboard, touchpad, and audio output

A 16-inch laptop computer is a tweener by way of together with a quantity pad — some fashions embody a numpad and others don’t. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 omits the numpad, and I applaud the transfer. Even if there’s room to squeeze in a numpad with out shortening keys on the principle keyboard, I’d a lot want to have the keyboard centered beneath the show. And that’s what you get with the Inspiron 16 2-in-1. The keys are darkish grey with white symbols, and there may be sufficient distinction between the 2 colours that the important thing symbols are legible in a wide range of lighting circumstances. And you get two-level backlighting for when you’re working at midnight.

The keys provide shallow journey however a springy really feel and make typing quick and cozy. Without a numpad, the Tab, Caps Lock, and Shift keys on the left and the Backspace, Enter, and Shift keys on the suitable are luxuriously large. The energy button within the top-right nook doubles as a fingerprint reader. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The touchpad is gigantic. And it has a cool design in that it has solely three borders, with the highest edge mixing seamlessly into the remainder of the laptop computer. The touchpad gives clean gliding and responsive, correct recording of mouse gestures. 

The webcam is one other examine within the “plus” column for the Inspiron 16 2-in-1. It’s a 1080p digital camera that produces a crisp, well-balanced picture that’s clearly superior to that of a 720p webcam. It additionally has a bodily privateness shutter so that you might be positive nobody is spying on you when the webcam isn’t in use. It’s not an IR digital camera, however you do get that and facial recognition capabilities if you happen to improve to the OLED show. As it’s, the one biometrics on our take a look at system was the fingerprint scanner constructed into the ability button.

The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 serves up not two however 4 audio system. It produces eight-watt audio from a quartet of two-watt audio system that fireplace upward from speaker grills flanking the keyboard. The sound has sufficient oomph to fill a small room and is extra dynamic than typical laptop computer audio. Some separation might be heard between excessive and mid-tones, and there even is a touch of bass response. Music playback is extra satisfying on the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 than most laptops.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Connectivity covers the bases with a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and a pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI port, headphone jack, and SD card reader. Having each USB Type-C and Type-A ports implies that you gained’t want to hold an adaptor to your USB units, however I’d have favored the pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports to be cut up throughout the left and proper sides of the laptop computer quite than each being positioned on the left aspect. You’ll want to make use of one of many ports to cost the laptop computer, and I like having the flexibleness of plugging into both aspect of the laptop computer.

Performance

Our Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 options an Intel Core i7-1260P, 16GB of RAM, built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a 512GB SSD. The Core i7-1260P is a member of Intel’s Alder Lake P sequence of 28-watt cell chips. It options Intel’s new hybrid structure with efficiency and effectivity cores; it has 4 efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 16 processing threads.

To see how the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 stacks up, we in contrast its efficiency to that of different laptops with the Core i7-1260P processor in addition to one with a 12th-gen Core i5, a pair mannequin with earlier 11th-gen Core i7 chips, and one with a previous-gen AMD Ryzen 7. Most of the comparability techniques depend on built-in Intel graphics just like the Inspiron 16 2-in-1, however two function GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, internet shopping, and video chats. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 acquired off to a robust begin, simply topping the 5,000 mark and ending behind solely the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 that options the identical CPU and the pair of laptops which have the additional advantage of RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark assessments how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU masses over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 once more turned in a constructive end result, ending the take a look at quicker than all the different techniques besides the RTX 3050 Ti pair.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive take a look at however one which renders a posh 2D scene over a brief time frame. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 was aggressive on Cinebench, ending among the many different techniques that function the Core i7-1260P CPU and built-in graphics. It is definitely as much as the duty of media modifying and creation.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

As its poor 3DMark end result signifies, the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 will not be constructed for enjoying 3D video games. As with any laptop computer with built-in graphics, it’s higher suited to 2D graphics duties similar to photograph and video modifying quite than working AAA titles.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Battery life

To take a look at a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 11’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an effective brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The Inspiron 16 2-in-1 ran for greater than 16.5 hours on the take a look at, a very excellent feat. That can be an ideal end result for a small, environment friendly ultraportable, so it’s downright unimaginable for an enormous, 16-inch laptop computer powered by a mainstream, 28-watt Intel Core P-series processor and never a extra environment friendly, 15-watt U-series chip. With this laptop computer, Dell appears to know that a big show requires a big battery and outfits the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 with a 6 Cell, 87 Wh battery.  

Conclusion

As a mainstream laptop computer for dwelling or work, the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 has rather a lot to supply, from its roomy contact show powered by a contemporary CPU to its modern, all-metal enclosure and inexpensive worth. We additionally favored the roomy keyboard sans numpad, enormous touchpad, and spectacular audio output. The star of the present, nonetheless, is its distinctive battery life that gives a runtime that’s hours longer than the competitors. We strongly suggest the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 to mainstream patrons searching for a big-screen laptop computer. Our solely hesitation can be for patrons who desire a 2-in-1 convertible that can spend as a lot time in pill mode as laptop computer mode. For such a utilization state of affairs, we’d steer you towards a smaller 2-in-1 that’s simpler to deal with in pill mode. And we’d additionally steer content material creators searching for a big convertible to a mannequin that gives a greater graphics and storage upgrades.