Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7445 review: almost good

The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445) comes in two configurations, both built around AMD’s mainstream Ryzen chipsets. The base model is a $730 configuration with an AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14-inch FHD+ IPS display (the only option). The high-end model is $950 with a Ryzen 7 8840HS, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445) is similar to Dells’ other midrange 360-degree convertible 2-in-1s. It’s built very well, not only for this price but for any price, without any bending, flexing, or twisting in the chassis, keyboard deck, or lid. That’s thanks to an all-metal construction that results in a relatively weighty 3.77 pounds. Some similar 14-inch laptops are lighter, like Dell’s own Qualcomm version of the Inspiron Plus that’s 3.17 pounds. The HP Spectre x360 14 is also lighter at 3.19 pounds. The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445) is reasonably thin, though, and outside of the usual large bottom display bezels to accommodate the 360-degree hinge, its bezels are small enough to keep the laptop reasonably sized in width and depth.

The keyboard is a standard island affair with moderately sized keycaps, plenty of spacing, and light, snappy switches. I have no complaints, and while Apple’s Magic Keyboard remains my favorite, I was fine typing on this keyboard in writing this review.

The touchpad is a very standard mechanical version. It’s large enough, although there’s plenty of available space on the palm rest. And it works well enough, although the button presses were a little loud and harsh. A haptic touchpad is better, but it’s hard to expect that at this price. The display is touch- and pen-enabled, but the pen is an extra-cost item that wasn’t included with my review unit.

The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445) has a large 75 watt-hour battery and a low-power IPS display. AMD chipsets were once more efficient than Intel, but Lunar Lake changed that dynamic and Qualcomm’s chipsets are much more efficient. And then Apple’s M3 chipsets remain the efficiency leaders.

As it stands, the Inspiron didn’t get very good battery life by modern standards. It’s unlikely to last a whole day running a typical productivity workflow, unlike several others that are almost guaranteed to do so. Historically, these aren’t bad result for Windows laptops. But times have changed.

Here we get to the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445)’s biggest weakness. Its 14.0-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS display isn’t a bad thing on paper. I like sharper displays, and FHD+ in a 14-inch panel isn’t nearly sharp enough for me — but many people probably won’t mind it. And there should be a power benefit, but based on my battery tests, that display isn’t helping this laptop much.

As I suspected when I first turned on the laptop, the display’s quality just isn’t up to snuff. First, it’s not bright enough at 271 nits. Almost every display I’ve reviewed in the last several years came in at well over 300 nits, to the point where our 300-nit standard is woefully out of date. The contrast was good at 1,340:1, but that’s in line with modern IPS displays.

The real problem came in its colors. At 62% of sRGB, 46% of AdobeRGB, and 46% of DCI-P3 and with a color accuracy of DeltaE (color difference) of 2.61, it’s just not good enough. For comparison, rival laptops in this price range typically offer much betters colors averaging 100%, 75%, and 75%, respectively. And, I rarely come across a machine with a DeltaE that’s more than 2.0.

There’s a lot to like about the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7445). It’s very well-built and reasonably attractive, and it’s fast enough for demanding productivity users. Its price is also attractive, which would normally compel me to give it a strong recommendation.

Unfortunately, its battery life just doesn’t cut it today, when competing Windows laptops last twice as long. And its display is unforgivable with its poor colors and brightness. You can do a lot better and not spend a lot more money.