Dell Chromebook 13 7310 review: The business-class Chromebook Pixel

Google’s Chromebook Pixel changed everything. Despite being stratospherically expensive, it proved once and for all that Chromebooks could be just as desirable – if not more so – than the finest high-end laptops. Now that Chrome OS is making inroads into big business, Dell has taken inspiration from Google’s efforts for its business-class Chromebook 13.

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Design

Imagine for a moment that the Chromebook Pixel and one of Dell’s high-end Latitude laptops had a secret liaison – the product of that illicit relationship would surely be the Chromebook 13.

If it weren’t for the bright, unmistakeable Chrome logo on the lid, you’d never believe this was a Chromebook. It’s quite, quite lovely. Carbon fibre stretches across the lid, the base is armoured in silky-feeling charcoal-grey metal, and every corner rounds to a perfect curve. Make no mistake, this is every inch the subtly stylish business laptop, and it just so happens to run Chrome OS.

It’s no lightweight, though. Several of the Alphr team remarked on its heft after picking it up for the first time, and for good reason – at 1.62kg, it’s remarkably heavy compared to most £1,000 13.3in laptops. The build quality is superb, however. There’s barely a hint of give in the rock-solid base, and the carbon-fibre lid feels reassuringly tough and sturdy, too. If Dell’s goal was to combine hard-knock build quality with a dash of style, then it’s fair to say it’s hit the mark.

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Keyboard and touchscreen

Sometimes, a keyboard just feels right – and this is one of those times. The Chromebook 13’s keyboard is a joy to work with, and as there’s no hint of bounce or flex in the base, the crisp action of the keys feels fantastic. Every keystroke leaves you in no doubt as to whether you’ve successfully pressed a key or not, and the combination of slightly shrunken keys and ample spacing makes it every bit as good as a desktop keyboard. My only complaint? The up and down cursor keys are just a touch cramped.

The buttonless touchpad is a delight. The glass feels wonderfully smooth under the finger; there’s a lovely, solid click; and scrolling gestures are perfectly responsive. Combined with the touchscreen above, it makes for a Chromebook experience that is wonderfully slick and refined. Whether you instinctively prod the display or tap the touchpad, everything behaves consistently. It’s great.

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Display and touchscreen

The Chromebook 13’s Full HD 13.3in touchscreen is a far cry from the Chromebook Pixel’s gloriously sharp 2,560 x 1,700 panel, but it’s still a big step upwards from most Chromebooks. Colours are pleasingly bright and saturated, and images and videos pop off the screen with plenty of punch and contrast.

Not everyone will love the touchscreen’s high-gloss finish, though, and the airgap between the display and the glass doesn’t help either, causing some annoying glare and reflections. Closer inspection reveals other issues, too. The modest maximum brightness of 227cd/m2 leaves the Dell struggling outdoors or under very bright lighting conditions. And while a measured contrast ratio of 857:1 is respectable, it’s nowhere near the best Windows devices I’ve seen. The range of colour isn’t quite up with the best, either: the Dell’s panel covered 90% of the sRGB gamut, which is good but not great.

Continues on page 2: Performance, battery life, connectivity and overall verdict

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Performance and battery life

The range-topping Chromebook 13 is about as powerful as Chromebooks get. There’s a Broadwell Core i5-5300U processor, 8GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It’s no surprise, then, to find that the Dell flies through myriad Chrome tabs and multiple applications without breaking a sweat – I didn’t even hear a fan once. It’s as slick and stutter-free as anyone could ask for.

However, if you think a Core i5 in a Chromebook is complete overkill (which, admittedly, it probably is), bear in mind that you can save a huge amount of cash by opting for the dramatically cheaper Core i3 or Celeron models. I’m sceptical that many businesses will benefit from a Core i5-powered Chromebook, so am hoping to get the Core i3 and/or Celeron models in to update this part of the review in the near future.

Even in its high-powered Core i5 guise, however, the Chromebook 13 is impressively long-lasting. The 67Wh battery inside partially explains why it’s a good deal heavier than most 13.3in laptops, and in our standard video-rundown test, that huge battery allowed the Dell to push on for 10hrs 34mins before expiring. I got just under seven hours out of the Chromebook 13 while writing this review. That may not sound impressive, but then I had about 30 Chrome tabs open, the screen was cranked up to maximum brightness, and I was streaming music from SoundCloud over 5GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi. I’d say that’s pretty good going.

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Features and connectivity

There’s nothing here to get too excited about, but Dell has covered most of the essentials. You get a pair of USB 3 ports, one on each edge, an HDMI 1.4 output, a 3.5mm headset jack and a microSD slot.

You also get 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4, although sadly there’s no Ethernet. Still, the presence of a decent-quality 720p camera is welcome, and the speakers are genuinely impressive. Crank the speakers up to maximum and there’s plenty of volume and even a modicum of depth and clarity to the sound.

Dell Chromebook 13 7310: Verdict

Let’s get one thing straight: I do not recommend spending more than £1,000 on the Core i5 touchscreen model of the Chromebook 13. For that money, I’d buy an XPS 13. Or a Chromebook Pixel. Or a 13in MacBook Pro.

The non-touch Celeron or Core i3 models are far more attractive, however. They’re fairly pricey over on Dell’s site, but I’ve seen them for sale on Insight UK for £404 and £475 respectively, and at that price it’s not hard to see the appeal. You get high-end build quality, a superb keyboard and touchpad, and great battery life in a tough, handsome package.

You can say what you like about Chrome OS, but it’s tough to argue with getting a premium-quality business laptop for less than £500. You’d be hard-pressed to get a similar-quality Windows business laptop for the same money. Okay, that value-for-money argument evaporates once you get to the top-spec model I have here, but no-one’s forcing you to buy that. Set your sights lower down the range, and the Dell Chromebook 13 is one of the very best.

Read more: Looking for a business device that’s more than just a laptop? Then click here to read our review of Lenovo’s multitalented hybrid, the ThinkPad Yoga 260