Just as the Latitude 13 7370 borrowed elements from Dell’s excellent XPS 13, so too does the Latitude 11 5179 feed off the company’s XPS 12. It’s a 2-in-1 hybrid aimed primarily at business users, and it’s compatible with a generous selection of extra features, including fingerprint and smart card readers, docks and two different types of detachable keyboard.
However, whereas the XPS 12 came with a keyboard as standard, you have to pay extra for it on the Latitude, so you’ll need to be prepared to add another £121 for the Slim Keyboard or £166 for the regular keyboard (both prices are ex VAT) onto the tablet’s overall price if you plan on using it to work on.
At 760g, it’s certainly not the lightest tablet around, but at least its weight is evenly distributed, so it doesn’t feel too uncomfortable to hold during extended use. It’s reasonably bulky, but its sturdy magnesium alloy chassis and Gorilla Glass screen should provide more than enough protection to survive a trip in your bag or rucksack.
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Performance
As with all Dell products, there are several specs on offer in the 5000 series, but there are also two distinct model numbers to contend with as well – the standard 5175 which costs between £549 and £819 ex VAT, and the 5179 reviewed here, which starts at £839 ex VAT and goes all the way up to £939.
It’s a bit of a mess to pick through, but in terms of pure specs, you’ve essentially got a choice of either an Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor or an Intel Core m5-6Y57 processor, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of SSD storage.
Our sample came with a 1.1GHz Core m5-6Y57 chip and 8GB of RAM, but sadly even the m5 proved rather sluggish in our 4K benchmarks. It’s the same processor you’ll find in the Latitude 13 7370, and the Latitude 11 5179 scored an identical 22 overall. This is fine for everyday tasks such as basic word processing, but it will struggle with more demanding tasks such as video-editing and intensive media applications.
Naturally, with just its integrated Intel HD 515 graphics chip on board, it’s not particularly cut out for 3D games either, but you still should be able to fit in the odd bit of gaming around meetings if you work with its limitations. It’s fine for a quick blast of Hearthstone on your lunch break, for example, and I even managed to get a decent 35fps in Dirt Showdown on Low graphics settings and the anti-aliasing turned off, although you’ll either need to buy a keyboard or a wireless gaming pad to play these types of games properly.
Display
The 10.8in, 1,920 x 1,080 IPS touchscreen doesn’t have Dell’s gorgeous InfinityEdge display, sadly, but it’s nevertheless one of the tablet’s highlights. With a peak brightness of 466cd/m2, it’s almost twice as bright as the screen on the Latitude 13 7370, and its sRGB colour gamut coverage of 84.9% produces vibrant, lively colours.
Black levels leave a little to be desired on max brightness, but a contrast ratio of 1,118:1 is very respectable, giving images plenty of detail in dark shadow areas. It’s worth noting that the glossy finish is very reflective, so working under bright lights can be a little distracting, but its high screen brightness more than makes up for it.
Continues on page 2: Keyboard and touchpad, battery life and verdict
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