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Keyboard and touchpad
While the Latitude 11 5179 doesn’t come with a keyboard accessory, there are two that can be bought seperately. For £121 (ex VAT) you get the slim keyboard, which, as its name implies, is much thinner than the regular keyboard that’s available for £166 ex VAT. I’ve finally had a chance to test both models, and the slim version definitely makes an excellent companion. Its tactile keys and smooth touchpad are very responsive, but it lacks some of the regular keyboard’s additional features, such as an integrated battery and Active Pen stylus which slots into the base.
The regular model raises the keys much higher than the slim keyboard, and they’re housed in a metal case rather than a plastic one, so they don’t bounce around as much when you’re typing. Unlike the slim, it’s worth mentioning there’s no kickstand on the regular model here, so you can’t tilt the screen back too far, but the hinge holds up the tablet well regardless.
Battery life
The 2 cell 35WHr battery in the Latitude 11 5179 was also impressive, lasting just over nine hours in our continuous video playback test with the screen brightness set to 170cd/m2 brightness level. This is pretty good as far as Windows tablets go, and a full charge should last you most of the working day as long as you don’t whack the screen brightness up to full for extended periods. If you do get low on charge, though, Dell’s charger is, thankfully, nice and compact, so it shouldn’t take up too much space in your bag if you need to take it with you.
Ports and speakers
There are plenty of connectivity options on offer with the Latitude 11 5179, too, including a microSD card slot, micro HDMI for connecting it to an external display, a full-sized USB3 port and a USB3 Type-C port as well. The Latitude 11 5179 also has the added benefit of a smartcard reader and fingerprint scanner on the back, which isn’t available on the regular 5175 model.
Both, however, support 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1, and you can configure each model with a SIM card slot as well, adding in a mobile data option. It’s also worth mentioning that you get Dell’s business support with the Latitude 11 5179, with 1 year ProSupport and next business day on-site service if anything goes wrong.
The Latitude 11 also comes with dual side-facing speakers. These are decent and relatively punchy, but bass is rather lacking. They are incredibly loud, though, and they have a pleasing amount of depth, so you should easily be able to fill a large room for presentations.
Verdict
Dell’s Latitude 11 5179 has a lovely screen, great battery life and plenty of features and accessories, but at this kind of price, it’s let down by its rather lacklustre performance. At over £1,000 inc VAT, it’s very expensive for what it is – and that’s without the extra cost of a keyboard, don’t forget – and you’d be much better off spending that money on something more practical like the XPS 13, which has much better performance across the board as well as Dell’s gorgeous InfinityEdge display.
Of course, the Latitude 11 5175 is admittedly much cheaper than the 5179 model reviewed here, but when you’ve still got to factor in the cost of a keyboard, it pales in comparison to its equally business-minded cousin, the Latitude 13 7370. If you’re adamant on getting a Latitude, the 13 7370 is a much better buy than the Latitude 11, but for the best overall value, the XPS 13 remains our premium laptop of choice. Looking for something a bit different, then check out our best laptop 2016 guide.
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