Dell Latitude 5290

£1,532 | $1,932 www.dell.com

The hybrid that might actually replace your laptop, if you can afford it

Now that 2018 is going to be another year without a new Surface Pro, Microsoft’s competitors are putting out new top-of-the-line 2-in-1s with the idea of making 2018 their year instead. 

Enter the Dell Latitude 5290 laptop, a detachable device that the Texas manufacturer hopes will capture some of that suddenly up for grabs 2-in-1 territory.

Ideal for anyone who runs a small business or who works from home, the enterprise-focused Latitude 5290 on test costs £1,532 ($1,932). Lower spec configurations start at £1,259 ($899) excluding VAT.

Design

The Latitude follows the typical detachable 2-in-1 template: it has a deployable kickstand so the tablet portion can stand on its own, along with a magnetised type cover for easy tablet/laptop conversion, and an extra-large bezel and tactile rear panel so you can easily grip it.

That said, the Latitude 5290 does bring some welcome wrinkles to the 2-in-1 blueprint. It has a nifty take on the tablet kickstand – the leg auto-deploys by holding the tablet at a 90-degree angle and pressing it into a flat surface.

Furthermore, the kickstand flexes a full 150-degrees, allowing for custom viewing angles and easy access to the micro-SIM and microSD card slots, which are cleverly, and discreetly, located around the back of the tablet.

The Latitude 5290 is also awash with ports and card slots. Most notably it boasts a Noble Wedge lock, smart card reader, NFC and a pair of DisplayPort over USB-C connectors. Thanks to this port twinning, you don’t have to choose between charging your Latitude and plugging in another device.