Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, Dell's Inspiron 14 Plus (model 7441, starting at $849.99 and $999.99 as tested) serves as a solid, if unremarkable, everyday laptop. Its aluminum design adds a premium feel, and features like a touch screen, Wi-Fi 7, and multiple biometric options come standard. Although it doesn't stand out among midrange slimlines, it's well-rounded enough to be a worthy contender, particularly if you catch it on sale. At this price and screen size, we're partial to the AMD Ryzen-based Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406) for full x86 compatibility or the Acer Swift 14 AI if you want to stick with Snapdragon for extreme battery life.

Design: Your Friendly Neighborhood Inspiron

Dell's widely recognized Inspiron brand is soon to be phased out as the company has decided to rename its entire lineup. While the Inspiron 14 Plus I'm reviewing here hasn't undergone this rebranding yet, its successor will probably carry the "Dell Plus" name.

The 14-inch laptop we tested at $999.99 is equipped with a Snapdragon X Plus processor (X1P-64-100, 10 cores, 3.4GHz), Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB solid-state drive. The $849.99 entry-level model offers half the storage (256GB). Optional upgrades include a Snapdragon X Elite processor and a 1TB solid-state drive.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Although the Dell's starting price undercuts those of the Acer Swift 14 AI ($1,049.99), the HP OmniBook X 14 ($999.99), and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x ($1,199.99), those notebooks can often be found at significant discounts, making it worthwhile to wait for a sale. I noticed our review model briefly discounted to $799.99, which made it much more attractive. Also, keep in mind that Dell offers an Intel variant (model 7440), priced similarly but with key differences in port selection, screen options, and standard features.

The Inspiron 14 Plus is proportioned like the Acer Swift 14 AI, at 0.7 by 12.4 by 8.8 inches. At 3.2 pounds, it misses our three-pound cutoff to qualify as an ultraportable. Both the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and the HP OmniBook X 14 are thinner and lighter.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Dell's aluminum design feels strong and premium, passing MIL-STD 810H tests for operation in harsh conditions. While the laptop isn't visually striking, the rounded corners lend it a friendly look, and the Ice Blue lid breaks up the monotony.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Inspiron’s physical connections are adequate but not extensive. On the left, you'll find two USB4 ports (the power adapter can be plugged into either) and a microSD card slot, while the right side holds a USB Type-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack. There’s no dedicated (HDMI or DisplayPort) monitor output unless your monitor supports USB-C, so you may need to carry an adapter.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

A Qualcomm FastConnect wireless card supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless. Biometric features include a fingerprint reader built into the power button and an infrared webcam for password-free logins using Windows Hello.

Dell covers the Inspiron 14 Plus with an industry-standard one-year warranty. Opening the bottom cover, the battery is replaceable, as is the storage drive. The latter is M.2 2230 format instead of the more common M.2 2280, limiting upgrade potential.

Living With the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus: A Fine Casual Laptop

Home users will find much to like in the Inspiron 14 Plus. The aluminum design feels sturdy enough to tote anywhere; the touch screen is convenient; and the white keyboard backlighting is effective in low light. Also, it has a good webcam with a sliding privacy shutter.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Inspiron's quad speakers are a standout feature. Positioned on either side of the keyboard and facing upward, they deliver excellent clarity and rich bass. Drum hits in Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" were especially engaging, and the audio experience felt like being in a mini movie theater while watching The Marvels.

The 2,560-by-1,600-pixel display provides ample working space and minimizes reflections with its anti-glare surface. I found it almost too bright at night. Colors aren't quite on the level of an OLED display but are still well saturated. The display also has Dell's ComfyView blue-light-reducing technology.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The keyboard is the only factor preventing me from recommending this laptop for more than casual use. Its lack of tactile feel affects usability; I managed only 106 words per minute (wpm) with 96% accuracy in the MonkeyType online typing test, about 10wpm below my usual speed. Additionally, the mismatched sizes of the arrow keys are not intuitive. On the bright side, the keyboard features a function lock (Fn+Escape) to toggle the top row to system shortcuts. Below, the touchpad is generously sized.

The included MyDell app offers Dolby Vision settings and various performance modes. I used the default Optimized setting, which kept the fans quiet to the point that I rarely noticed them. For those looking to maximize performance, the Ultra Performance profile is available, though it comes with increased fan noise. The laptop also includes a McAfee antivirus trial, which I promptly uninstalled.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Snapdragon X's built-in neural processing unit (NPU) is powerful enough to support Microsoft Copilot+ and enable localized AI processing. While its capabilities are likely to improve over time, the only obvious current AI features are the special webcam effects available in the Windows Camera app. It's also important to note that not every Windows program is Arm-compatible, so ensure your apps run on this laptop before making a purchase.

Testing the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus: Snapdragon X Plus Efficiency

In our benchmark comparisons, the all-Snapdragon lineup includes the Acer Swift 14 AI ($1,199.99 as tested), the Asus Vivobook S 15 ($1,099.99 as tested), the HP OmniBook X 14 ($1,049.99 as tested), and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x ($1,199.99 as tested). These laptops are all equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite processor, putting our Inspiron’s Snapdragon X Plus chip at a disadvantage. As noted, the Inspiron is also available with the Elite chip.

Productivity and Content Creation Tests

Windows on Arm still has compatibility issues with certain software and tests, so we can’t run UL’s PCMark 10 productivity and office application benchmark. Our remaining tests are all CPU-centric: Maxon's Cinebench 2024 uses that company's Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Primate Labs' Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning; and we see how long it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution. 

Despite its Snapdragon X Plus processor, the Inspiron fell notably short only in the demanding Cinebench test. In Geekbench, it performed similarly to the others and secured a respectable third place in HandBrake. Overall, you can expect similarly responsive performance from these laptops in everyday use.

Gaming and Graphics Tests

We challenge each laptop’s graphics with a quartet of animations or gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark test suite. Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. 

Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects. A fifth test, Solar Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing performance using Vulkan or Metal APIs at 1440p resolution.

The Inspiron matched the performance of the other laptops in the 3DMark tests, which is expected given they all share the Qualcomm Adreno GPU. While powerful for an integrated solution, it's suitable for browser-based games and creative apps rather than demanding games like Call of Duty.

Battery and Display Tests

We test each laptop and tablet's battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We make sure the battery is fully charged before the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.

To gauge display performance, we also use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen's color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).

While the Inspiron’s nearly 17-hour runtime suggests it should easily last through a day's work or school without plugging in, its endurance is on the lower end of the Snapdragon spectrum. However, its screen brightness at the 50% setting we use for testing is among the highest in this group, so it should be possible to squeeze more time out of it using lower brightness.

The Inspiron’s near-complete sRGB color coverage and high brightness delivers a solid viewing experience. The OLED-equipped Lenovo has wider color, but the Inspiron is anything but undersaturated. The Acer's screen has one advantage that isn't captured in our measurements: it offers a smoother 120Hz refresh rate, whereas the Inspiron is limited to the standard 60Hz.

Verdict: A Solid Midrange Snapdragon Laptop

Dell's Inspiron 14 Plus is a good fit for casual home use. Its bright screen and excellent speakers make it ideal for entertainment, and its Snapdragon processor keeps things running smoothly. Standard biometric features and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity add convenience. However, the Inspiron doesn’t quite lead the pack. For a slightly higher price, the Acer Swift 14 AI provides longer battery life and an even better screen, if you want to run with Snapdragon silicon for its extreme endurance. Otherwise, we maintain that the Ryzen-based Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch cited up top is one of the best 14-inch values out there. Still, keep this Inspiron on the table, especially if the price is right.