When hearing about Dell Latitudes, most people see them as devices made for companies, and that's for a good reason, they are. You can certainly use one for personal stuff (like I do), but should you?
Specs
My unit has an i7-1355U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. So far, it's been able to handle everything I threw at it with ease, as expected from a $1000 laptop. Keep in mind that it's not a gaming laptop by ANY means, though. If you're a serious gamer or a video editor, Intel Xe Graphics are just not enough.
Now let's get to some more subtle (but still interesting) features. The RAM is upgradable up to 64GB, and so is the SSD. Going over to the display, it's fine. Boasting a resolution of 1920x1080 with apparently 100% of the sRGB colorspace, it should be more than enough, for me anyway.
So, in conclusion, if you're a coder, like me, then it's great spec-wise. But if you're a serious gamer or a video editor, you should really consider another laptop with a proper GPU.
Design and I/O
The laptop's design is nothing too special. It's not too bulky but I wouldn't call it an ultrabook either, and it's completely made out of plastic, something that is definitely not favorable for a $1000 machine. On the plus side, though, its got a pretty good port selection. That being 2 USB-C ports capable of power delivery, 2 USB-A ports, Ethernet, and yes, a headphone jack. It also lacks an SD card slot.
Other variants of the Latitude 5440 include a SIM card slot, a smart card reader, and even an IR blaster, but my unit doesn't have those. It also has some other perks like the ability to block out the camera on a hardware level, a backlit keyboard, and a nice touchpad (in my opinion).
Battery life
Battery life isn't exactly a strong point for the Latitude 5440, or at least under Pop!_OS. With my usage, it lasts around 6 to 7 hours, which isn't exactly the best, but it's kind of expected with a 54 Wh battery powering the device. However, you might be able to get even more battery life depending on your specific usage and device configuration.
Actual Performance
Although not a beast by any stretch of the imagination, the Latitude 5440 can handle any daily task you throw at it. Be it web browsing, editing documents, coding, light gaming, or even serious development. However, keep in mind that the base model includes a 13th gen i5, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It's not all sunshine and roses, though. Again, it doesn't have a dedicated GPU, so forget about heavy gaming or serious video editing.
Portability
As a 14-inch laptop, it's decently portable compared to many other devices around. However, it's not that thin of a laptop. As for fan noise, When you're not pushing it too much, you should barely be able to hear any fan noise if at all, but it can get pretty loud sometimes.
Final Verdict
At a price of around $1000, the Latitude 5440 is a solid, supposedly reliable, and VERY streamlined laptop. However, with other options, like the MacBook Air, existing at a similar price, it's tough to recommend for most people.
So, if you're looking for a laptop that feels familiar and isn't overly "gimmicky", maybe you should put this device on your list :)
