Dell Latitude 12 7000 2-in-1 review: Slick overpriced and underpowered

(credit: Andrew Williams)

Due to the vagaries of how OEMs configure and market PCs in different parts of the world, there is some variation between the specs of default 7000 Series laptops sold in the US and UK. That said, it is possible to use Dell's configuration tool to come up with with identical specs.

Specs at a glance: Dell Latitude 12 7275 2-in-1
	Worst	Best	As reviewed
SCREEN	1920×1080 IPS at 12.5-inch, multitouch	3840×2160 IPS at 12.5-inch, multitouch	3840×2160 IPS at 12.5-inch, multitouch
OS	Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU	6th Generation Intel Core m5-6Y57 (Dual-core, 1.1GHz, 4MB cache)	6th Generation Intel Core m7-6Y75 (Dual-core, 1.2GHz, 4MB cache)	6th Generation Intel Core m7-6Y75 (Dual-core, 1.2GHz, 4MB cache)
RAM	4GB DDR3L	8GB DDR3L	8GB DDR3L
GPU	Intel HD 515
HDD	128GB M.2 SATA SSD	256GB M.2 SATA SSD	256GB M.2 SATA SSD
NETWORKING	Intel 8260 Dual band 2x2 802.11ac 2.4/5GHz + Bluetooth 4.1
PORTS	2 x USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt), microSD reader
SIZE	Height: 8.22mm (0.32") x Width: 290.87mm (11.45") x Depth: 192.85mm (7.59")
WEIGHT	1.61 lbs (0.73kg)
BATTERY	2-Cell (30Whr) battery
WARRANTY	3 years
NOTE	Dell's prices can vary wildly thanks to its "instant savings." The prices below include VAT; but the prices on the Dell website, as they're for businesses, are excluding VAT.
PRICE	£1168	£1488	£1488

Once a gimmick, the hybrid 2-in-1 has rapidly become the default design for a high-end portable laptop—or rather, Microsoft's take on the the hybrid 2-in-1 has become the default design for a high-end portable laptop. For all its faults, the Surface Pro is a fine piece of hardware design, and everyone from the likes of HP to Lenovo has come up with its own iterative take on the concept. Dell has had a few bashes at it too, with varying degrees of success. (What was it thinking with the wacky, horizontally spinning screen of the old XPS 12?)

The Latitude 12 7000 (actual model number 7275) is decidedly less out there, and not just because it hails from Dell's stuffy business PC range. It's very much a take on the Surface design, albeit with a different—though not necessarily better—case and keyboard, as well as an austere, yet attractive soft-touch body. Dell's design chops have come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, and the Latitude 12 7000 is no exception; business types and clean-cut consumers will have no problem whipping one out in a meeting, or at a local Starbucks.

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