Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (7506) Review

The Dell Inspiron series of laptops are designed to inspire you to reach your full potential with the help of versatile computing features. Unfortunately, the 7506 2-in-1 Failed to create that spark among us with its safety features and rather bland offerings. Don’t get us wrong! This laptop has some strengths, including a pocket-friendly price; however, it failed to measure up to other power-packed laptops already available in the market in a similar price range.

The Dell Inspiron 7506 comes with some functional specs like the 15-inch touchscreen, Thunderbolt 4, and a number pad packed in a silver chassis that doesn’t stand out as much as a brushed metal finish. The solid processing power and ample RAM are two of its other strengths.

A brief overview of the specs and design clarifies that the 7506 is a business-range laptop that might not be the best choice for home use. The execution of the laptop/tablet hybrid is rather clumsy with issues that may put some people off.

Nonetheless, although this offering from Dell might not be a top favorite of ours, it does pack some solid features for an affordable price, which is an attractive composition for many buyers. Today’s detailed review of the Dell Inspiron 7000 2 in 1 will help you decide if it fits your needs or you should be considering a different option.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop – Intel Core i7 – 1080p

SPECIFICATIONS

Processor
CPU	Intel Core i5-1135G7,Intel Core i7- 1165G7
Clock Speed (Turbo boost)	4.2 GHz, 4.7 GHz
Cache	8 MB Cache, 12 MB Cache
Hard Drive
Storage	256 GB, 512 GB
Spindle Speed	PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Memory
Speed	3200MHz
Technology	DDR4 SDRAM
Size	8GB, 16GB
Display
Type	15.6-inch FHD Truelife Touch Narrow Border. WVA Display with Active Pen support
Resolution	1920 x 1080, 3840 x 2160
LCD Backlight Technology	LED
Keyboard
Backlit Keyboard	Yes
Keys’ Format	English with numeric Keypad
Operating System
Type	Windows 10 Home,Windows 10 Pro
Audio & Camera
Sound	Stereo speakers professionally tuned with MaxxAudio® Pro, 2 W
Graphic Processor	Intel Iris Xe Graphics with shared graphics memory
Webcam	720p at 30 fps, HD RGBIr camera, Dual-array microphones
Primary Camera	0.9MP
Connections
Ports	2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A1 Thunderbolt™ 4 (Type-C®) port with PowerShare and DisplayPort™1 headset (headphone and microphone combo) port1 HDMI 2.0 port
Memory card	Micro SD card reader
Wireless	Intel® Wi-Fi 6 2×2 (Gig+) and Bluetooth
BATTERY
Capacity	53 WHr (Integrated)
Cells	4-Cell Battery
Dimensions, Weight, & Color
Height (rear)	17.94 mm (0.71 inches)
Height (front)	16.40 mm (0.65 inches)
Width	356.20 mm (14.02 inches)
Depth	238.40 mm (9.39 inches)
Starting weight	1.903 kg (4.20 lb.)
Weight (maximum)	1.95 kg (4.30 lb.)
Color	Platinum Silver
Other Features
Security Software	McAfee LiveSafe 12 Month Subscription
Regulatory Compliance	ENERGY STAR® 8.0
Warranty
Hardware Service	1 Year
Accidental Damage Service	None

Dell 15 Inspiron 7000 2 in 1 – Pros and Cons

Pros

Vibrant 4K touch display
Dell Active Pen included
Average speed and performance
Numpad included
USB-C port supports Thunderbolt 4
Upgradable RAM and SSD
Reliable built quality
IR camera
Good business-range laptop

Cons

Low battery life
Reflective screen
Heating issues
Noisy fan
Pricey option
Only a single USB-C port

Usability And Performance

The Inspiron 7506’s look is not its best, standout feature. It is predominantly silver, with a matte finish on the lid and shiny edges that keep it from looking like an older laptop; the keyboard is also silver. It would have been nice to have the Dell Latitude line’s brushed metal effect finish, but what we get in the 7506 isn’t bad, but it could be better.

The size of the laptop is rather large for a 15-inch screen device, which may be due to the inclusion of the Numpad squeezed beside the keyboard. If you have someone who loves symmetry, then the touchpad and space bar arrangement might bother you (some of us also had an issue with how the two lined up). Due to size constraints, the Numpad keys are narrowed down compared to the size of the keys on the keyboard, which may make it harder to hit the Numpad keys accurately.

The design of the device causes some issues when converting the laptop into a tablet. The main problem is a large size and the heavyweight, making it difficult to carry and use the tablet in one hand. The lack of a stylus is also an issue.

The conversion mechanism doesn’t include a tablet position lock, so the possibility of the hinge opening a little makes the whole thing feel clumsy. Furthermore, gripping the keyboard for support is also not effective. Our final qualm with the design is the reflective nature of the screen. Overall, the tablet mode suffers from poor execution.

As far as Windows 10 is concerned, which the 7506 comes with, its performance is good in both modes, especially the touch environment. The intuitive switch over to portrait tablet mode (you have to enable this feature) is excellent. It makes the switch over feel less clumsy despite the below-average performance of the hardware in this respect. On the bright side, the laptop’s hinges are durable and well designed to withstand repeated switching back and forth between the laptop and tablet mode.

The noisy fan, in our humble opinion, hints at the performance issues of the i5 processor. You can hear the sudden burst of the fans cooling the processor constantly. During our test, while running Cinebench R20, the fans were audible even after it was closed.

The additional heat that the fans inside the unit constantly counteract may be caused mainly by the 11th-gen processors. Nonetheless, it works well when browsing, photo editing, and handling basic office tasks, yet the fans running through were a cause of concern.

Moving on to a significant plus point of the laptop is the Thunderbolt 4 port that allows you to enjoy high-end connectivity. In terms of flexibility, the Thunderbolt 4 is exceptional! Not only does it function as an additional charging port (besides the primary power connection). You can also use the Thunderbolt 4 to connect multiple accessories such as an external GPU, RAID system, daisy-chain monitors, a gigabit Ethernet, and more.

Price

The price for the model with the four-core/eight-thread Intel i5 CPU, 15.6-inch 1920×1080 screen, 12GB of RAM (3200MHz DDR4), and the 32GB of Intel Optane memory that boosts the 512GB SSD, out of which 459GB is for use, is $989 US and £1018 UK.

Considering the price you pay, the Dell 15 Inspiron 7000 2 in 1 is reasonably priced. However, offerings from other brands, such as the Asus Zenbook UM562IA, which comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU plus 16GB RAM, might be a better deal for your money.

You can also consider models from Dell’s other ranges, such as the home range, where you can get an Intel i7 four-core/eight-thread CPU, 8GB of RAM with impressively quick 4267MHz LPDDR4x, 512GB of SSD, and a 14.5-inch screen. The only thing missing is the Optane cache for the speed boost, but you’ll be paying the same price for the home model.

In the home version, the trade-off is the better RAM for a faster processor speed. On the flip side, if you can compromise on the size of the screen, fewer ports, and no Windows, you can go for the MacBook Air 2020, M1. Thanks to its powerful processor, the MacBook will serve as a great business laptop.

Other brands are constantly coming up with better offerings for an affordable price, so expect to have more than two great contenders at every price point. The key to finding a reliable laptop for your budget is first to understand your own needs and wants and then compare them to the different options available in the market. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron 15 might not be the top choice within the range due to its few shortcomings, so we encourage you to explore the different options before committing to one.

Design and Build

Dell Inspiron 7000 series laptops come with an aluminum body, and 2-in-1 laptops are also convertible. If you talk about the overall build quality, then the Dell 7506 will surely impress you with its durable built quality and smart design. The only con of Dell Inspiron 15 7506’s design is its weight. The 1.8kg weight makes it bulky and less travel-friendly than other laptops in the same price range.

The touchpad of Dell 7506 also operates smoothly and precisely with slight pressure. The touchpad’s surface has a slightly textured, grainy feel that makes operation easier and more accurate, and the fingerprints do not appear on the touchpad.

We have no complaints with the keyboard because the keys are pleasant to touch, and they do not make a loud sound that makes typing more efficient. The keyboard also features two brightness levels that you can adjust or turn off with the F5 key. Press the F5 key once to activate the first brightness level, twice to activate the second level, and thrice to turn the brightness off.

You also get a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button for logging in without a password. However, the fingerprint sensor is not always accurate; therefore, we prefer logging in with a password only.

Display

The display quality of the Dell Inspiron 7506 is very impressive! The 15.6 inches Full HD with a stable glossy touch display contains 142 pixels per inch. It covers a maximum of 100% of the sRGB color space and features a maximum light density of 300 nits or 300 cd/m².

Overall, we did not find any cons of the display quality. It is excellent for day-to-day tasks such as watching videos, playing games, designing colorful images, and more.

The Stylus, The Keyboard, And The Trackpad

The keyboard of the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Black Edition is one of the main attractions of what is otherwise a respectable laptop. However, the graphics performance of the laptop is lacking in certain areas. In comparison to the surfaces of other laptops, the keycaps on this one have a velvety, matte finish that makes them feel positively opulent. Typing on them is rather quiet, but you hear a pleasant pop when you press them.

The “soft-touch” feel of this keyboard deserves to be implemented in as many Dell laptops as possible.

In addition, Dell provides an active pen that can sense 1,024 different degrees of pressure but has a limited range. (Other laptop pens, such as the Surface Pen made by Microsoft, offer up to four times more pressure levels than this one.) Even better, Dell devised a clever method for storing it by milling a magnetic groove into the display hinge. This secures the pen and ensures that it is easily accessible while the device is in tablet mode. When you close the laptop, your stylus is tucked away and out of the way, making it convenient for transport.

At long last, somebody has devised the most convenient method for storing a stylus pun on a 2-in-1 laptop.

Compared with the laptop’s other means of entering data, the Inspiron 15 7000 Black Edition trackpad is not nearly as pleasant to use. The surface has a tacky sensation when you run your fingertips across it, which becomes more pronounced as you apply more pressure. Additionally, similar to the majority of other Windows trackpads, its clicking mechanism becomes more resistant as you bring your finger closer to the top edge. However, it does make use of Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad drivers, which means that it is responsive and supports a wide variety of multi-touch motions. However, Dell has previously supplied significantly more fluid trackpads than this one.

Battery Life And Noise

If you do a specification vs. battery life comparison, you will not be impressed with its battery life. The battery runs for about 5-6 hours; however, it is not as impressive as other laptops in the same price category or even other laptops of the Dell Inspiron 7000 series.
Dell 7000 (7506) also fails to perform in the battery benchmark tests, and its processor is the most significant reason why Dell 7506 is power-hungry. Running Cinebench benchmark on battery power dropped 11% battery.

Dell Inspiron 7506 does offer better battery performance than most gaming laptops in the same price range. However, it is also essential to consider that it is significantly less powerful than an average gaming laptop. Thus, the battery performance disappointed us big-time! It should be much better, especially considering the hefty price of this laptop.

Talking about the noise, Dell 7000 disappoints yet again! Its continuous hissing sound and intervals of bursts of increased cooling completely ruin the experience of streaming HDR content on speakers. The only solution to combat the sound is either to use headphones or level up the volume of the internal speakers to overcome the fan noise.

Why We Recommend The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (7506)

Reliable Productivity Laptop With Gaming Capabilities

Suppose you occasionally perform photo and video editing tasks, need 20 or so browser tabs open at once, and want to play a AAA game after work. In that case, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (7506) is worth the extra money.

Provides a Full Package

The Black Edition not only has more powerful specs but also includes many features found on higher-end laptops. The Active Pen that comes with the Dell Inspiron 15 Black Edition (7506), the IR camera for facial ID login, and the 4K touchscreen are just a few examples.

Premium Quality at a Higher Cost

It is on the more expensive side of the mid-range market, costing $1,567 (£1,299, approximately AU$2,028). If you can afford the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (7506), go ahead and get it.

Verdict

Overall, Dell Inspiron 7506 is an average to slightly above average laptop. Although, it has an excellent screen that allows you to enjoy videos and gaming with sharp and vibrant colors and controlled lighting. However, if you do specs vs. price comparison, there are too many cons considering the hefty price of this laptop.

Dell 7000 (7506) has its pros and cons. But, if you want to buy a laptop that comes with enough specs to be a future-proof machine, efficient performance for day-to-day business tasks, video streaming, and hobbyist gaming, plus a sturdy built quality, then Dell Inspiron 7506 is a reliable option.

So, do we recommend Dell Inspiron 7000 (7506)? Well, it wouldn’t be on our top recommendations list, but it is good if you are willing to ignore the cons and still pay a hefty price.

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Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (7506) review