Pros:
– One of the very best trying Windows laptops
– Solid build-quality
– Solid, reliable efficiency
– Decent gaming chops for an ultrabook
– Stunning OLED show with contact capabilities
– Incredibly sounding audio system
– Elegant-looking keyboard and trackpad
Cons:
– Comes at a hefty premium
– Lack of clearly demarcated trackpad could also be a difficulty for some
– Function keys’ touchbar must be rethought
– Lack of a lip on the chassis makes it troublesome to open single-handed
– Underpowered RTX 4050
Price: Rs 2,57,000 for the examined configuration
Rating: 4.5/5
The Dell XPS line of premium laptops is seeing its swansong with the XPS 14 9440, provided that the tech big has determined to go for a serious rebranding train for its laptop computer going ahead. Tech lovers in addition to followers of the XPS lineup will keep in mind it as maybe the one Windows laptop computer that would maintain a candle to the almighty MacBook Pro lineup no less than by way of design.
However, there have been cases when an XPS providing might go toe-to-toe towards a MacBook Pro, in sure points of efficiency as effectively. The Dell XPS 14 9440, manages to do exactly that.
Here we’ve got a laptop computer that appears phenomenal, performs pretty effectively due to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, and really defines what a Windows-based ultrabook needs to be. And to high all of it, it comes with a somewhat spectacular 3.2K show, with contact capabilities. Now there’s an entire bundle.
But not all is as golden as it might appear. Dell has clearly made some decisions that favour type over perform. The trackpad for instance. While it’s actually one thing to behold, and I personally prefer it, it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Battery life too, might have been higher. And to be really sincere, Dell is charging a premium for the XPS 14 9440. But is that premium justified in any means? We discover out
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Design and construct high quality
The Dell XPS collection has a well-earned repute for nailing that excellent mixture of premium design and stable performance, and the XPS 14 9440 OLED retains that custom alive. At first look, it’d appear to be simply one other high-end laptop computer, however the minute you open it, you realise this one’s acquired just a few tips up its sleeve.
The very first thing that catches your eye is the utterly easy wrist relaxation—it stretches throughout the bottom with none demarcations, leaving you questioning the place the touchpad is. Spoiler: it’s there, proper the place you’d anticipate it. Dell has gone for a borderless design that blends it into the floor. It’s smooth, trendy, and undoubtedly a dialog starter.
Then there’s the keyboard, which matches all-in on the minimalist vibe. The edge-to-edge, frameless design means the keys sit tightly along with no seen gaps, and it seems extremely sharp. You additionally get the speaker grills flanking the bodily keys of the keyboard.
However, changing bodily perform keys with a row of touch-sensitive buttons won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. This is Dell sacrificing performance for type. And though the touchbar works, it feels a bit odd. Also, while you press the perform key on the backside left nook, the icons change.
When it involves construct high quality, the XPS 14 doesn’t disappoint. The chassis is carved out of machined aluminium, giving it a premium, sturdy really feel. The keyboard deck, topped with Gorilla Glass 3, provides an additional sprint of class. At 1.7 kilograms for the OLED mannequin, it’s not the lightest ultrabook on the market, but it surely feels stable with out being overly heavy. You’ll don’t have any bother carrying it in your bag on your each day commute and even longer journeys.
Dell has saved issues easy with the color choices. Globally, you’ll be able to decide between Platinum and Graphite, however in India, it’s simply the Platinum end. The CNC-machined aluminium exterior, paired with a glass palm relaxation, seems and feels each bit as premium as you’d hope.
As for the ports, you get three Thunderbolt 4 connections, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD slot. It’s a minimalist setup, however the inclusion of the microSD slot is a considerate addition, particularly for photographers and different artistic customers.
As for warmth administration, it’s respectable however not groundbreaking. The laptop computer has air consumption vents on the edges and expels warmth by way of a vent below the show hinge. It holds up tremendous for many duties, however in case you’re pushing it arduous, the underside does get noticeably heat. Not a dealbreaker, however value mentioning.
There are just a few quirks, although. The lack of a lip on the lid makes it difficult to open, particularly in case you’re attempting to do it one-handed. But as soon as it’s open, the lid feels rock-solid and doesn’t wobble, even in case you’re carrying the laptop computer round whereas it’s open. The hinge strikes a pleasant steadiness between sturdiness and smoothness, and the lid itself is thick sufficient to withstand flexing.
There is an array of sensors and webcam on the highest fringe of the show for Windows Hello and different safety measures, however no bodily shutter to dam the digicam.
All in all, the XPS 14 9440 OLED is a stunner. It’s simply one of many best-looking Windows laptops round, and it’d even give the newer MacBook Pros a run for his or her cash within the design division, and that’s as excessive as reward will get. Sure, some may discover the hidden touchpad or the touch-sensitive perform keys a bit unconventional, however there’s a lot to love right here that these quirks hardly matter.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Keyboard and trackpad
Dell’s XPS 14 9440 continues the model’s custom of delivering stellar keyboards. We get fairly extensive and big keycaps, with respectable journey, and a tightly-packed design with no spacing between the keys.
The keyboard’s edge-to-edge structure is visually putting. Without gaps between the keys, it seems smooth and trendy. Surprisingly, regardless of the compact association, it’s simple to keep away from unintended key presses. The keys themselves are springy and responsive, providing simply sufficient suggestions to make typing a nice expertise. Although it does take some getting used to in case you’re coming from a extra commonplace laptop computer keyboard, Typing on it feels quick and easy, when you get used to it. Typing on the XPS 14 9440 for prolonged durations feels somewhat nice.
Even although the XPS 14 9440 will not be a Co-pilot PC, it does include the brand new Co-pilot key. This ought to give customers a sign of the AI capabilities of the laptop computer.
On the draw back, Dell’s choice to interchange the Function keys with touch-sensitive icons won’t sit effectively with everybody. These buttons lack the bodily suggestions that many customers desire for fast instructions like adjusting the amount or brightness. Moreover, the always-on LEDs for the icons, which solely dim barely in low mild, will also be distracting, particularly while you’re watching some content material in the dead of night.
If you thought the keyboard is somewhat distinctive, wait until you get to the touchpad. This is the place Dell takes a extra unconventional route. At first look, it appears to be lacking fully, because it blends seamlessly into the wrist relaxation with no seen borders or traces. This design will be complicated initially, and also you may end up swiping within the flawed place. But when you get the hold of it, the glass touchpad is a pleasure to make use of. It’s easy, responsive, and spacious, with glorious assist for gestures.
For some, the invisible touchpad may really feel like an pointless complication, but it surely’s not as intimidating because it appears. After a short adjustment interval, it feels intuitive and blends effectively with the general design.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Webcam and audio system
The Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED packs a stable punch with its full HD webcam and spectacular speaker setup. Sitting snugly on the slim high bezel, the digicam delivers easy 1080p video at 30 fps. It additionally options an IR sensor that works with Windows Hello for facial recognition and Express Sign-In.
The laptop computer additionally helps some nifty Windows Studio Effects like automated framing, eye-contact tweaks, and background blurring. Even in dim or overcast lighting, the digicam holds its personal, capturing vibrant colors with out the pesky static or noise. Credit for this goes to the laptop computer’s Ultra 7 Processor, whose highly effective NPU boosts the AI-driven Studio Effects, making video calls seamless and polished.
For added safety, the XPS 14 comes with an influence button that doubles as a fingerprint reader, providing an additional biometric login possibility, whereas Express Sign-In provides one other layer of comfort.
Now, let’s speak sound. The XPS 14’s quad-speaker setup is a refreshing improve over the standard downward-firing audio system in ultrabooks. These upward-facing audio system crank out 8W of sound at peak and keep crystal clear even at larger volumes.
Whether you’re blasting music, catching up on a collection, or on a convention name, the audio feels wealthy and full. The addition of Dolby Atmos brings an immersive expertise, and because of Waves Nx 3D audio, the headphone jack helps head monitoring for a spatial sound impact.
The audio system don’t simply get loud—they ship balanced bass and minimal distortion, even with overlapping tracks. While the default dynamic loudness setting works effectively, you’ll be able to fine-tune the audio for an much more refined output.
It’s truthful to say that the XPS 14 9440 is without doubt one of the greatest sounding laptops that comes with Windows and nearly rivals the MacBook Pro — a uncommon feat for a Windows machine. Whether it’s for video calls or leisure, the XPS 14 9440 OLED doesn’t disappoint.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Display
The Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED comes with a shocking 14.5-inch 3.2K (3200×2000) OLED touchscreen that’s arduous to fault. With a refresh charge of as much as 120Hz and vibrant, crystal-clear visuals, it’s a show that units the XPS 14 aside from lots of its ultrabook rivals.
Whether you’re watching your favorite Netflix collection, modifying pictures, or just scrolling by way of paperwork, the display delivers an distinctive expertise.
One of the standout options is its brightness. With SDR peak brightness at 400 nits and HDR going as much as 600 nits, the show performs admirably even below direct daylight. Using it outdoors within the solar is a breeze, and the extensive viewing angles guarantee color consistency regardless of the place you’re sitting. Add to that its spectacular color accuracy, and it’s clear this show is a winner for artistic professionals.
In duties like photograph or video modifying that require exact color replica, the XPS 14 handles it fantastically. Even for on a regular basis work or leisure, the vivid colors and sharp particulars make the whole lot from spreadsheets to YouTube movies really feel extra immersive. And as a result of the XPS 14 9440 is an Intel EVO-certified machine, it means it has to stick to sure high quality requirements. As a end result, I wouldn’t hesitate in color grading my pictures and movies on this machine.
Dell makes use of what they name an InfinityEdge design for the XPS 14, which takes the aesthetics up a notch, due to its ultra-slim bezels that maximise display actual property and make the laptop computer look trendy and chic. However, the shiny floor of the touchscreen does decide up reflections in well-lit environments, which may generally be a distraction. That mentioned, the touchscreen itself is easy and extremely responsive, making navigation easy. Whether you’re swiping between apps or scrolling by way of lengthy paperwork, the contact performance feels intuitive and fluid.
You additionally get a some clever options from Dell, by way of the MyDell app. One can be presence detection or Express Sign-in, which makes use of the webcam and the array of sensors to inform when a person has walked away and routinely locks the display. When the person returns, the webcam wakes the laptop computer up with none bodily enter. The function additionally takes privateness severely. If you look away from the display, it dims routinely, guaranteeing nobody sneaks a peek over your shoulder.
MyDell additionally provides you management over how the show seems. You can modify issues like gamma and color temperature, fine-tuning the visuals to match your preferences. Whether you need vibrant colors for watching motion pictures or cooler tones for modifying pictures, it’s all customisable in just some clicks.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Performance
At its coronary heart is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, a strong 16-core chip designed to strike the right steadiness between efficiency and vitality effectivity. It comes with six efficiency cores, eight environment friendly cores, and two low-power environment friendly cores.
These cores cowl the whole lot from demanding duties to mild looking, with the efficiency cores reaching a turbo velocity of as much as 4.8 GHz, whereas the environment friendly ones max out at 3.8 GHz. Even the low-power cores, clocking as much as 2.5 GHz, guarantee no vitality is wasted on much less demanding duties. This processor ensures the XPS 14 handles absolutely anything you throw at it with out breaking a sweat.
Backing up the CPU is NVIDIA’s RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of VRAM and a modest 40W TGP, in addition to Intel’s on-board Arc GPU. While the RTX 4050 will not be a gaming beast, it delivers stable graphics efficiency for on a regular basis duties and a few artistic workflows. Paired with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM clocked at 7467 MT/s, working in dual-channel mode, this laptop computer breezes by way of multitasking. Whether you’re engaged on spreadsheets, modifying pictures, or hopping between a dozen Chrome tabs, the XPS 14 feels easy.
It’s additionally outfitted with a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, providing speedy load instances and loads of area for work recordsdata, media, and extra.
Performance-wise, the XPS 14 does pretty effectively in benchmarks. It won’t high the charts, but it surely delivers better-than-expected outcomes, particularly in graphics-heavy duties. In truth, it outperformed its primary rival, the MacBook Pro 14-inch with the M3 chip in a lot of GPU intensive checks, which isn’t any small feat.
In on a regular basis use, it handles enterprise duties easily, due to Intel’s deal with single-core efficiency and improved effectivity. Even while you hit it with one thing heavy, like scrubbing by way of 4K timeline in Premiere Pro, or exporting a tonne of pictures utilizing Lightroom, the laptop computer doesn’t break a sweat.
As for gaming efficiency it’s a fairly respectable gaming machine, although inside limits. Casual avid gamers shall be happy to know that lighter indie titles run effortlessly. More demanding video games like Doom Eternal carry out effectively too, sustaining body charges between 95 and 115 fps at medium settings in 1080p.
However, heavier titles battle dipping into the low 20s even at medium settings. With Nvidia’s DLSS enabled, Cyberpunk 2077 delivers playable body charges of round 45 fps, although it drops to the mid-20s with out DLSS. This efficiency cap is basically as a result of GPU’s 40W energy restrict and the laptop computer’s compact design, which restricts airflow.
The XPS 14 9440 additionally brings some high quality of like enhancements due to Dell’s MyDell App. This helpful software makes fine-tuning the laptop computer a breeze. We did all of our testing with the thermal administration set to Ultra Performance. We had been additionally capable of tweak the show’s calibration and Enable presence detection utilizing the MyDell app. MyDell Apps’ Audio settings are equally spectacular, with choices to toggle 3D audio results and customise equaliser profiles for various music genres. The app additionally helps optimise your community connection by prioritising apps and connecting to the strongest Wi-Fi indicators.
The Dell XPS 14 9440 is ideal for professionals who want dependable efficiency for work, some mild gaming to unwind, and a design that stays moveable with out compromising on energy. While it’s not a gaming laptop computer by any stretch, it sufficient energy for the sunshine and informal gaming session as effectively.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Battery
The Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED is provided with a stable 69.5WHr, 6-cell battery, and whereas it’s not breaking any endurance information, it performs effectively for a Windows laptop computer. During typical use—dealing with emails, writing, and hopping on video calls—it managed to final a decent 7 hours and 45 minutes. That’s sufficient to comfortably get by way of a typical workday with out frantically looking for a charger.
However, let’s be actual—that is removed from what Qualcomm’s ARM-based Windows PC, or Apple’s MacBook Pro 14-inch with the M3 Pro gives. Apple’s machine pulls off a staggering 18 hours of battery life, whereas with Qualcomm, we’ve got machines that final effectively over 20 hours. These make the XPS 14’s runtime really feel modest compared. But then, there are nonetheless some compatibility points with Windows on ARM the final time we checked, so that could be a deal breaker for some.
That mentioned, for an x86-based Windows laptop computer, that is nonetheless a stable enchancment over what we’ve seen in recent times. If you want one thing that retains going for lengthy stretches and not using a cost, you may need to look elsewhere, however for many professionals, the XPS 14’s battery life is prone to be ample for on a regular basis duties.
Where the XPS 14 really shines is in its charging velocity. Dell features a 100W quick charger within the field, and it’s impressively fast. In nearly 90 minutes, the battery goes from empty to totally charged, which is a large comfort while you’re in a rush.
In the top, whereas it might not lead the pack in battery endurance, the XPS 14 9440 gives sufficient juice to maintain you productive throughout a workday and fees rapidly sufficient to make up for its average runtime.
Dell XPS 14 9440 OLED Review: Verdict
There is little doubt that the XPS 14 9440 is a little more costly than it must be, particularly when you think about that that there are Windows laptops from different producers that price about Rs 70,000 much less and nonetheless present considerably higher efficiency, and a considerably higher gaming expertise.
Do they feel and appear as premium because the XPS 14? No. Plus it has a fairly stable keyboard, barring the perform row, and its trackpad, when you get an thought the place it’s located, is pretty intuitive to make use of, whereas providing nice precision.
Moreover, you may be making some sacrifices with the show. That beautiful OLED show, ties up the entire bundle that the XPS 14 9440 is.
That is to not say that the XPS 14 9440 is a slouch in terms of efficiency. It has sufficient grunt to tackle a lot of the demanding duties that you can imagine. And though the RTX 4050 is underfed, it handles most informal video games pretty effectively.
If for some purpose you had been attempting to keep away from Apple’s ecosystem and simply have to stay to Windows or Linux, however can’t compromise on how your gadgets look — in case you worth each, perform and type — the Dell XPS 14 9440 turns into an excellent selection. Yes, it has some idiosyncrasies however that’s what provides the laptop computer its character.
