Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 Review – Exquisitely Crafted Ultraportable for the Elite

The Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is the latest addition to their ultra premium Latitude 9000 series line-up of ultraportables that debuted earlier on in the form of the Latitude 9510 at CES 2020. Intended as the laptops of choice for corporate executives, captains of industry and the elite, the Latitude 9000 series laptops have best-in-class materials and craftsmanship including the hardware to match but does the experience match up? Check out our Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 review where we put it to the test!

Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 Review – Design

The Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is essentially a 15-inch convertible laptop with a touchscreen featuring 360-degree hinges that allow you to use it as a laptop, as a display and also as a Windows tablet. The Latitude 9520 series is also available as a conventional clamshell laptop with slightly different specifications though both variants have Intel Evo certification.

Aesthetically speaking, the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 has a similar premium design as its immediate predecessor the Latitude 9510 2-in-1 which is exceptionally pleasing as Dell hasn’t cut any corners in any way while upgrading performance by several notches including garnering the aforementioned Intel Evo certification.

In keeping with its predecessor, the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 has truly impressive build quality in every aspect of its design with an almost all-metal chassis from its top lid to its keyboard tray, all of which are made of aluminium done up in a shade of brushed metallic gray. 

The top lid itself features an understated Dell logo with chrome accents and is otherwise bare with a plain but classy looking brushed metal finish that also repels fingerprints in an effective fashion. 

The one concession to the otherwise all-metal build is its underside access plate which is made of polycarbonate held down by a series of Phillips screws. The finish here is a softer, matte one than the ones used on the top lid and tray but also repels fingerprints nicely.

The right side of the laptop features a security lock, an audio combo jack and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port with power share support. 

On its left side features a HDMI 2.0 port, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-Type C ports capable of power delivery for charging the laptop and DisplayPort support, a microSD card reader and a nano SIM card slot for data on the go. 

The main draw to the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1’s design are its dual hinges that enable it to convert from a laptop to a tablet at will. In keeping with its prestigious heritage, the hinges are made from metal, are wobble-free and are exceptionally smooth to boot. 

Opening the laptop is a delightful affair as the hinges are so smooth that it can be done one-handed without undue effort. Flipping it open reveals a compact white-backlit keyboard flanked by a pair of upwards firing stereo speakers and a wide touchpad rimmed with chrome trim.

A good display can make or break a laptop and Dell usually issues the best for their Latitude 9000 series laptops. In the case of the Latitude 9520 2-in-1, they have managed to shave down the side and top bezels such that it offers a 15-inch Full HD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio in a 14-inch laptop form factor. The display itself is an IPS LCD touchscreen with a 60Hz refresh rate along with a rated 400 nits of peak brightness.  

They’ve even managed to avoid the earlier issues with webcam placement and the webcam is in its customary location flanked by an IR camera for Windows Hello and 720P video calls though the video camera lacks a privacy shutter. Other mod-cons include WiFi 6 as standard and Bluetooth connectivity.

 

In terms of accessories, the  Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 ships with a 90W charger with a UK-style plug and a USB-C port. Of note here is that the packaging is one of the first recipients to benefit from Dell’s eco-friendly and sustainable initiatives as part of their Dell Progress Made Real Plan.

Overall, the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 won’t look out of place in a corporate setting, is stylish enough to comfortably carry into the boardroom and is both slim and light enough  at 1.5kg to be toted around for the daily commute or a globe-trotting jaunt  in a backpack.

Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 Review – Specifications

Here’s how our Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 review sample stacks up on paper:

Price	RM9306.40
Display	15-inch Full HD touch display, 1,920 x 1080 pixels, 400 nits, 60Hz
Processor	Intel Core i5-1145G7
OS	Windows 10 Pro
Memory	16GB DDR4 4,266MHz / 1TB M.2 PCIe NVME Class 35 SSD
Graphics	Iris Xe
Battery	49WHr Polymer w/ ExpressCharge and 90W charger
Size/Weight	340.3 x 215.88 x 18mm / 1.5kg

In terms of overall specifications, our Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 review sample’s combination of an 11th Gen i5-1145G7 processor with 16GB RAM, Iris Xe graphics and a 1TB SSD lends it a performance envelope that is capable of crunching through emails, web browsing, reams of spreadsheets and other paperwork typically encountered by high-flying executives and other captains of industry.

This array of hardware is also sufficiently powerful to grant the laptop a vaunted Intel Evo certification which indicates that it meets Intel’s rigorous requirements in terms of start-up time, battery life and performance. 

Unfortunately, there’s a few quibbles here as the laptop itself has soldered in RAM which does not allow for any upgrades while the lack of a dedicated graphics card and reliance on Iris Xe graphics means that it’s less than ideal for content creation like video editing though it should be able to handle photo editing and trimming videos without issue.

Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 Review – Performance and Benchmarks

Running under the hood of the laptop is Windows 10 Pro though a Windows 11 upgrade is available. Where it differs from a stock Windows install is that it includes Dell Technologies’s own Dell Optimizer software that leverages AI to improve the user experience in a number of  tangible ways.

For starters, Dell Optimizer is able to prioritise up to 5 selected apps and optimise system resources so that they boot up faster and run smoother.

Dell Optimizer  is also able to optimise battery life, handle software and driver updates without too much fuss, enhance audio and data traffic when conducting video calls so that they run smoother and it also manages a proximity sensor feature that locks the laptop when you step away and unlocks it via facial recognition when you get back to your desk.

After setting the laptop to performance mode and leaving it plugged in, here’s how it stacks up in benchmarks

3D Mark Time Spy Extreme	572
3D Mark Time Spy	1,281
3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra	879
3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme	1,713
3D Mark Fire Strike	3,486
3D Mark Night Raid	11,532
Geekbench 5 Single Core Score	1,240
Geekbench 5 Multi Core Score	3,486
Geekbench 5 OpenCL Score	15,028
PCMark 10 Work score	4,352
Cinebench R23 Multi Core	1,713
Cinebench R23 Single Core	1,313, 1.31x MP ratio

Much like its predecessor, the Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is primarily intended for productivity related tasks like processing emails, spreadsheets, paperwork and the like and less for content creation work like video editing as it only has 16GB DDR4 RAM soldered in and uses Iris Xe graphics. Compared to its predecessor the Latitude 9510 2-in-1 released last year, the Intel Evo certified Latitude 9520 delivers markedly improved performance across the board.

The laptop is snappy enough to smoothly handle paperwork on Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Gmail, happily run Netflix in a window while processing a spreadsheet and also managed to effortlessly swap back and forth between 20 or so open browser tabs in Chrome.

Interacting with the Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is primarily via the keyboard and touchpad as well as the touchscreen though an optional stylus is available for sale from Dell.

The keyboard is top notch and is sufficiently responsive for touch typing while the touchpad’s frictionless glass shod surface made multitouch gestures a cinch.

Our Latitude 9520 2-in-1 review sample’s 15-inch touchscreen offered crisp and clear visuals both indoors and under daylight conditions with pin-sharp text and vibrant colours though the screen itself only maxes out at 60Hz and is not colour calibrated which admittedly limits its use for gamersand serious content creators.

In terms of acoustics, the provided stereo speakers don’t disappoint, with sufficient volume and clarity for video calls and the odd movie or two. If you need to conduct video calls and conference calls on a constant basis, you can opt to acquire Dell’s Mobile Adaptor Speaker Phone dock.

Battery life on the Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is excellent and at slightly over 50% brightness and a normal productivity workload with WiFi connectivity, the laptop was easily able to last over 9 hours which easily meets its rated Intel Evo requirements.

About the Dell Mobile Adapter Speakerphone MH3021P

Shaped like a flat hockey puck, the Dell Mobile Adapter Speakerphone MH3021P has a HDMI 2.0 port, two USB Type-A ports and a USB-C port with support for up to 90W power delivery along with an integrated male USB-C cable. 

This ensemble enables you to charge the laptop, hook it up to a display and give you extra ports to hook up an external keyboard and mouse.

It also has a series of touch controls at the top with embossed icons to make and take calls, control volume and activate the speakerphone along with an integrated omnidirectional mic, echo cancellation and noise reduction.

You can check it out at the Dell official page here. It’s certainly useful but doesn’t come cheap at RM693, especially if you conduct a ton of conference calls on a daily basis. That said, it is the perfect connectivity/productivity companion for the elite professional when it comes to hybrid work needs.

 

Should you buy the Latitude 9520 2-in-1?

The Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 is a premium design with superb build quality and specifications ideal for general productivity tasks along with a host of features like their Dell Optimizer that make it highly appealing for business users.

If money is no object and you’re looking for a status item that is every bit as powerful as it is appealing, this comes recommended.

Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 review sample courtesy of Dell Technologies. For more details check out https://www.dell.com/en-my/work/shop/dell-tablets/latitude-9520-or-2-in-1-laptop-build-your-own/spd/latitude-15-9520-2-in-1-laptop/al9520gcto