Dell Latitude 7000 Series 2-in-1 7285: 12.3" 3:2 slim bezels + wireless charging

AFAIK, Dell hasn't mentioned the Travel keyboard at all since the initial announcement. So, no official info that it has beeen abandoned. But Dell never actually showed the travel keyboard, so I am not sure if it ever existed, since they seemingly stopped mentioning it. Currently the Dell website for the 7285 says this:

"Extended efficiency: Choose from two optional keyboards with 22WHr of power to make the most of your workflow. The productivity keyboard features its own battery so it stays powered longer, letting you extract the maximum amount of efficiency from your day. The wireless keyboard makes it easy to keep working without having to stop and plug in. You have the freedom to work anywhere without being tied to your desk."​

That is why I wrote that it "seems" to have been abandoned. If Dell still talks about the travel keyboard, great. More choices are always better.

Given that the 7285 doesn't have a kickstand, the travel keyboard would need to be more like a folio though, similar to the Galaxy Book or Matebook.

 

About the kickstand i think (hope) it will be similar to the 7275 (pic above), integrated in the back cover.

 

I have ordered one, I will receive it around september 12th, with the productivity keyboard, since the wireless keyboard is not available in France. I can run some tests if there are some interests here and post some pictures.

I wanted an hybrid tablet/laptop, and I was not interested on a Surface Pro because of the lack of repairability/upgradability, the lack of usb c port, and the bad buzz around its reliability.
On paper the 7285 looks really great, very thin and light, thin bezels and the possibility to open it and replace the battery or the SSD. I would have prefer to wait for reviews but I was on an urgent need of a laptop.

 

Very bad result from battery life from Notebookcheck.
Despite having totally 54Wh battery both tablet+keyboard the battery life is mediocre at best and far worse that nSP witch having only 45Wh
Very high consumption in all situations of usage even worst than 15W TDP CPU and all of that from 4.5W TDP CPU.

Really bad bad energy management policy by Dell.

Here’s details with all parameters of the device.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-Latitude-7285-i5-7Y57-256-GB-3K-Convertible-Review.247468.0.html

Pros
+
elegant design
+
robust case with good workmanship
+
very good 3K touch display with high color space coverage
+
good system performance
+
Dell keyboard dock with included battery
+
silent operation
+
Active Pen
+
USB Type-C with Thunderbolt
+
good input devices (backlit keyboard)
+
convincing WLAN performance
+
LTE modem
+
36-month warranty

Cons
-
slightly high power consumption (due to lacking TDP limitation)
-
relatively high price
-
battery life (despite having 2 batteries)
-
high case temperatures under load
-
slight CPU throttling during constant load


The Dell Latitude 7285, provided by Dell Germany

With the Dell Latitude 7285, the manufacturer presents us with a very high-quality convertible with modern components. The Intel Core i5-7Y57 offers a solid performance and is up to the job of everyday office tasks. The CPU can also handle multimedia applications. Often the frugal SoC can keep up well with the faster ULV processors. At 2,300 Euros (~$2740) for a device with the equipment of our test unit, what the end user has to pay for it is substantial. However, the customers receive a flawlessly built device, which gives a very high-quality impression in every regard.

The sales price may scare many at first, but Dell offers a very well-built device with a first-class 3K screen and a selection of modern connections. Besides the tablet and keyboard dock, the package also includes the Dell Active Pen and a 36-month warranty.

We liked the very good selection of materials and the moderate design. The Dell Latitude 7285 receives very good marks for the display, which shows a very high brightness and can also display the color space very well. Frankly, we would have expected less performance in the processor, but since Dell does not operate it with its TPD of 4.5 watts, the performance lies slightly above our expectations. All the test results without exception show that the Dell Latitude 7285 based on the Intel Core i5-7Y57 can keep up well with the competition.

In the power consumption, the device disappointed us a bit, because we would have expected much better values from the frugal components. This resulted also in the mixed battery life results. The idea to place an additional battery in the keyboard dock is good and prevents a worse placement in our test comparison.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Tapatalk

 

True but not so bad. When looking at the score, it is very close to the Surface Pro and better than the HP Elite X2, Dell Latitude 5285 or Thinkpad X1 tablet. The only disappointment is that we were waiting for better considering the hardware.

And there are lot of positive points. There is far less throttling than the fanless Surface Pro despite the ultra thin design. Performance is good, the screen, keyboard and construction are great. I still haven't receive mine (I have to be patient because of UPS...) but don't regret my order from what I read in this review.
For me it still looks like the best hybrid tablet/PC.

 

My first full day of use. 1h30 of train reading comics, then 6h30 of taking notes with word and some mail reading and answering, and then again 1h of comics in the train and 30mn of video watching (x265 full HD).
Finished the day with the main battery at 30% and the keyboard battery empty. So the battery life is ok, it can last 10h with this kind of light tasking.

My other thoughts, the screen, is great with good luminosity. The keyboard is also great, there is absolutely no flex contrary to the other 2 in 1s, including the Surface Pro. The magnetic link between the tablet and the keyboard is very strong, you can turn the PC upside down, the tablet won't fall. And it is also very practical, it can be used even on non flat surfaces. Overall, the tablet and the keyboard look very sturdy. I haven't done benchmarks, but Chrome, Word or VLC open immediately with no lag.

The Cons
- the keyboard is really heavy for its size
- it gets hot on video watching. The hotter spot is on the left size. Because I am used to hold tablets on the left size, it is better to hold the tablet upside down.
- a lot of stickers, a little annoying. You don't see that on the official pictures... One of the stickers has the serial number so I am not sure I can remove them without voiding the warranty.

Overall, I think it is clearly a great machine and for me the best 2 in 1 around.