Dell has announced a new name, and new designs, for its refreshed lineup of Latitude notebooks geared towards mobile business users. The new Latitudes, which borrow elements from Dell's consumer notebooks, will be organized by series: the 7000 Series is the top of the line, the 5000 Series is the mid-range option, and the 3000 Series is the budget line. Within each series will be an assortment of notebooks, and touch screens will be available as options across all series.
The Latitude 7000 Series starts at $1,049. At launch, Dell will offer two models: The 12-inch version, the Latitude 12 7000 Series (E7240), measures 12.2 x 8.3 x 0.79 inches and weighs 2.99 pounds. The Latitude 14 7000 Series (E7440), pictured above, will have a 14-inch screen, measures 13.2 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches, and weighs 3.6 pounds. Customers will have their choice of 1080p or 1366 x 768-pixel displays, 4th Generation Intel Core ultra-low voltage processors, and solid-state drives.
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The new line of Dell's will feature a tri-metal chassis and a Corning Gorilla Glass NB T display, and is MIL-STD 810G tested for heat and drop tests. The carbon-fiber lids, similar to that on the Dell XPS 12, feels sturdy but comfortable to touch. Security options includes FIPS 140-2 certification for disk encryption, Intel vPro and Identity Protection Technology with NFC, so you can tap an NFC-enabled phone or card on the Latitude to log in or shop online.
We also like that the 7000 Series Latitudes will be both backwards- and forward-looking. A port connector on the bottom will work with existing Latitude docks, and the notebook will also be the first Ultrabook with WiGig wireless docking technology.
While the 7000 Series is available today, touch-enabled systems will not be available until September 12.
The Latitude 5000 and 3000 series will be available with 4th Generation Intel Core processors, discrete graphics and SSDs. While not as durable as the 7000 Series, they will come with a Corning Gorilla Glass NBT screen, and have been tested to withstand a bit more abuse than a consumer-level system.
Dell will offer two models in the 3000 Series range, the 14-inch Latitude 14 3000 (3440) and the 15-inch Latitude 15 3000 (3540). Processors range from an Intel Core i3-4010U to Core i5-4300U, up to 8GB of RAM, and either Intel HD 4400 graphics, or an AMD Radeon HD 8850M GPU. The 14-inch model will be offered with a 1366 x 768 or a 1600 x 900 panel, and the 15-inch can be had with a 1080p display.
With a 4-cell battery and a non-touch display, the Latitude 15 measures 14.8 x 10.2 x 0.99 inches and weighs 4.8 pounds. Add a 6-cell battery and a touch screen, and the notebook increases to 1.33 inches thick and 5.1 pounds. The Latitude 14 is 13.6 x 9.65 x 0.98 inches and 4.3 pounds with a 4-cell battery and a non-touch display, and 1.3 inches thick and 4.6 pounds with a 6-cell battery and a touch screen.
The 3000 Series will start at $599 and will be available on September 12. The 5000 Series, whose pricing has yet to be determined, will be available in October.
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