Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable review: Outclassing the Surface Pro

The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable dives into the once-still waters of hybrid tablets to find itself facing the likes of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7+, Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable and HP Envy x2. 

So it's a good thing Dell did its homework. Adopting many of its rival's best features, the Latitude 7320 swims toward the top of our best tablets and best 2-in-1 laptops rankings. Standout features include a gorgeous 13-inch display, fast performance, a comfortable detachable keyboard with a built-in stylus slot, useful security features, and a class-leading webcam (yes, you read that right). These are all packaged in a sleek metal chassis that can easily be slipped into a backpack or purse. 

The Latitude does waver in a few areas. The kickstand feels somewhat flimsy and the sky-high price will detract all but the highest-ranking execs or the wealthiest corporations. Despite these faults, the Latitude 7320 gives Dell enterprise customers an excellent version of this ultra-mobile form factor so they can work or relax from anywhere.

Latitude 7320 Detachable price and configurations 

With a starting price of $1,549, the Latitude 7320 is a pricey tablet. That base configuration comes with a Core i3-1110G4 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. To add insult to injury, the keyboard and stylus are not included. 

For $1,799, you can upgrade to a configuration packing a Core i5-1140G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Need more power? The Latitude 7320 Detachable with a Core i7-1180G7 CPU and 16GB of RAM will run you $2,159 without the accessories.

The same model with a 512GB SSD goes for a hefty $2,301 while our review unit, which has a 1TB SSD, costs a whopping $2,539. 

The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Travel Keyboard costs $199 separately and the Active Pen is an extra $69.

Dell tells us bundles will be sold with the keyboard and pen included at a slight discount.

Latitude 7320 Detachable design 

The Latitude 7320 Detachable is a slim 13-inch metal slate with a brushed aluminum back panel and a flexible kickstand that reclines almost flat. The resulting form factor is practically identical to that of the Surface Pro 7 and Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable. 

It may seem Dell was content to work from the blueprints of its rivals. Look closely and you'll see how the Latitude 7320 Detachable adopts the best features from the newest of these portable hybrids then brings a few of its own tricks to the party.

Those standout features include a fingerprint sensor conveniently located on the back panel in the top-right corner. It may be hidden from view, but I had no problems quickly finding the sensor by touch to log in to the system using Windows Hello. I also appreciate the thin bezels bordering the sides of the screen (the top and bottom bezels are still a bit chunky) which drew my eyes into the display. 

My favorite addition is the stylus garage on the detachable keyboard. Using the same method as the Surface Pro X, the Latitude's stylus fits into a concealed groove on the end of the keyboard. Magnetic connections on each end of the slot charge the stylus regardless of the direction it's facing, and when you're done using the pen, a flap conceals the stylus to ensure it stays with the tablet so you have it when you need it again. 

The Latitude has a larger screen than others in this field and yet the Dell is about the same size as its rivals, measuring 11.4 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches and 1.8 pounds (2.6 pounds with keyboard) compared to the Lenovo X12 Detachable (11.2 x 8 x 0.3 inches, 1.7 pounds) and Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ (11.5 x 7.9 x 0.3 inches, 1.8 pounds).

There are a few minor misses with the design. The kickstand doesn't feel as rigid as those on the X12 or Surface Pro 7, as there was considerable flex when I pushed down on the top center of the flap. Not specific to this unit are my problems with the kickstand as a concept; the thin stand just isn't stable on non-flat surfaces like your lap, so certain movements (or having a round belly like my own) will knock it over.

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable security and durability 

Dell is batting a thousand when it comes to authentication methods. Not only do you get a fingerprint scanner on the back panel, but the 5MP webcam on the top bezel has an IR sensor for facial recognition login. Adding another layer of hardware protection is a wedge lock on the bottom corner to prevent someone from snagging the tablet while you grab your coffee at the counter.

Every configuration of the tablet comes with a vPro processor for remote management and added security, and housed within the chassis is a TDP 2.0 chip to ensure data coming to and from the Latitude is encrypted. 

Latitude 7320 Detachable ports  

The Latitude 7320 matches the X12 Detachable on ports but conveniently splits the USB-C inputs onto each edge of the tablet so you can charge from either side.

On the right side of the Latitude 7320 Detachable is a centered Thunderbolt 4 input below a non-SIM card slot for 4G LTE support. 

On the left edge of the tablet is another centered Thunderbolt 4 port above a lock slot. On the top edge is a headphone jack that flanks the volume up/down buttons.

Latitude 7320 Detachable display 

If you live by the "Bigger is better" mantra then the Latitude 7320 Detachable has you covered with its 13-inch, 1920 x 1280-pixel IPS display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. That may not sound large but it dwarfs the 12.3-inch screens on the Surface Pro 7 and ThinkPad X12.

Better yet, this panel is bright and vivid, making it great for streaming Netflix or binging YouTube videos. When you're on the clock, the tall, narrow 3:2 aspect ratio helps you get more work done when you're scanning web pages, scrolling down endless spreadsheets, or building dashboards.  

When I watched a trailer for Mortal Kombat, the screen was so crisp that I could see individual shards of glass and ice scatter to the floor as one of the fighters gets tossed into an arena. Gold armor shimmered against the bleak setting as the two foes hacked away at each other with their lethal weapons. 

Covering 92.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, the Latitude 7320 Detachable's display is more colorful than those on the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (75%) and the Surface Pro 7+ (76%). Proving just how vivid this screen is, the premium laptop average is only 85%. 

It gets very bright, too, peaking at 429 nits and outshining the Surface Pro 7+ (358 nits), the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (376 nits) and the category average (394 nits). 

Latitude 7320 Detachable keyboard, touchpad and stylus 

Mimicking the Surface Pro's Type Cover, the Latitude's keyboard has bouncy keys that sprang my fingers from one letter to the next as I typed this review. Backlighting with two brightness levels is a nice addition and the key layout is what you would expect from a traditional clamshell laptop. It also avoids the usual tablet keyboard pitfall of being too small; yes, some of the keys (shortcut row, ctrl, backspace) are undersized, but this was never a problem for my average-sized fingers.

I prefer the keyboard on the X12 Detachable, and I wish the keys were a tad larger to match those on the Surface Pro 7, but the Dell Latitude 7320's keyboard is still a pleasure to type on. That was evident when I typed at 124 words per minute with a 96% accuracy on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, outdoing my usual 109-wpm, 95% averages. 

The touchpad underneath isn't as successful. It feels smooth and supports swipes and gestures but the Y-axis is too small so large fingers will brush the corners when you try to pinch-to-zoom or swipe up and down with multiple digits to switch windows. I also find the touchpad on Microsoft's Type Cover keyboard to be slightly more responsive (I turned the cursor speed to eight to match the Surface).

Nestled in a groove within the folding keyboard flap that magnetically attaches the accessory to the tablet is an active stylus. Again, Dell takes a page from Microsoft by opting for a pen with flat edges. Some might be turned off by the shape, but I find it to be ergonomic in the same ways as a Lamy Safari fountain pen. The stylus is long enough for large hands and extremely lightweight at only 0.4 ounces. 

Doodling a picture with the pen was a stress-free experience. The stylus kept up with my erratic swipes as I went full-Pollock on an obscure drawing of a soccer stadium in Paint 3D. The $69 pen uses Wacom Active ES technology (AES) 1.0 but does support tilt. It is a basic but reliable option and the convenience of the wireless charging slot in the keyboard can't be overstated, especially because it takes the pen only 30 seconds to reach a full charge.

Latitude 7320 Detachable audio 

The dual speakers found on each edge of the tablet get loud enough for solo listening and sound decent with most genres. 

There was a crisp twang to the acoustic guitar in Palmertrees' "paved pavement" and the smooth vocals were clear and present. However, the drum kicks lacked the low punch that gives the song its toe-tapping rhythm and the midrange blend into the treble, making some instruments sound peaky and shrill. The sound never distorted (even at maximum volume), but there was a frailty that is typical of most tablets.

I listened to the Latitude 7320 Detachable side-by-side with the Surface Pro 7+ and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable then ranked them based on sound quality. The results were always the same regardless of music genre: Microsoft (Best), Dell (Average), Lenovo (Worst).

Latitude 7320 Detachable performance 

The 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1180G7 with vPro CPU (4 cores, 8 threads) inside the Latitude 7320 Detachable delivers surprising performance when you consider its low power requirement.

Pair this CPU with 16GB of RAM and the Latitude 7320 Detachable breezed through my normal workload, bringing two dozen Microsoft Edge tabs into view without a hint of hesitance. I wrote this review in a Google Doc while streaming YouTube Music with an endless chain of web pages sitting static in the background; not once did the Latitude 7320 slow down. I'm convinced you won't notice much of a performance gap between this tablet and some of the quickest ultra-mobile laptops until you run more strenuous programs like Photoshop.

With a multi-core score of 4,291 on the Geekbench 5.4 test, the Latitude 7320 Detachable narrowly fell to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (4,778, Core i5-1130G7) in an upset and couldn't match the Surface Pro 7+ (4,825, Core i5-1135G7). As a consolation, the Dell squeaked past the premium laptop average (4,212). 

Needing 21 minutes and 29 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p, the Latitude 7320 Detachable outpaced the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (22:54 seconds) and the Surface Pro 7+ (23:41) in a redemption round of sorts. The average premium laptop takes 16:54.

Dell didn't skimp on the storage drive. The 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in our Latitude took only 45 seconds to duplicate a 25GB mixed-media file for a transfer rate of 597.7 megabytes per second. The X12 Detachable (408 MBps, 512GB SSD) was slower while the Surface Pro 7+ (348.3 MBps, 256GB SSD) limped to the finish line. 

Latitude 7320 Detachable graphics 

There is not much to say here that you don't already know. The Latitude 7320 isn't meant for gaming or running graphics-intensive programs. That said, integrated Xe Graphics is more capable than what we've seen in previous years and should have no problems with web-based tasks and most software suites. 

Running at only 17 frames per second at 1080p resolution, Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm was unplayable on the Latitude 7320 Detachable as it failed to reach our 30-fps threshold. For what it's worth, the Latitude topped the Surface Pro 7+ (15 fps, Iris Xe) and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (12 fps, Iris Xe) by a few frames. The category average is 28 fps.

On the 3DMark Fire Strike synthetic benchmark, the Latitude 7320 Detachable hit 3,982 which is above the ThinkPad X12 (3,706) and the Surface (3,215) but below the average (4,687).

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable battery life

The Latitude 7320 Detachable's battery life is decent if short of class-leading. The tablet endured for 9 hours and 18 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits.

The Dell outlasted the Surface Pro 7+ (8:49) by about half an hour but fell well short of the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (11:00). While it couldn't outlast the average in this category (10:04), the Latitude does reach our recommended 9 hours of battery life threshold. 

Latitude 7320 Detachable cameras 

Take a picture, throw a party, build a time capsule. Whatever you do to mark a special occasion, do it now because the 5-megapixel, 1080p webcam on the Latitude 7320 Detachable is fantastic compared to 99% of the webcams we test.

Just look at this photo I snapped in my dimly lit office with the lights turned off and minimal sunshine streaking in from an overcast sky. You can see individual pores in my cheeks, stray hairs sticking out of my unkempt beard, and small wrinkles on the edges of my aging eyes. Also, the colors are accurate; you can make out my rosy complexion and the yellow hue in my collar although the yellow stripes in my shirt are fainter in this picture than they are in person.

The rear-facing 8MP camera takes decent shots and will do in a pinch if you don't have your phone around. This photo I shot of a PS5 controller on my patio table has nice vibrant colors and shows good details but look closely and you'll notice blurring around the edges of the controller and ink bottles. 

Latitude 7320 Detachable software

Dell added only a few of its own programs to the Windows 10 Pro OS installed on the Latitude 7320 Detachable. 

One you will want to keep is Dell Command, a simple app that checks for the latest BIOS, driver, and firmware updates to ensure your system has the latest features and patches. Dell Power Manager is self-explanatory, giving you extensive battery settings so you can extend the life of your battery and ensure your system never powers off when you need it most. 

I'm especially impressed by Dell Optimizer which adapts to how you use your PC so certain features activate without manual input. For example, using ExpressSign-in, Optimizer will automatically log you in by detecting your presence as you get closer to the tablet. The app also prioritizes your network for the programs you use most, and AI reduces background noise during conference calls. 

Thankfully, there aren't too many other apps clogging up the Latitude's storage. You won't find any kid's games, only your typical Microsoft-owned apps like Groove Music, Xbox Console Companion and the Office Suite. 

The Latitude 7320 Detachable comes with a one-year warranty with the option to extend to up to five years. See how Dell fared during Tech Support Showdown and Best and Worst Brands, our annual special reports. 

Bottom line

The days of the Surface Pro being the only viable detachable tablet are well and truly behind us. Lenovo proved as much with the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and now Dell has released one of the best hybrid tablets to date in the Latitude 7320 Detachable. It may not change the formula much, but the Latitude nails each ingredient, providing a bright and vivid 13-inch display, a comfortable and convenient keyboard, and plenty of security options for business users. 

The sleek metal chassis feels premium and is as portable as other options on the market, although I wish the kickstand weren't as flimsy. And while it might not be the fastest ultra-portable PC, the Latitude 7320 had no problems running my demanding workloads. Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention the outstanding 5MP webcam which is one of the best we've ever seen on a tablet or laptop. 

Overall, the Latitude 7320 Detachable is an excellent detachable tablet with several advantages over its Microsoft and Lenovo rivals — it earns a strong recommendation for those who have a large enough budget.