If you are willing to pay more than 1,000 Euros (~$1356) for an entry-level configuration with average hardware equipment you can definitely expect excellent case quality. Even though the E7440 does look quite simple at first there is a real high-tech product underneath this discreet business suit. The matte black base unit with a convenient soft touch surface was made of materials like aluminum and magnesium alloy to find the best combination of mobility and stability. 

The result is excellent: With a thickness of just 2.1 centimeters and a weight of 1.63 kg (including the 3-cell battery) the Latitude 14 manages top values for its class. Even the torsion resistance is okay for such a thin notebook, although it cannot quite keep up with some high-end ultrabooks. We do not want to overstate this flexibility since there are no annoying creaking noises even under heavy pressure.

The connection between the base unit and the display is realized by two massive hinges with a generous maximum opening angle, which have no problem keeping the display in position. Despite its thin profile, the stability of the display is very good: Dell even uses additional carbon fiber elements for configurations with touchscreen panels, while the display cover of our review unit is "only" made of aluminum. Thanks to this, both configurations have almost the same dimensions and weight.

The assessment of the build quality seems almost unnecessary - we simply cannot find any points of criticism. Seamless material transitions and carefully chamfered edges meet the high quality requirements of professional business customers and result in a very good rating. 

Dell offers several wireless modules for its Latitude series depending on the configuration, starting with the low-end Dell Wireless 1506 (802.11 b/g/n, 1x1) up to the high-end Intel Wireless-AC 7260 (802.11ac/a/b/g/n, 2x2). Dell equips all configurations in the German online shop with the fast AC module; however, our review unit only uses the inexpensive Dell Wireless 1506. Even though performance, range and features naturally cannot keep up with the more expensive versions (no Bluetooth, WiGig or WiDi), this module gets the job done: The maximum transfer rate of 150 Mbit/s is stable even with a distance of a few meters and some walls in between. 

There are also different WWAN solutions for internet on the go that stand out with HSPA(+) and/or LTE support as well as GPS. Unfortunately, this is only a standard feature for the most expensive configuration for 1,650 Euros (~$2238). 

You will not be happy with the mediocre quality of the integrated webcam if you want to use the E7440 for frequent video chats. Pictures of the 0.9 MP sensor lack details and show washed-out colors that also have problems with picture noise in darker environments. The array microphone with a clear understandability leaves a better impression.  

Security

Dell equipped the Latitude with Intel”s vPro technology, which includes different security and remote-access features. You can, for instance, delete sensitive data or lock the whole device in case of a theft (Intel Anti-Theft) - a very important aspect for many companies. If you also need a fingerprint reader and a SmartCard reader you will have to choose at least the medium configuration that starts at 1,229 Euros (~$1667). 

Accessories

Dell offers almost any accessory you could think of, starting with a fitting notebook bag up to an external display. However, the additional prices are usually very high. The box only contains a 65 Watts power supply unit and some software tools that can be used for backups, for example. One positive aspect is the lack of any kind of advertisement applications or unnecessary trial versions.

Maintenance

As usual, Dell offers a detailed owner”s manual on the internet that describes the maintenance of the notebook in several steps with the according pictures. After the removal of the battery you just have to loosen two little screws. Then you can remove the bottom cover, which is secured by a sliding mechanism. You gain access to the fan and the cooling solution, the two memory slots (1 of 2 occupied), the 2.5-inch slot (7 mm height, occupied), the WLAN module as well as an empty mini PCIe/mSATA slot. Attention: The latter is already occupied by a WWAN module in some configurations. 

Warranty

The Latitude comes with 36 months warranty ex-works; depending on the model it is either a standard service or the so called ProSupport (on-site service, phone support and additional services). An upgrade to a better service is possible, as are extensions of the warranty period to 4 or 5 years. Additional prices are between 23 and 170 Euros (~$31 and ~$230, excl. VAT). 

The notebook is basically suited for outdoor use thanks to its anti-reflective display surface. The problem is that the low luminance usually loses the fight against direct sunlight. Our wish would be an LED backlight with at least 250 or even better, 300 cd/m² - considering the overall price this should not have a huge impact, but it would definitely improve the usability of the device.

According to its mobile orientation, Dell exclusively offers the Latitude with frugal ULV processors based on the current Haswell generation. Our review unit is equipped with a Core i5-4200U clocked between 1.6 up to 2.6 GHz. This is slightly slower than the alternatives Core i5-4300U (1.9 up to 2.9 GHz) and Core i7-4600U (2.1 up to 3.3 GHz), but the performance should be more than sufficient for most applications. Besides Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading, the CPU also supports the new AVX2 extension that was introduced by Intel with the new Haswell generation. Another feature is the reduced TDP of just 15 Watts (Ivy Bridge: 17 Watts), which already includes the energy consumption of the now integrated chipset.

Since there is no dedicated GPU, graphics are handled by the DirectX-11 capable Intel HD Graphics 4400. It is equipped with 20 Execution Units (EUs) clocked between 200 and 1,000 MHz, which suggests a slight performance advantage over the HD Graphics 4000 of the predecessor.

Dell equipped the Latitude with 4 GB DDR3 memory, more precisely a very frugal DDR3L-1600 module. It works with a reduced voltage, which improves the consumption and therefore the battery runtimes. Unfortunately, one module also means the memory only works in single-channel mode - this makes upgrading easier but can also reduce the 3D performance significantly. The storage solution is a simple 500 GB hard drive; fast SSD drives with 128 or 256 GB are only standard on the more expensive configurations.

No SSD? Even though we review a comparatively inexpensive entry-level configuration we would have liked to see at least a small flash storage or an SSD cache. Instead we get a Seagate Momentus Thin (height of 7 mm) with considerably more capacity but you should not expect any performance records from the 5,400 rpm hard drive with 16 MB cache. 

HD Tune determines an average transfer rate of 87.3 MB/s and an access time of 18.9 milliseconds, which is in the upper third for current 2.5-inch hard drives. Compared to a modern Solid State Drive, which is especially faster with very small data blocks, this result is mediocre at best.

We also ran some gaming benchmarks for the sake of completeness. The frame rates are usually in the playable range with very low quality settings, some older titles can even be played in the native display resolution of 1366x768 pixels. An inexpensive and very good way to improve the performance is a second memory module that should result in a performance gain of 30 up to 50%.

We cannot determine any significant warming of the notebook at any spot during idle - quite an impressive achievement considering the deactivated fan. But the situation does not really change under load, only the area around the fan gets warmer. The palm rest and many spots on the bottom only get lukewarm. It is no problem to use the notebook on your lap, even on warmer summer days. 

The Core i5-4200U inside the case warms up to 80 °C in our stress test with Prime95 and Furmark, which is not critical by any means. Even the integrated GPU can maintain its maximum clock of 1,000 MHz in this scenario while the CPU fluctuates between 1.6 and 1.7 GHz. Dell did a good job to find a compromise between system noise, hardware temperatures and performance - throttling should not be an issue even under extreme conditions.

For once, we want to start our review verdict with the negative aspects. But why? Well, the Dell Latitude E7440 does not really have any serious drawbacks. One issue is definitely the mediocre WXGA display. The low resolution and luminance are not really appropriate for a notebook with a price above 1,000 Euros (~$1356) excluding VAT. We also would have appreciated a fast SSD and a larger battery, but the runtimes are satisfying even with the smaller 34 Wh version. 

If you are willing to spend more money you can remove all those points of criticism. For instance, the notebook can be configured with mSATA SSDs up to 256 GB, 802.11ac WLAN, WWAN module, Full HD display or a 45 Wh battery; a review of the formerly mentioned touchscreen configuration should follow soon.  

You do not have to pay any additional price for the excellent input devices, the noble metal case or the wide port variety, which can even be extended via docking station. We also want to give the manufacturer credit for the illustrated user guide with instructions for upgrades and maintenance. This is not a matter of course for a thin ultrabook (although only the touchscreen version is a real ultrabook). 

Finally we want to list the attractive rivals from HP und Lenovo. Each product has its own advantages, however, both notebooks are still based on the older Ivy Bridge platform - if you really need the latest Intel processors the Latitude E7440 is currently the only option.

Update 11/20/2013: Review update E7440 (IPS FHD, 4300U, 128 GB)

We had the chance to review an E7440 with a matte Full HD IPS display (1920x1080 pixels), a Core i5-4300U and a 128 GB SSD. We added the according information in the sections Display, Processor, System Performance and Battery Runtime. The SSD is a nice addition and the matte IPS display is highly recommendable.