Dell Inspiron 16 Plus Laptop: The Affordable XPS 16
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is one of my favorite Windows laptops. While there are many 15.6-inch laptops, it is rare to find one with features like the 16 Plus. With excellent battery life and beautiful design, the 16 Plus is a good option. You will be getting a gorgeous display in a premium build for this laptop.
The heavy chassis gives it a premium-quality feel of the XPS 16, and despite the high-end processors, it still comes with a narrow bezel.
But is the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus worth the price drop from the XPS? Here is our look at the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus.
Design
What Makes it Work
The size and weight of the 16 Plus are the same as the Dell XPS. It has the same slim bezels that give it a premium look and feel, which we don't see on an Inspiron laptop. At first, you will notice a premium and sturdy finish on the laptop. Coming at 4.51 pounds, the Dell 16 is not the lightest laptop, but it is portable enough to carry about. The build quality is excellent, and there is a little flex on the chassis. You can open the lid with a finger, and the first thing you see is the beautiful keyboard. The port selection is varied throughout.
On the left side of the laptop:
a power jack,
HDMI 2.0. side vents,
a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port,
a full serviced Thunderbolt 4 port
On the right side:
a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack,
an SD card reader,
side vents,
and a USB-A Gen 1 port
Overall: A TRUE BEAUTY
Display
What Makes it Work
The display of the 16 Plus is a 16:10 screen ratio, and it is the perfect size since the laptop is more significant than the XPS 16- which is suitable for content creation. Due to the matte finish on the 16 Plus display, its 291-nits brightness minimizes the reflection despite its glossy screen.
At first sight, the matte 3k display is excellent. The display covers the Adobe color gamut of 81 percent and a 100 percent sRGB.
What it's Lacking
Unfortunately, the laptop does not come with a higher brightness level or other options like a touchscreen.
Overall: CLARITY THROUGHOUT
Keyboard and Touchpad
What Makes it Work
The 16 Plus comes with a pretty good keyboard. It comes with a two-stage backlight that allows you to get work done in a poorly lit environment or a dark room. The Numpad is a welcome addition for people that have to crunch numbers.
The touchpad is nicely sized and has a super smooth surface. It has a good response for gestures and two finger scrolling.
What it's Lacking
However, key travel seems to be shallow. It does not give the fingers a bottom-out feel with the tactile feedback.
Overall: Could be improved a bit
Performance
What Makes it Work
The performance of the 16 Plus is top-notch like on most higher end modern Dell laptops. There was no sluggishness during web browsing, apps installation, and gaming performance. When you compare it to most of its competitors, the 16 Plus has passed the benchmark tests brilliantly.
While this laptop is not solely built for gaming, it can be used for gaming at 1080p settings and avoid internal display ghosting. It would be best to connect it to an external monitor. Although this laptop is mainly for graphics, photo, and video work, you can use it for smooth gaming when configuring it with the 3050 and 3060 GPUs.
Overall: ITS A POWERHOUSE
Battery
What Makes it Work
Considering the discrete graphics, the battery life of the 16 Plus is perfect. The 86Wh battery can run for almost 10 hours of web browsing and video streaming tests. Its 130W power supply serves as a connector, and you can quickly charge it via the Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port.
The laptop charges from zero percent to complete in less than two hours. And while you can charge with the USB-C charger, it will not charge as fast as it would with the branded 130W barrel charger.
Overall: BUILT TO LAST
Final Verdict
Each year, it is hard to notice the difference between the Inspiron and the XPS laptops. While the Plus 16 is not the same build quality as the Dell XPS 16, getting it still feels like getting a premium laptop for a low price.
This laptop has many unique features:
porthole vents,
a full-sized SD card,
excellent performance,
battery life,
aluminum chassis,
and decent port selection.
If you are looking for a laptop with excellent graphic performance, that is not a gaming laptop, and is at a relative good price, you should go for the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus. You can trade in laptop that you currently own for cash with us and use it to buy the new Dell 16. Even if your laptop is an older model or defective we will be able to help you. Check out details at SellBroke.com