Design and Build Quality: Uncompromising Business Durability
The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable immediately distinguishes itself from consumer-grade tablets with its no-nonsense, professional aesthetic. Crafted from a combination of CNC-machined aluminum and a magnesium alloy substrate, the chassis feels exceptionally rigid and premium. The dark “Graphite” color scheme is understated and corporate, a far cry from the flashy finishes often found on consumer devices. Weighing 1.96 pounds (889 grams) and measuring 8.7mm thin without the keyboard, it strikes a solid balance between portability and a reassuring heft that inspires confidence in its durability.
Dell subjects the Latitude series to rigorous testing, and the 7320 Detachable is no exception. It meets MIL-STD-810H standards for shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, and humidity. This isn’t just a marketing bullet point; it translates to a device that can confidently withstand the rigors of a commute, a drop from a desk, or use in less-than-ideal environments. The physical design includes a convenient kickstand that spans the entire width of the device’s back. This provides exceptional stability on various surfaces, from a lap to an airplane tray table, and can be adjusted to virtually any viewing angle with smooth, firm resistance.
Port selection is pragmatic for a device of this size. You get a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 on either side (both supporting power delivery and DisplayPort), a nano-SIM tray for optional 4G LTE or 5G connectivity, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 is a significant boon for productivity, allowing for rapid data transfer and connection to high-resolution displays and docking stations. The optional 4G/5G capability, managed by a convenient physical switch on the side, is a cornerstone feature for true mobile professionals who need constant, reliable internet access without hunting for Wi-Fi.
Display: A Visual Treat for Work and Media
The centerpiece of any tablet is its display, and the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable does not disappoint. The 13-inch screen features a 3:2 aspect ratio, a deliberate and excellent choice for productivity. Compared to the wider 16:9 format, the taller 3:2 display shows more lines of a document, more cells in a spreadsheet, and more of a webpage before requiring scrolling. It simply makes more efficient use of the available real estate for work tasks.
The review unit featured the Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) touchscreen, which is sharp, vibrant, and highly usable. Dell also offered an optional WQXGA+ (2560 x 1700) display for those needing even more pixel density. The FHD+ panel is more than sufficient for most, offering excellent clarity, wide viewing angles, and strong color reproduction covering 100% of the sRGB gamut. It’s a great panel for document work, video conferences, and casual media consumption. Brightness is ample for indoor use, and the screen features a Corning Gorilla Glass DX5 coating that reduces glare and reflections while maintaining good touch sensitivity and a premium feel.
Crucially, this is an active pen-enabled display. The Dell Premium Active Pen (PN557W) is included with most configurations and magnetically attaches to the top of the tablet for storage and charging. It offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt support, and very low latency, providing a natural and responsive writing or drawing experience. For note-takers, artists, or anyone who needs to markup documents, the pen integration is seamless and highly effective.
Performance and Thermals: Intel Evo-Certified Power
The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is built around Intel’s 11th Generation vPro processors, specifically the Core i5-1140G7 or Core i7-1180G7 options. These are not the standard U-series chips but the more power-efficient “G7” variants with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Our review unit featured the Core i7-1180G7, 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. This configuration is certified under the Intel Evo platform, guaranteeing key experience benchmarks like instant wake from sleep, consistent responsiveness, and real-world battery life.
In daily use, the performance is snappy and more than capable of handling a professional workload. This includes having dozens of browser tabs open, along with multiple Microsoft Office applications, communication tools like Teams or Slack, and PDF viewers running simultaneously. The system never felt sluggish, and the 16GB of RAM ensured smooth multitasking without excessive swapping. The integrated Iris Xe graphics are a significant step up from older Intel HD graphics, allowing for smooth 4K video output and even some very light, casual gaming.
Thermal management is critical in a fanless, sealed tablet design. The Latitude 7320 Detachable uses a combination of heat-spreading materials and intelligent power management to dissipate heat. Under sustained multi-threaded loads, the bottom half of the tablet can become noticeably warm, but it never reaches uncomfortable levels. The system intelligently manages clock speeds to maintain a balance between performance and surface temperature, ensuring that bursty, real-world tasks are handled with speed, while prolonged, intensive workloads are managed to prevent thermal throttling from impacting the user experience.
Battery Life and Connectivity: All-Day Ambitions
Battery life is a paramount concern for a detachable designed for mobility. The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable houses a 2-cell, 41 WHr battery. In our standardized testing with the screen at 150 nits brightness and performing a mix of web browsing, document editing, and video playback, the device consistently delivered between 7 to 8 hours of use. This is a respectable result, though it falls short of some competitors that may push past the 10-hour mark. For a typical 8-hour workday with moderate use, it’s generally sufficient, but heavy users will want to keep the compact 65W USB-C charger nearby.
Where the 7320 Detachable truly excels is in its always-connected potential. The inclusion of optional 4G LTE or 5G cellular connectivity is a game-changer. By inserting a data SIM, the tablet can maintain an internet connection wherever there is cellular coverage. This transforms it from a Wi-Fi-dependent device into a truly autonomous productivity tool. The ability to instantly wake and connect, a key tenet of the Intel Evo platform, means you can go from a powered-off state to checking emails over 5G in a matter of seconds. For field workers, frequent travelers, or anyone who needs reliable internet outside the office, this feature alone can justify the investment.
Keyboard and Trackpad: From Tablet to Laptop
The optional keyboard cover is an essential accessory that transforms the Latitude 7320 Detachable into a genuine laptop replacement. It attaches securely via a set of robust pogo pins on the bottom edge of the tablet, providing both a physical connection and power for the backlight. The typing experience is surprisingly good for a folio-style keyboard. The keys offer a decent 1.3mm of travel and have a crisp, tactile snap that makes prolonged typing comfortable and accurate. The layout is standard for a 13-inch device, and the inclusion of a full row of function keys is appreciated.
The keyboard is also rigid; there is very little flex in the deck, which contributes to a premium, laptop-like feel. It is also backlit with two levels of brightness, a must-have for working in dimly lit environments. The touchpad, while not as spacious as those on larger Latitudes, is precise, smooth, and supports all the standard Windows multi-touch gestures reliably. It uses Microsoft Precision drivers, ensuring a consistent and responsive experience without erratic cursor movement. When combined, the keyboard and trackpad create a seamless transition from tablet to a highly competent ultrabook.
Software, Security, and Audio
The device ships with a clean version of Windows 10 or 11 Pro, devoid of the bloatware that plagues many consumer devices. Dell includes its proprietary management utilities like Dell Optimizer, which uses AI to learn your work patterns and improve application performance, audio quality, and network connectivity over time. Security is a primary focus. Beyond the standard TPM 2.0 chip, the review unit featured an optional fingerprint reader integrated into the power button and an IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition. Both methods are fast and reliable, providing effortless and secure login. The camera also features a physical shutter for absolute privacy.
The audio system, tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro, is impressive for a device of this size. The downward-firing speakers are surprisingly loud and clear, with a well-balanced sound profile that is more than adequate for video conferencing and media playback. While they lack the deep bass of larger devices, the clarity at high volumes is excellent, with minimal distortion. The quad-array microphones do an outstanding job of picking up your voice clearly while using AI-based noise reduction to suppress background chatter and keyboard clicks, making you sound crystal clear during calls.
Value and The Competitive Landscape
The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable exists in a competitive space, with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8 and 9 being its most direct rivals. The Latitude’s key differentiators are its superior ruggedization (MIL-STD-810H certification), the inclusion of vPro processors for enterprise manageability, and the option for built-in 4G/5G. Its design is more utilitarian and less flashy than the Surface, which may appeal to IT departments and users who prioritize durability over sleekness.
However, this capability comes at a cost. A well-configured Latitude 7320 Detachable with a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and the keyboard is a significant investment, often positioning it at a premium price point. It is unequivocally a business-grade device, and its pricing reflects that. For the average consumer, it may be overkill. But for the enterprise user, the field technician, or the executive who needs a durable, secure, and always-connected Windows device that can truly replace a laptop, the value proposition is clear and compelling. It is a tool designed not for entertainment, but for uninterrupted, professional-grade productivity in any location.