Dell Latitude 7390 13" Vs Lenovo ThinkPad T490s 14"

The Dell Latitude 7390 13 (released in 2018) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s 14 (released in 2019) are business-oriented laptops designed for productivity and portability. While both devices operate on the Windows platform and share a focus on robust build quality, they differ in screen size, available display technologies, and overall design philosophy. The ThinkPad T490s offers a slightly more modern feature set and a larger display within a comparable footprint.

When considering the longevity of these devices, both the Dell Latitude 7390 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s were built with durability in mind, targeting professional use. The ThinkPad T490s, being released approximately a year later, benefits from a slightly extended potential for software updates and component lifespan.

• Software Support: The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s, launched in 2019, will likely receive operating system updates and security patches for a longer duration than the Dell Latitude 7390, which debuted in 2018. Both run Windows 10 Pro, and their support timelines are tied to Microsoft's lifecycle for that operating system and subsequent versions.
• Build Durability: Both laptops are designed to withstand demanding environments. The Dell Latitude 7390 is MIL-STD 810G tested, indicating resistance to various environmental stresses like extreme temperatures and vibrations. Similarly, the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s has undergone military-grade testing against 12 requirements and over 200 quality checks, ensuring resilience against spills, drops, and harsh conditions.
• Repairability: While specific repairability scores can vary, both models are business laptops, often designed with some degree of serviceability in mind for IT departments. However, components like RAM are often soldered in both, which can limit upgrade options and impact long-term flexibility.

Both the Dell Latitude 7390 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s are equipped with processors from the 8th generation of Intel's Core series, providing capable performance for everyday business tasks and multitasking. The ThinkPad T490s, however, often features slightly newer iterations of these processors and can support more RAM in some configurations.

• Processing Power: The Dell Latitude 7390 typically features 8th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, which handle demanding applications and multitasking smoothly. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s also uses 8th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, with some configurations offering slightly higher clock speeds or newer sub-generations, contributing to efficient performance for productivity tasks.
• Memory and Storage: The Latitude 7390 generally comes with 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 RAM and various PCIe NVMe SSD storage options up to 512GB. The ThinkPad T490s offers more flexibility, with configurations up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and SSD storage options reaching 1TB, which can be beneficial for users running numerous applications simultaneously or working with large files.
• Battery Behavior: The Dell Latitude 7390, with its 45Whr or 60Whr battery, typically provides around 8 to 10 hours of use on a single charge under mixed usage conditions. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s, equipped with a 57Whr battery, often reports longer battery life, with some configurations featuring low-power displays capable of extending usage to 10-13 hours in real-world tests, and up to 20 hours in specific low-power scenarios. It also supports rapid charging, allowing for a significant charge in a short period.

The display experience differs between these two laptops primarily in size and the range of available panel technologies, with the ThinkPad T490s offering more diverse options.

• Display Technology and Size: The Dell Latitude 7390 features a 13.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS anti-glare display, providing clear visuals and good viewing angles. Some 2-in-1 variants include a touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 4 for added durability. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s offers a larger 14-inch display, also with Full HD (1920x1080) IPS anti-glare panels as standard.
• Brightness and Clarity: The Latitude 7390's display typically offers around 300 nits of brightness, which is suitable for indoor use and some outdoor conditions. The ThinkPad T490s provides more options, including panels with 250 nits, 400 nits (low power), and a premium WQHD (2560x1440) Dolby Vision HDR display that can reach 500 nits, offering superior brightness and color reproduction for users who prioritize visual fidelity.
• Viewing Experience: Both laptops provide a comfortable viewing experience for productivity tasks. The larger 14-inch screen of the T490s offers slightly more screen real estate, which can be beneficial for multitasking or working with detailed documents. The anti-glare finishes on both help reduce reflections in various lighting conditions.

Both laptops include integrated cameras and microphones suitable for video conferencing and online communication, with the ThinkPad T490s often incorporating additional privacy and audio enhancements.

• Camera Capabilities: The Dell Latitude 7390 typically includes an HD webcam, sufficient for standard video calls. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s features a 720p webcam, often accompanied by a ThinkShutter, a physical privacy cover for the camera, and in some configurations, an IR camera for facial recognition login.
• Audio Quality: Both devices are equipped with integrated microphones for voice input. The Latitude 7390 has integrated microphones, with some 2-in-1 models featuring four array microphones. The ThinkPad T490s often includes dual array far-field microphones, designed to pick up voice commands from a distance and improve clarity during calls. For output, the T490s features 2x 1W speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, aiming to provide a richer sound experience for media consumption and calls.
• Video Recording: The video recording quality on both is generally suitable for standard online meetings and casual use, aligning with their business-centric design rather than high-fidelity content creation.