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Dell Latitude 5440
$1419 $2181 Save $762
The Dell Latitude 5440 is a solid 14-inch business laptop with 13th-gen Intel Core U-series or P-series processors and optional Nvidia GeForce MX graphics. It can also be equipped with 5G for ultimate portability.
Pros
- Nvidia GeForce MX graphics option
- Intel vPro CPU options
- 5G option
Cons
- Expensive once add upgrades
- No AMD options
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Source: Lenovo
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 brings the latest 13th-gen Intel processors and AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs to the fan-favorite ThinkPad line. It has options for an OLED screen, 4G LTE, and the signature ThinkPad keyboard.
Pros
- OLED screen option
- AMD and Intel CPU choices
- Higher resolution displays
Cons
- AMD variants not out yet
- No optional 5G
Key Takeaways
- The Dell Latitude 5440 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 are both 14-inch business-class laptops with common features and similar performance options.
- The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 offers a more durable design, with military-grade testing and a reputation for toughness, while the Latitude 5440 is more portable and lighter.
- The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 wins in terms of display, with more options including an OLED display with a higher resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, making it better for productivity and multimedia use.
The Dell Latitude 5440 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 are the latest 14-inch business-class laptops from the respective manufacturers. They have a lot of commonalities, which makes the choice between them just that little bit more difficult. Which company builds a better business notebook, and which one of these two options is better for your workload? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
Dell Latitude 5440 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: Price, specs & availability
The Dell Latitude 5440 was recently released and can be found on Dell.com. Business laptops tend to take longer to get to other retailers, if at all, so that’s the only place to pick one up at the moment. At the time of writing, pricing starts from $1,419 for a unit equipped with an Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, 16GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, and the standard 14-inch 1920×1080 display with 250 nits of brightness, and an FHD camera. Dell’s pricing is highly variable, so prices could be either side of this when you look.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 launched earlier this year, although only the Intel-based models are available to purchase currently. A similarly equipped model starts from $1,072, with an Intel Core i5-1335U processor, 16GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, a 14-inch 1920×1200 display with 300 nits of brightness, and a 720p webcam. The company has said that models with AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors are coming, but it’s currently unclear when or how much they will cost.
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Dell Latitude 5440 Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 Brand Dell Lenovo Color Dark Gray Storm Grey, Deep Black Storage Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Class 35 Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD CPU 13th-gen Intel Core processor up to i7 from U-series or P-series 13th-generation Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors Memory Up to 64GB DDR4 or DDR5 depending on CPU Up to 32GB LPDDR5x Operating System Windows 11 Windows 11 Battery 42Wh or 54Wh three-cell battery 39.3Whr or 52.5Whr battery Ports 2x Type-C Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, 1x HDMI 2.0, audio jack, RJ45 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (Intel) / USB4 (AMD) 2 x USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1) 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x RJ45 Ethernet 3.5mm combo headphone jack SIM card slot Camera FHD Camera, FHD + IR Camera, FHD + IR Camera with proximity sensor 720p HD webcam or 1080p Full HD webcam + IR Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch FHD (1920×1080) IPS, 250 or 400 nits, 14-inch FHD (1920×1080) touch, 300 nits 14-inch 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 2.8K OLED, 400 nits, 100% DCI-P3, 90Hz refresh rate Weight 3.06 lbs (1.39 kg) 2.92 pounds GPU Intel Iris Xe Graphics, optional Nvidia GeForce MX550 (2GB GDDR6X) Intel Iris Xe graphics, Nvidia GeForce MX550 (optional, Intel only)/AMD Radeon graphics Dimension 12.65 x 8.35 x 0.75 inches (321.4 x 212 x 19.1 mm) 12.51 x 8.93 x 0.70 inches Network 1GbE Ethernet, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, 2×2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth, optional 4G LTE or 5G module Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.1 Cellular (optional): 4G LTE Speakers Two Dolby Audio speaker system with Dolby Audio Price From $1230 Starting at $1,239 (MSRP) Model Latitude 5440 ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
Dell Latitude 5440 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: Design
Dell’s Latitude 5440 hasn’t changed on the outside since last year’s 5430, with a fairly traditional clamshell design. It’s easy on the eyes, with fewer angular lines and edges than the ThinkPad, but that’s not a bad thing. Dell has a reputation for reliability, although this unit won’t match the durability of a ThinkPad. At just over 3 pounds, it’s quite portable enough for all-day use.
The ThinkPad looks tougher, with bold lines and a chunky lid that reminds you Lenovo has a reputation for hard-wearing notebooks. They’re also tested to military standards, so this notebook can handle a few bumps. It’s ever-so-slightly lighter than the Latitude, at 2.92 lbs, but you probably won’t notice if you’re carrying the charger and other accessories as well.
Source: Lenovo
Both of these laptops have plenty of ports, so you might find not needing a docking station or hub to get the most productivity out of your notebook. They have two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, full-sized HDMI, an audio jack, and RJ45 for Ethernet. It’s refreshing to see this many ports when many laptops are removing all but the USB-C ones.
The biggest design difference between these two laptops is the keyboard. Dell has a normal-looking, perfectly fine to-type-on chiclet-style keyboard, without a numpad. The ThinkPad also has chiclet-style keys and a reputation of a great typing experience, and the signature ThinkPad pointing device, the TrackPoint. This little nubbin sits above the B key and provides a different way to move the mouse cursor around, for those who prefer this to the touchpad. It’s a personal preference decision, and could be the deciding factor for ThinkPad fans.
Dell Latitude 5440 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: Display
While both of these laptops have 14-inch displays, that’s pretty much the only thing they have in common. The Latitude 5440 has multiple display options, all of which are FHD (1920×1080) resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. You can get it with up to 400 nits of peak brightness, and there is an optional touchscreen. It’ll do the job if working indoors, but you wouldn’t want to use it outside in bright sunlight, with the exception of the 400 nits display.
On the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, you have more options. The base display is a 14-inch 16:10 panel with either FHD+ (1920×1200) or 2.2K (2240×1400) resolution and up to 500 nits of peak brightness. There are touchscreen options, but the most interesting option is a 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. That will be the best for mixed-use computing with superior blacks and colors than a traditional display, while displaying images more smoothly as you navigate around.
Source: Lenovo
Any business laptop needs a decent webcam to be successful, and both options here will suffice for casual video communication. The Latitude 5440 has an FHD 1080p webcam on all models, with options for IR or ambient light sensor and human presence detection. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has options for a 720p or 1080p webcam with IR or a 5MP camera with IR. That last option is the one you want for the best Zoom call quality, but all of these options should work well (except the 720p configuration).
It’s hard to ignore the OLED display option on the ThinkPad, and that’s why this wins the round. It’s better for productivity with a higher resolution for more text on screen, and it’s just as capable in your downtime to watch movies or play some casual games.
Dell Latitude 5440 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: Performance and battery life
The Dell Latitude 5440 is on par with most business laptops, with up to 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage, up to 64GB of DDR4 or DDR5 (depending on CPU choice), and 13th-gen Intel Core processors from the U-series and P-series. There is also an optional Nvidia MX550 graphics card, which isn’t the most powerful GPU in the world but will give a boost to your productivity tasks and handle light video editing tasks.
The ThinkPad has very similar choices, although it has a few more options for you to decide between. It comes with up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage, up to 40GB of DDR4 (though this model doesn’t seem to be available yet) or 32GB of DDR5, and a choice of 13th-gen Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors. Depending on your processor choice, you can get Intel Iris Xe graphics, AMD Radeon graphics, or an Nvidia GeForce MX550 graphics chip.
With both laptops offering an optional Nvidia graphics chip and very similar Intel processors, the decision comes down to exactly which upgrades you need for the tasks you do. The ThinkPad does have a wider variety of processor options, including AMD Ryzen 7000 processors when those arrive in the coming months. It can also have more storage straight from the factory, and it’s cheaper than the Latitude. One thing that might change your mind is that the Latitude can have 5G connectivity, whereas the ThinkPad only has the option for 4G LTE. Depending on if you already use your phone as a hotspot or not, that might not make a difference to you.
As to battery life, the Latitude has a 54Whr three-cell battery. The ThinkPad either comes with a 39.3Whr battery or a 52.5Whr one for an additional $10. You’ll want the larger battery, as neither of these notebooks will last a full day without needing to be plugged in.
Dell Latitude 5440 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: Which is right for you?
Dell and Lenovo both regularly end up on our best laptop lists, mainly for the higher-tier models. The same engineering and design teams work on midrange laptops like this pair, and the difference between them on most specifications is negligible. Neither will cause you issues in handling your work or trouble you with portability or connectivity, with both offering cellular connectivity as an option.
That said, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is the winner here. Last year, against the Latitude 5430, it was a case of buying the Lenovo if you had the money for the optional OLED screen. This year, at the time of writing, the ThinkPad is cheaper than its competitor, the Latitude 5440, at every level of customization. It’s an easy recommendation, and you get ThinkPad durability to boot. The AMD options haven’t hit the market yet, so you might want to wait if that is important to you.
Source: Lenovo
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
Editor’s Choice
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 brings the latest 13th-gen Intel processors and AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs to the fan-favorite ThinkPad line. It has options for an OLED screen, 4G LTE, and the signature ThinkPad keyboard.
The Latitude has most of the same options as the ThinkPad, so if you don’t need the color accuracy of OLED or a higher-resolution screen, it could be worth looking at. With current pricing, it’s a harder sell, but if 5G connectivity is what matters to you and your work, it’s the only option here.
Dell Latitude 5440
$1419 $2181 Save $762
The Dell Latitude 5440 is a solid 14-inch business laptop with 13th-gen Intel Core U-series or P-series processors and optional Nvidia GeForce MX graphics. It can also be equipped with 5G for ultimate portability.