Dell Pro 14 Plus 15.6" 14" Plus 2025

The Dell Pro 14 Plus is a lightweight 14-inch business laptop with rare built-in 5G LTE and an excellent port selection, but it's held back by a dim, washed-out display and middling reliability scores. It makes sense for road warriors who need always-on connectivity, though most people will find better value elsewhere.

The Core Ultra 7 266V is an 8-core chip with a 2.2GHz base clock, and it's paired with Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics. In our database, both the CPU and GPU sit around the 65th percentile, which translates to capable but not class-leading performance. For everyday productivity, multitasking with dozens of browser tabs, and running Office apps, it handles everything without breaking a sweat. The NPU does accelerate some AI workloads like Windows Studio Effects for video calls, but we wouldn't call it a game-changer for most people yet.

Gaming is a weak spot, and the numbers back that up. Our gaming score came in at just 19.5 out of 100, so don't expect to play anything beyond light indie titles or cloud streaming. The integrated Arc graphics can handle basic photo editing and light video work, but this isn't a creator laptop. The 16GB of RAM is soldered, so what you buy is what you're stuck with, and the 512GB SSD is adequate but nothing special at the 53rd percentile. For a business machine, the performance is exactly where it needs to be: reliable and efficient, not flashy.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max, the Dell gets absolutely demolished on display quality, performance, and battery life. The MacBook's mini-LED screen and M4 chip are in a different league, though you'll pay for it and lose the 5G option. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a more interesting comparison. It's also a 14-inch laptop but with a dedicated GPU that makes the Dell's gaming score of 19.5 look embarrassing. The Zephyrus has a gorgeous OLED display too, though it's thicker and lacks built-in cellular.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and HP OMEN Transcend 14 are both gaming-focused machines that outmuscle the Dell easily, but they're heavier and aimed at a different buyer. The MSI Prestige 13 Evo is probably the closest spiritual competitor: thin, business-oriented, and portable. The MSI is even lighter and often cheaper, but you give up the extensive port selection and 5G that make the Dell stand out. If ports and connectivity are your top priority, the Dell carves out a niche. For nearly everything else, there are stronger options at similar prices.

Pricing on the Dell Pro 14 Plus is all over the place depending on where you look. We're seeing a spread from $1,975 to $2,848 across vendors, which is a massive $873 gap. At the lower end, especially if you can snag it closer to $1,975, the 5G connectivity and port selection make a decent case for business buyers. But push past $2,500 and you're in MacBook Pro M4 territory, where you get a vastly better display, longer battery life, and significantly more performance. The 512GB SSD at this price also stings a bit when competitors are shipping 1TB as standard. If always-on cellular is a must-have and your company's footing the bill, it's easier to justify. For individuals spending their own money, shop around aggressively and don't pay anywhere near the top of that range.

The Dell Pro 14 Plus is one of those laptops that makes a lot of sense on paper for business users who need to stay connected. It's thin, it's light at 1.4kg, and it packs Intel's new Core Ultra 7 266V with a dedicated NPU for AI tasks. If you're hunting for a 14-inch business laptop with built-in 5G LTE and Wi-Fi 7, this thing ticks boxes most competitors don't even offer. The port selection is genuinely impressive for a slim machine, with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, and even Ethernet making an appearance.

But here's the catch: that display. A 14" 1920x1200 IPS panel at 60Hz with 300 nits and 45% NTSC color coverage feels like a cost-cutting move on a laptop that can run you well over two grand depending on the config. For office work and spreadsheets it's fine, but anyone hoping to do even casual photo editing or watch movies in decent quality will notice the washed-out colors. The 16GB of soldered LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB SSD are solid for productivity, though the storage is just middle of the pack compared to what you'd get in similarly priced machines.

Connectivity is where this thing shines. The optional 5G LTE (with that Verizon promo referral in some listings) means you're not hunting for Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or airport. Combined with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth, it's built for the road warrior who values uptime over everything else. The 1080p IR webcam with a physical privacy shutter is a nice touch for video calls, and Windows 11 Pro with vPro support keeps IT departments happy.

Skip the Dell Pro 14 Plus if you care about screen quality at all. Photographers, video editors, and even casual Netflix watchers will be disappointed by the dim, color-inaccurate panel. Gamers should look elsewhere entirely, this thing wasn't built for it. If you don't need built-in 5G LTE, you're paying a premium for a feature you won't use, and a MacBook Air or ThinkPad X1 Carbon will give you a much nicer display and better reliability for similar money. Also, if 16GB of RAM feels tight for your workflow, the soldered memory means this laptop has a hard expiration date.

The Dell Pro 14 Plus is a purpose-built machine for a specific kind of user: the business traveler who needs to be online no matter where they are. The 5G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, and Ethernet combo is rare in a 14-inch laptop this light, and the port selection is best-in-class for the category. If you're a consultant bouncing between client sites or a field worker who can't rely on public Wi-Fi, this laptop solves a real problem.

For everyone else, it's a harder sell. The display is a letdown at any price above $1,500, the soldered RAM limits longevity, and the reliability scores in our database give us pause. Unless built-in cellular is a dealbreaker feature you can't live without, we'd point most people toward a MacBook Air, a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, or even the MSI Prestige 13 Evo for a better balance of screen quality, performance, and price.