You might be an entrepreneur looking for a reliable laptop to use in your growing business. You certainly want something that you can count on when it comes to performance, durability, battery life, and portability.
You found Dell Latitude laptops and thought they were excellent! But then you thought, what are their usual troubles?
List of Common Problems with Dell Latitude
Dell Latitude is recognized for its superior performance, robustness, and convenient design as a business laptop. You will usually read and hear a lot of positive reviews about the laptops under this series. Yet, it may be difficult to gather feedback regarding the usual issues with these devices.
As a customer, you will be wanting to know all the drawbacks of your future laptop, right? Through this, you can fully evaluate whether you can withstand these shortcomings and still get a Latitude, or simply move on to your next option.
1. Black Screen
There are rare occasions of black screens in some Dell Latitude laptops that are using Windows 10. You will surely get lost too when you see a black screen on your Latitude laptop since you do not know what went wrong.
Solution: You can try to fix this by restarting your laptop and booting it in safe mode. If an external device is connected to your laptop, it may also be the cause of the black screen so try disconnecting it. You can also press the Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the video or graphics driver of the Latitude.
2. Heating Problem
Some Dell Laptops were reported to experience overheating which can severely damage their internal parts. You should always check your laptop to prevent bigger accidents that can even risk others’ lives. Despite the special materials that Latitude laptops have to prevent excessive heating, other factors can still contribute to this issue.
Solution: To prevent this heating problem, you should regularly clean the vents of the laptop so the air will freely pass through them. Place the laptop in a cool environment also with good ventilation. If possible, you can also turn your Dell Latitude in low power mode so its system operating temperature will be low too since it consumes less power.
3. Battery Life Problem
Dell Latitude is known for its long battery life that can even last up to a day. However, if the battery is not keeping with you, then there might be a problem.
Solution: You need to check if the problem is with your charger or with the battery itself. If after getting a new charger, your Dell Latitude is still not surviving for long hours, draining very fast, then you need to get a new battery.
4. Noisy Fan
You may hear a loud noise coming from the fan of Dell Latitude while you use it. This can distract you from working and also stress you out about possible damage or accident that may happen while using a squawking device.
Solution: The most common reason for this problem is dust. You must clean the fan of your Dell Latitude so it will not accumulate dust. This dust can obstruct the fan blades, making a loud spinning instead.
5. Flickering Screen
The screen of a Dell Latitude laptop may suddenly flicker while you are using it. This is not a good thing, especially if you are working on a special report, right?
Solution: There are two reasons why the screen of the Latitude will flicker – it may be because of the display driver or an incompatible application.
If the issue is the driver, you should check with the task manager if it is flickering or not. For the incompatible application, you need to update all the applications to know which among them is not suitable for your Dell Latitude.
6. Stuck Pixels
It will surely frustrate you when colorful dots (green, red, or black) appear on your Dell Latitude screen while doing a presentation. These are stuck pixels affecting the color and quality of the pictures on display.
Solution: To lighten these stuck pixels, you can use a soft material to carefully rub around the dots in a circular motion. This issue can also mean that your Dell Latitude is simply defective. Thus, it can be replaced by a new one if it is still under the warranty.
Read More: 5 Most Common Problems with Dell G3 (with Solution)
Dell Latitude Pros & Cons
No laptop is perfect so while their advantages are abundant, expect that your Dell Latitude will have disadvantages too. If you are thinking of purchasing this laptop, you definitely need to know its advantages and disadvantages.
You need to know the pros to make sure that all your needs and preferences will be fulfilled. Likewise, you must be aware of the cons to be prepared for any troubles that may come eventually.
Below is the list of the pros and cons of Dell Latitude laptops that are important to take note of.
Pros
- Innovative / Excellent Performance
There is no doubt that Dell Latitude is a product of great innovation which leads it to have excellent performance. This series is one of the most recommended if you want to increase your work efficiency and have better communication.
- Long Battery Life
When it comes to long battery life, Dell Latitude will surely be recommended. The laptops under this series are built to work longer than the common consumer laptops.
For instance, Dell Latitude 9510 can be used continuously for 17 hours while the New Latitude 7330 Rugged Laptop can run up to 25 hours with only one single charge!
- High Quality/Durability
Dell Latitude laptops are highly expensive which only reflect their premium quality too. They are made of materials that are top grade to ensure they will not easily get damaged.
They are built to function well even under an extreme environment which an ordinary consumer laptop cannot handle. They have magnesium frames, unlike other affordable Dell laptops that are made of plastics. Another example is the New Latitude 7330 Rugged Laptop that can endure a temperature of –20°F to 145°F and can withstand being dropped from up to 6 feet.
- Security Features
Since Dell Latitude is a business-oriented laptop – assisting small and big businesses, the education and the healthcare industry, and even the government, it is designed to protect all the sets of information that will be saved to its memory.
Dell knows the needs of its customers, thus, it aims to make them feel safe while using its Latitude laptops. Latitude laptops feature a Fingerprint Reader, FIPS Fingerprint Reader, and an IR camera for facial login.
- Warranty and Support
Dell Latitude laptops have a longer warranty with the inclusion of added services. You have a lot of options to choose from to secure your laptops.
For ProSupport and ProSupport Plus, you can choose up to 5 years of support with onsite service while for the Basic Service for hardware warranty, you have up to 3 years. You can also decide to have up to 2 years of Extended Battery Service while for the Accidental Damage Service, you can select up to 5 years of service.
Cons
- Expensive Price
The expensive price of Dell Latitude is one of the big drawbacks of this series. Although a lot of customers are highly interested in buying a Latitude laptop, they are being held back because of the high cost.
- Upgradeability
Some of the Latitude laptops are not adaptable enough to allow you to upgrade some of their material. This is a shortcoming as you cannot improve your device the way you want it to. For instance, the RAM of Latitude 13 5320 is soldered onto its motherboard.
How Long Should A Dell Latitude Last?
A Dell Latitude should last for 5 years for mid-range models while 7 to 10 years for the high-end ones.
A business-oriented laptop like a Dell Latitude is expected to last longer than the standard consumer laptops that come at a highly affordable price.
Why? Because these business laptops are brainstormed and built to deliver optimum performance and superior quality. They are way more powerful, reliable, and durable.
Compared to consumer laptops, business laptops like Dell Latitude are composed of better parts that are of high quality. For instance, their casings are made of magnesium, unlike cheap personal laptops that are usually made of plastics.
Dell Latitude laptops are of excellent grade that they are usually shock-resistant and can withstand harsh situations and environments. Their batteries are also one of the best as you can continuously use them for 13 to 17 hours without charging, the rugged models can even endure 25 hours of operation!
The Dell Latitude series has different laptops divided as per price. There are mid-range ones that can suit a not-so-big budget, while there are high-end ones that can cost a fortune!
For the mid-range Dell Latitude laptops, expect them to last up to 5 years or a little bit more. They can actually be compared to pricey consumer laptops with great quality.
As for the top-of-the-line Latitude laptops, they can typically last for 7 years. But if you are a responsible owner who makes sure to regularly tend your device’s needs, it can even be your work buddy for up to 10 years!
Read More: 7 Most Common Problems with Dell XPS 13 (with Solution)
Is It Worth Repairing A Dell Latitude?
A Dell Latitude is worth repairing based on various factors such as its age, fixing cost, and warranty.
If your Dell Latitude suddenly experienced some glitches, the first thing that may pop up in your mind is to have it checked and repaired. Yet, you wonder whether fixing it is the right thing to do or not.
Before coming up with a decision, you should first assess some factors to make sure you are doing the most beneficial for you. If you fail to do so, you may end up squandering your money or damaging your laptop even more!
Dell Latitude is a first-rate series of laptops that are developed with robust quality, thus, you can expect it not to have immediate defects if still new and if you are a responsible user.
Going back to the question of whether this series of the laptop is worth repairing, the first thing to consider is its age. If your Dell Latitude is no less than 2 years old, then it is recommended to have it fixed since it is just new and still up-to-date. However, if the device is already 5 years and up, a repair is not strongly advised as later on their system will not be able to accommodate new applications while its parts continuously deteriorate.
The fixing cost is one of the important aspects too if a Dell Latitude should be repaired or not. If the money that you will spend is half of the price of a new laptop, then it will be good to simply leave that damaged one and buy a new device instead.
Lastly, you should also consider whether your Dell Latitude is still under a warranty or not anymore. Since business laptops have a longer warranty compared to consumer devices, the repair of your not-so-old Latitude is most probably still covered.
To sum these all up, your Dell Latitude is worth repairing if it is still under 2 years old, the repair cost is small, and if it is still under warranty.
References:
Soke, H. (202, December 8). How Long Do Consumer, Business, and Gaming Laptops Last? Durability Matters. https://durabilitymatters.com/how-long-do-laptops-last/
White, A. (2021). How Long Do Dell Laptops Last? (Lifespan & Battery Health). TechGearoid. https://techgearoid.com/articles/how-long-do-dell-laptops-last/
Susan is a professional writer. She has been a writer for eight years and has always been so fulfilled with her work! She desires to share helpful, reliable, and unbiased information and tips about tech and gadgets. She hopes to offer informative content that can answer users’ questions and help them fix their problems.