Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) review

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022): Two minute review

The Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) is the slightly larger version of the laptop from our Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (2022) review, with mostly the same bells and whistles including full foldability, touchscreen, and the same kinds of ports. It is a bit pricier starting at $1,000 (£780 / AU$1,600), which is mainly due to the larger screen size and generally higher specs.

The larger size also makes it a bit heavier, and both factors mean that while it’s definitely still portable you’ll probably need a bigger bag to carry it around with you. The aluminum chassis feels sturdy and tough, which offsets the weight increase. The ports on the sides are a great variety including two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, one headset port, one HDMI 1.4 port, and an SD-card slot.  

Its touchscreen is glossy and responsive, with a vibrant FHD+ display perfect for both work and gaming, and the webcam is a solid 1080p HD, meaning when you’re showing off your face during a Zoom meeting it will be crystal clear. It also has a mechanic slider for covering the camera, which is always a good feature to have from a privacy perspective. 

The keyboard and touchpad have an almost velvety property which, along with the large size of both, makes typing on the machine much easier. Just like with the 14-inch version, the bezels on the side of the screen are thinner at the sides but thicker at the top.

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is sporting a 12th Generation Intel Core i5-1235U and Intel Iris Xe Graphics like its counterpart, making it well-rounded in both work and play, even though it's not as powerful as many of the entries on our best laptop list. It's still got plenty of kick though. 

That said, this laptop is made for mid-range games at best, so trying to run titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Dirt 5 is out of the question, though other benchmarks mostly netted excellent scores compared to the competition.

Battery life is much better in this larger version of the Inspiron 2-in-1, largely due to the larger battery, with an average of over 11 hours of life when testing it for normal work with the PCMark10 battery test and over 13 hours when testing it using our HD movie test. This battery is exceptional and will easily last a full day at work without charging, not to mention how quickly it recharges thanks to rapid charge technology.

Just like the 14-inch version, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) is a great laptop for those in need of a machine that can handle work and even a few games, without necessarily breaking the bank. Our only real complaint is that it doesn't come with a stylus included, but given how much you're saving on the retail price, you can afford to drop a bit of extra cash at checkout and still come out ahead on what is easily one of the best 2-in-1 laptops of the year.

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022): Price and availability

• Available in many regions
• The price is a little steep

Currently, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) is available at a starting price of $1,000 (£780 / AU$1,600), which is slightly steep for a 2-in-1, and the price can go up to $1,550 (£1,130 / AU$2,900) with the highest spec configuration. It’s also readily available in the US, UK, and Australia in nearly every configuration.

There are some slight upgrade differences between the three regions like the OS, available hard drive space, and the color of the keyboard. But overall they’re mostly similar, especially with the CPU and GPU type and configuration.

And while it can start off a bit more premium than other 2-in-1s in its class, for the performance you're getting, even at the base spec, make this an outstanding value.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022): Design

• A bit heavy but well-built
• The touchscreen and display are great
• Good port selection

The Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is well designed, with a weighty and strong aluminum chassis balanced by a thin figure. Its thin build, large screen size,  and strong chassis make it feel more resistant than the average 2-in-1, which tends to be much more fragile. However, it’s thanks to that sturdy design that we have a 2-in-1 that weighs five pounds. In terms of style, the choice of silver or dark green colors helps to make the laptop pop more against the sea of black laptops on the market.

As with any 2-in-1, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 has a touchscreen, and a good quality one at that. It responds well to each touch command, with no delay between the touch command and its execution. The only downside is the glare, which shows up in spades when exposed to direct sunlight. Unfortunately, the Inspiron 16 2-in-1 doesn't come with a stylus.

The display itself is 1080p FHD+ with a 1080p webcam, translating to beautifully represented colors useful for work or play and a good camera that will show off your face with minimal pixelation. The mechanical slider for the camera is located in the top middle of the bezel, which would otherwise look a bit too thick, has a purpose here and it’s great privacy feature to have.

Though this keyboard doesn’t have a numpad, its simplicity suits the nature of the machine. The keyboard’s color can be customized between black or grey when purchasing, and there’s a lovely backlight that’s useful for dark or poorly lit areas. The keys and touchpad are well-sized and have a silky velvet-like quality that catches your fingers and makes it easier to type and less likely to make typos.

The laptop’s port situation is well-varied, with two each of the USB Type-A and Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, one headset (headphone and microphone combo) port, one HDMI 1.4 port, and one SD-card slot. This cements the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1’s flexible nature as a machine that can handle work-related tasks, gaming, and more. And the 16-inch version doesn’t have the same issue of it being difficult to remove a Thunderbolt 4 charger from the port as it was with the 14-inch version.

• Design: 4.5 / 5 

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022): Performance

• Performs very well all-around
• Tablet mode is great
• Solid HD webcam

For its specs, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) has some of the best performance of any 2-in-1 we've tested all year. The 14-inch version is already excellent compared to most of its competitors and this 16-inch version is even more so. It balances streaming, multiple documents, video/voice calls, and more all without slowdown. It’s also capable of running low and mid-range games like Sid Meyer’s Civilization VI and on the higher settings, it can achieve at least 50 FPS.

In the other benchmarks, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 outperformed the 14-inch version in almost every test except for two. The first was the Geekbench single-core test, in which it performed at nearly 50% less than the 14-inch laptop. And the second was the Civilization VI benchmark, in which the 16-inch scored 10 frames less than the 14-inch. Despite these oddities, the 16-inch still performs far better in real life than its counterpart.

Switching to tablet mode is where this 2-in-1 really shines, as the 16-inch FHD+ display makes nearly any image vibrant and colorful. Meanwhile, the touch controls itself are just as responsive as using the trackpad and keyboard, even when playing games that support it. This is where our frustration rises as it’s such a missed opportunity for the laptop to have a tablet pen included, as it would pair perfectly as another method for either working or for gaming.

The webcam is also quite good, having 1080p HD resolution and running at 30 FPS stable. Many laptops near or at the Dell Inspiron 16  2-in-1’s price point either don’t have a camera at all or it’s a low-quality 720p. It’s refreshing to see a laptop take its webcam game seriously and give users a proper quality one that’s well-suited for video chats and large-scale video meetings.

Sound-quality, though nothing mind-blowing, is surprisingly competent with a four-speaker setup that makes the gaming and streaming experience more immersive. Most of the intricacies of the music or sound effects in gaming come through well, and in streaming each piece of sound design and music comes through with that same level of quality.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5 

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022): Battery life

• Battery life is phenomenal
• It lasts regardless of your activities

The battery life for the Dell Inspiron 16  2-in-1 (2022) is stupendous — especially for an Alder Lake-powered device. At its lowest, it will last 11 hours and 30 minutes as it’s continuously worked on via internet browser, document editing, social media browsing, and conference calls. And when playing a colorful and complex movie nonstop until the battery dies, it lasted an even more impressive 13 hours and 30 minutes.

A larger and more powerful laptop that is able to boast a superior battery life to its smaller version is a machine that uses its extra space wisely. By allocating space to increase the size of the battery, it’s able to pack in a lot more Lithium-ion battery into the chassis, 65WHr to the Inspiron 14 2-in-1's 54Whr.

• Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should you buy a Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

HP Elite Dragonfly G2
This is a more expensive option, especially for a 2-in-1, but it’s stylish, sleek, has a superior battery life to the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, despite having a 4K display. If you’re willing to pay the extra money, there are very few choices that are better.

Check out our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/hp-elite-dragonfly-g2" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">HP Elite Dragonfly G2 review

MSI Summit E16 Flip 2-in-1
Unlike most other 2-in-1 laptops, this machine is meant for the more creative-minded. As such it includes a pen, has a 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display with 120Hz refresh rate, and plenty of ports. But in return, it's bulky with a small trackpad.

Check out our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/msi-summit-e16-flip-2-in-1-laptop" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">MSI Summit E16 Flip 2-in-1 review

Samsung Galaxy Book2 360
This 2-in-1 is well-priced and comes with some great positives like a gorgeous AMOLED display, and long battery life, and it’s super portable whether in tablet or laptop mode. However, its webcam is only 720p and it doesn’t play too nicely with games.

Check out our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-book2-360" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Samsung Galaxy Book2 360 review 

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) report card

• First reviewed June 2022