Dell is literally expanding its Inspiron 7000 hybrid series with a new 15-inch variant. Available in the United States on June 23 via Dell.com, the Inspiron 15 7000 series 2-in-1 will start at $550. I had a chance to preview the new convertible at Computex 2015 and was intrigued by its many modes.
With its 360-degree rotating hinge, the Inspiron 15 7000's display bends all the way back to rest on the base of the notebook in tablet mode. Flip it to about 270 degrees from the keyboard and stand it on your table like a tent, and you get Stand mode. This is handy for use in kitchens to follow recipes or to share a presentation with someone across from you. I liked this mode the most for the 15-inch hybrid, since the ample screen is great for multimedia viewing.
MORE: Best 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet Hybrids
Despite growing to 15 inches, the Inspiron 7000 convertible maintains a sleek 0.78-inch profile, and weighs about 4.7 pounds. Its full HD touch display was somewhat dim in a bright room, even after we pushed brightness up to the maximum setting. We'll have to get a unit in to test to see just how bright it is.
During my time with the Inspiron 15 7000, I really liked how sturdy the hinge was. Flipping the screen over was smooth and easy, albeit a bit unwieldy given the larger footprint of the device. The Inspiron 15 7000 offers plenty of connectivity options, such as HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and an SD card slot. Inside, the new hybrid is powered by a fifth-generation Intel up to Core i7 CPU, which promises zippy performance. Dell says the Inspiron 15 7000 will run Windows 8.1 when it arrives.
Overall, the new Inspiron 15 7000 intrigues with its larger size for a bendy hybrid, but we'll have to wait to perform a full review to see how it stacks up to competitors.
