The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 gets all the basics right, except one

Some laptops come so close to offering great value for your money, only to have a critical flaw weighing them down. The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is a perfect example.

Starting at just $799, this is a budget-friendly 2-in-1 with a roomy 16-inch display, great for watching movies or even some casual gaming. While it could have performed better in some areas, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 isn't a bad deal at all, at least at first glance. It's when you dig a little deeper that a major flaw appears, one that will be a deal breaker for many users: disappointing battery life.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly 16-inch laptop, you may want to start your search with the best 16-inch laptops or the best 2-in-1 laptops. The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 might seem like a good deal at first, but there are a few things you should know about it before buying.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Specs (as reviewed)

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Price and configurations

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is available in three configurations, starting at $799. The base configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, Intel Arc integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

The next configuration up, which is the one we tested, costs $1,199 and includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. The third configuration includes all the same specs, except it ships with Windows 11 Pro instead of Windows 11 Home, which increases the price to $1,299.

The second configuration will be the best fit for most people. Unless you're specifically buying a laptop for work, you don't need to spend the extra $100 for Windows 11 Pro. However, spending a few hundred to get twice as much RAM and storage compared to the base model is a good idea if you can afford it.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Design

Dell went with a basic, straightforward design for the 16 Plus 2-in-1. The chassis is a dark, metallic blue that's almost black, with a glossy Dell logo in the center of the lid. The keyboard is a dark gray with a thin, minimal font.

Since this is a 16-inch laptop, you get a very roomy keyboard and touchpad, including a function row and number pad. While the power button is part of the keyboard, I appreciate that it is relatively isolated in the top right corner and feels distinctly different from the other keys, making it less likely you'll hit it by accident while you're typing.

This is a 2-in-1, so you can flip the display all the way around to use it in tablet mode. However, I noticed that the hinges are pretty stiff, which is preferable to weak hinges on a 2-in-1, but you may need to apply a bit more pressure to flip the display all the way back.

One unfortunate trade-off with the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is its somewhat bulky design. 16-inch laptops aren't the most portable in general (if that's your top concern, a 14-inch is definitely the way to go), but the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is on the heavier side, even compared to similar laptops. It measures 14.05 x 9.87 x 0.67 inches and weighs 4.52 pounds. That's over half a pound heavier than similarly-sized laptops:

• Asus Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607): 13.98 x 9.62 x 0.69 inches, 3.9 pounds
• Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 (2025): 14.21 x 10.12 x 0.67 inches, 3.96 pounds
• MacBook Air M4 (15-inch): 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches, 3.3 pounds

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Ports

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The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is somewhat sparse on ports but has the basics most people need:

• 1x HDMI 2.1
• 1x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4
• 1x USB Type-C
• 1x USB Type-A
• 1x 3.5mm headphone jack

Those ports might be enough for casual users, but if you have multiple accessories you like to use with your laptop, I suggest pairing the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 with one of the best laptop docking stations or a USB Type-C hub. Keep in mind, one of the USB Type-C ports on this laptop doubles as the charging port.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Battery life

Battery life is the biggest weakness of the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1. It severely underperformed on our battery life test compared to similar laptops, lasting just 7 hours and 37 minutes. That's less than a full day at work or school, which is a huge disappointment.

That weak battery life combined with a somewhat bulky design make it difficult to recommend the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 to commuters or anyone who travels frequently with their laptop. You'll need to lug around the charger, too, since this laptop is not going to last all day.

Meanwhile, the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip and the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1, both similarly priced 16-inch laptops, lasted 5 to 6 hours longer than the Dell. If battery is a top priority for you, either of these laptops would be a better choice.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Display

The display on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is good for the price. It's a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, Mini-LED touch display that's reasonably sharp and bright. It's not as good as OLED, but it's better than a typical LCD in this price range. Colors are vivid and accurate, with decent contrast, and text is perfectly legible.

I watched a couple of episodes of Lost Cities with Albert Lin on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, and it displayed National Geographic's sprawling vistas and sharp close-up shots with good depth, detail, and contrast. The display gets pretty bright, too — I never had to crank it up past the halfway mark.

While I usually prefer 14-inch laptops over 16-inch ones, I must admit that the larger display is great for watching shows and movies. If you mainly want a laptop for entertainment and casual use, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 could be a good fit.

The only thing I dislike about the display is its high reflectivity. In dark scenes or with dark mode on, I could easily see my own reflection on the screen, which is very distracting. Here's how it stacks up against the competition in our display benchmarks:

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Keyboard and touchpad

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 features a full-size keyboard with a function row and number pad, which is a huge bonus for anyone who relies on macros or often uses their laptop for productivity tasks.

The keyboard is roomy, snappy, and responsive. On the Monkeytype typing test, I scored 92 words per minute with 95% accuracy, which is a bit lower than normal for me, but still decent.

I have a love-hate relationship with the touchpad on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1. On one hand, it's huge, measuring 5.2 x 3.5 inches. Unfortunately, clicking feels mushy and dull, with little travel or feedback. You can always connect a wireless mouse to resolve that issue, but that could use up one of the few ports on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Audio

The speakers on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 sound surprisingly good. Of course, they're not going to compete with high-end audio gear, but they sound better than I expected for the price.

The atmospheric guitar rhythms of Girl in Red's "We Fell in Love in October" were smooth, crisp, and surprisingly clear, considering the Dell's speakers are bottom-firing. The vocals came through with good depth and clarity without needing to crank the volume up above 40.

Dialogue sounds good, as well. I could hear every line in Lost Cities With Albert Lin with perfect clarity and no noticeable distortion or muddiness.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Performance and heat

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor that's able to keep up well with casual daily tasks like web browsing and word processing. It doesn't have any trouble managing a plethora of browser tabs, and multitasks fairly well. I didn't notice any significant lag or long loading times during my daily use.

However, if you're a power user, you'll run into the limitations of this laptop. It scored 11,152 on the Geekbench 6 benchmark, which is on par with other laptops with this CPU, but on the lower end compared to what you can get in this price range.

For instance, the similarly priced MacBook Air M4 (15-inch) scored significantly higher at 14,921. Of course, it isn't a 2-in-1, so if tablet mode is a must-have, the MacBook might not be an option for you. The same goes for dedicated Windows users.

While I would have liked to see higher performance scores from the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, it's not bad considering the specs you're getting for the price (32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage). The performance you'll get here is more than enough for casual users or lightweight tasks for school and work.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Gaming and graphics

I was surprised to see how well the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 handled gaming, considering it's running on Intel Arc 140V 16GB integrated graphics. To be clear, it's no gaming laptop. However, if you're looking for a budget-friendly 16-inch laptop that can do some casual gaming on the side, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 might be a good pick.

It averaged 58 fps in Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm and scored 9,177 on the 3DMark Fire Strike graphics benchmark, putting the Dell ahead of all of its rivals nearly across the board. It even outscored the MacBook Air M4 in Civilization VI.

If you just want to play casual games like Fortnite or lightweight indie titles, the Dell should be able to keep up just fine, especially if you're willing to lower your graphics settings. But as we’ve tested, the Intel Arc 140V can’t handle games like Elden Ring Nightreign.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): AI features

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is a Copilot+ PC, so it comes with Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant pre-installed, along with a dedicated Copilot key for accessing it. If you're not interested in using AI, you can ignore Copilot and use this like any other Windows 11 laptop, although there are a few features that could be helpful.

For instance, Windows Studio Effects uses AI to improve webcam quality and apply effects like blurring your background, which can come in handy if you're often in video meetings. Copilot can also generate text and images from the Copilot app. You can use Copilot to generate live captions of video and audio content, as well.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Webcam

Laptop webcams are frequently underwhelming, but even by my low expectations, the camera quality on the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is quite poor. It's visibly grainy and blurry, even in good lighting. It’s a 1080p sensor, but it definitely didn’t look like 1080p in my test video.

On the other hand, the microphone was surprisingly decent. If you use this laptop for video calls, the other participants will have a hard time seeing you, but at least they'll be able to hear you well. The mic captured my voice with decent depth and clarity and little to no distortion. With that said, you'll probably want to pair it with one of the best webcams.

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): Software and warranty

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 comes with Windows 11 Home (or Windows 11 Pro for an additional $100) and includes the standard suite of pre-installed apps like Microsoft Edge, the Microsoft Store, and the Copilot app. It also includes Dell Optimizer, where you can view and, as the name suggests, optimize all of your system settings like battery life and thermal management.

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is protected by Dell's standard 1-year hardware warranty.

Bottom line

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 has some strengths, including its display quality and surprisingly solid gaming performance. However, its extremely poor battery life, combined with merely acceptable daily performance and a heavy chassis, make it difficult to recommend for most people in this competitive price range.

With less than 8 hours of battery life, you won't be able to get through a full day of work or school without hauling around a charger with you. That's a significant letdown, considering there are other 16-inch 2-in-1 laptops available for around the same price that offer significantly longer battery life.

If battery life isn't a top concern for you, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 may still be worth considering. The 16-inch display is vivid and bright, making this a good pick if you mainly use your laptop for entertainment. It can handle casual gaming better than expected, considering its price, so this may also be a good option if you're shopping for a budget-friendly laptop and want to play some lightweight games.

It's not a bad laptop, and if you can find our upgraded configuration for under $1,000 on sale, that is worth stronger consideration, but it's not destined for a spot among the best 16-inch laptops or best 2-in-1 laptops. If that's what you're in the market for, consider some of our recommended alternatives.