Dell Pro 14 review: Fresh name, familiar reliability now AI-equipped

Dell recently overhauled its laptop lineup, streamlining its naming strategy to make it easier for buyers to choose between consumer, creator, and business-focused machines. As part of this rebranding, the company introduced the new Pro series aimed squarely at professionals who prioritise reliability, security, and productivity over ultra-slim designs or gaming features. The Dell Pro 14 with AMD’s Ryzen AI chipset is one of the first models in this refreshed portfolio, and it’s a clear indicator of the company’s direction.

Design and Build

At first glance, the Dell Pro 14 doesn’t try to be the slimmest or lightest in its segment. Instead, it opts for a sturdy aluminium chassis that inspires confidence. The lid has minimal flex, the hinge feels durable, and the overall footprint is compact enough for travel without feeling cramped on a desk.

One of the most practical touches here is the generous port selection, something many modern laptops sacrifice. You get USB-A ports, USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and a microSD card slot. This means most professionals won’t have to live the dongle life.

Display

The 14-inch display delivers 300 nits of brightness, which is fine for typical indoor office use but falls short for bright outdoor environments. Colour reproduction is adequate for productivity, presentations, and light creative work, but it won’t satisfy those who demand OLED-level vibrancy or full colour accuracy for design workloads.

Performance

The laptop has a base configuration of AMD Ryzen AI 5 220 CPU, integrated Radeon 740M graphics, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It handled day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat. Video calls and light photo editing were equally smooth. But as it's not a pro-level display, I wouldn't recommend this for professional photo editing. 

The “AI” part isn’t just marketing. AMD’s Ryzen AI hardware enables on-device AI workloads for applications that support it. While the real-world impact today is limited, it does mean the laptop is more future-proof as AI-enhanced productivity tools become mainstream.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Typing on the Dell Pro 14 was a great experience. The keys are well-spaced, which meant I had zero issues maxing out my typing speed. The trackpad is large and precise, with multi-touch gestures working reliably.

Security and Biometrics

Security is one of the laptop’s strengths. The combination of a fingerprint reader and Windows Hello facial recognition makes logging in quick and reliable. These biometric systems worked flawlessly in my testing, even in low-light conditions.

Battery Life

Battery performance is solid. With typical office use, document editing, emails, note-taking, writing news stories, and a couple of video calls, the Dell Pro 14 comfortably lasted me a full workday. That’s particularly impressive given the power of the Ryzen AI chipset.

Verdict

The Dell Pro 14 with AMD Ryzen AI is not chasing style points. It’s a laptop built for people who value reliability, strong battery life, and robust security features. Its performance is dependable, and the inclusion of AI hardware gives it a degree of future-proofing.

At a starting price of ₹70,097 in India, it’s a competitive proposition for professionals who want a secure, durable work laptop with modern capabilities. If you need a brighter panel or are looking for a more lightweight build, there are alternatives to consider, but for office-focused users, the Dell Pro 14 is a strong, sensible choice.