Head-To-Head: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Vs. Dell Latitude 7390 2-In-1

Face Off

In 2018, the kingpins of business-friendly laptops are fully embracing the 2-in-1 form factor. Lenovo -- which pioneered the convertible laptop concept with its Yoga consumer 2-in-1s -- recently came out with an updated third-generation model of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. But Dell is looking to grab share away from Lenovo, with a 2-in-1 version of its Latitude 7390 business notebook. Which of the business convertibles is a better fit for you? In the following slides, we compare Lenovo's 3rd gen ThinkPad X1 Yoga vs. Dell's Latitude 7390 2-in-1 on specs and price.

Display

As 2-in-1 convertibles, both of the laptops in our comparison come with touch screen displays that fold part or all of the way back for major flexibility around usage. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga features a larger display at 14 inches, compared to the 13.3-inch display on the Latitude 7390 2-in-1.

The Latitude comes with FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and 255 nits of brightness, along with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for durability. The X1 Yoga doesn't have Gorilla Glass, but it has three configuration options with some resolution and brightness advantages.

The base model of the X1 Yoga features the same FHD resolution as the Latitude 2-in-1, but is a tad brighter at 270 nits. The two other X1 Yoga configurations add more pixels and some other flourishes: WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution with 270 nits of brightness, and at the highest end, WQHD resolution with 500 nits of brightness and support for Dolby Vision HDR (for enhanced image quality). Thus, for users that favor the best display quality possible, the top-end configuration of the 3rd gen ThinkPad X1 Yoga may be the better choice.

Processor

Both of the laptops in our comparison offer strong performance, with processors from Intel's eighth-generation "Kaby Lake R" series. The choices are pretty similar. Both the X1 Yoga and Latitude 7390 2-in-1 can be configured with Core i5-8250U (quad-core, up to 3.4GHz), Core i5-8350U (up to 3.6GHz) or Core i7-8650U (quad-core, up to 4.2GHz) chip. The X1 Yoga also can come with Core i7-8550U (up to 4GHz), while the Latitude has an entry-level model with a seventh-gen Intel chip, the Core i3-7130U (clocked at up to 2.7GHz). Since the top-level chips are identical, however, you can expect some similarly impressive horsepower from both of the notebooks.

Battery Life

Equally impressive to the processing specs for these laptops are the promises on battery life. Lenovo promises up to 15 hours of battery life on a charge for the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, though that's presumably for the FHD model -- the higher-res models will likely drain the battery more quickly. Dell has even loftier promises for the Latitude 7390 2-in-1, though -- with the company saying the convertible laptop should be able to get up to 17 hours of battery life before needing a re-charge. (Worth noting: Dell offers the laptop with smaller- and larger-sized batteries -- 45WHr and 60WHr -- so users that want to maximize the battery life will need to choose accordingly.)

Thickness & Weight

The two laptops in our comparison are similar in terms of portability specs. The X1 Yoga is just a hair thinner, at 0.67 of an inch thick, versus the 0.7 of an inch thick measurement of the Latitude 7390 2-in-1. They're also comparable on weight: the X1 Yoga weighs 3.08 pounds, while the Latitude has a starting weight of 3.12 pounds (for the model with a 45WHr battery).

Touchpad & Keyboard

One of the biggest improvements with the Latitude 7390 2-in-1 compared to previous Latitudes is the addition of Microsoft's Precision Touchpad -- which is far more smooth and responsive than Dell's prior touchpad offerings. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga, from previous generations into the present model, also have the Precision Touchpad.

As for the keyboard, both models feature backlit keyboards, though the X1 Yoga has slightly deeper keys with key travel of 1.8 mm. The Latitude's key travel is 1.65 mm.

Ports & Pens

Both laptops have a generous port selection. The Latitude 7390 2-in-1 features two USB-A ports, two USB-C, HDMI and two card slots (SIM and SD). The X1 Yoga is similarly equipped, with two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI and a microSD card reader.

In terms of digital pens, the Latitude supports the Dell Active Pen, which must be bought separately. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga, however, is packaged with the ThinkPad Active Pen.

Price

For the models with the Core i5-8250U processor and FHD display, the pricing is pretty close: the Dell Latitude 7390 2-in-1 is priced at $1,429, while Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga is just a bit higher at $1,484.

There's a similarly small difference on price if you move up to the Core i7-8650U configurations of each laptop: The Latitude convertible runs at the lower price of $1,849, versus the X1 Yoga's price tag of $1,914.

You'll pay higher prices for the X1 Yoga with WQHD resolution (another $96) or WQHD/Dolby Vision ($170 more), and a lower price for the Latitude 7390 2-in-1 with a seventh-gen Core i3 chip ($1,149).