Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was very excited in 2022 when I got my 16" M1 Pro Macbook Pro. It was big and beautiful piece of tech that was vastly different from my Macbook Air; it had an incredible screen, and while performance on my MBA was never an issue, the M1 Pro laptop removed any doubt of potential issues. And it was THICK: I actually named it CHONK (yes, all capitals) because it was so beefy. There's something really nice about big, beautiful laptops. Laptops have been getting smaller and smaller ever since their introduction, and with so much focus on decreased size and weight, it's easy to forget how great a larger laptop can be. So yes, I'm a big fan of Apple's computers, and have been for a while. That said, the Dell Premium 16" is the first non-Mac laptop I've used in a long time that I think might give those larger Macbook Pro's a run for their money. Note this isn't about Windows versus Mac (necessarily)–I'd argue that the latest updates of Windows 11 have made the user experience of Windows almost as flawless as MacOS (relatively speaking, adjusted for the core differences in the two operating systems). Microsoft has done a great job the last few years making subtle tweaks to Windows to make it as stable as it has become. No, this isn't about the operating system: this is more about the hardware and user experience of that hardware that makes the Dell Premium 16" one of the first real competitors to the Macbook Pro when it comes to the robustness of design. I'm going to start with the screen, which is big and beautiful. The 16:10 aspect ratio definitely feels different from a more standard laptop aspect ratio of 16:9 thanks to some more vertical workspace for tasks. It is technically 4K, but with additional vertical pixels. The screen's bezels almost fade away while you're using it, as they are extremely thin all the way around; they are slightly thinner on the sides than the top and bottom, but the bottom bezel seems smaller than it is due to the way the lid is hinged against the rest of the laptop. The keyboard is lovely, but only if you're used to the keyboard design in Dell's "premium" laptops. I've been a big fan of Dell's XPS computers for several years now (having owned two of them), and the keyboard on the Premium 16" emulates that style. And, my work laptop is a Dell Latitude 94xx, which uses a very similar keyboard design… so I am very comfortable typing on this keyboard for long periods of time. That said, it is probably something that users would identify as polarizing… personally, I'm a big fan, but I could see how some users would really detest it (my wife is one of those). I also love how it looks: classy yet simple…it's as if the keyboard isn't a separate component, rather, just some cuts made into the entirely flat surface of the laptop's deck. And speaking of polarizing–let's talk about the capacitive touch row of function buttons above the keyboard. They are…fine. Apple tried this years ago with the Touchbar, and I recognize that this is NOT the same thing…but the biggest complaint I had about the Touchbar was a missing physical Esc key. The same sentiment exists here: there are certain keys which should remain physical keys, Esc being one of them. And because this is Windows, keys like Home, End and Delete also fall into that category. I can live with it, but it's probably my biggest gripe about this laptop. Now, let's talk about the touchpad. As a former XPS Plus user, I absolutely LOVE how the touchpad is seamless across the deck of the laptop, similar to the keyboard. Again: sleek and smooth. It also seems substantially larger (relative to the keyboard) than earlier XPS Plus designs, and it seems that Dell has done a great job dialing in the palm rejection software to prevent accidental cursor jumps while typing. I have for many years been looking for a true Apple touchpad competitor, and Windows laptops every year are getting closer and closer. It's not there yet, but soon, regardless of platform, we'll have access to a flawless user experience when it comes to touchpads. (As a side note, I also love how easy it is to clean the Premium 16" due to the design of the touchpad and keyboard. I am often horrified by how dirty my coworkers let their computers get, and Dell makes frequent cleaning quick and simple due to reduced creases / recesses in the deck.) I/O is another area I have to deduct a few points from an overall score for this device. For a device of this size with this price tag, not having an HDMI port is bothersome. Thunderbolt 4 support is great, and is available in all three onboard USB-C ports…but for MOST external monitors, some sort of adapter is still going to be required to connect this laptop. I don't love that. I recognize that performance is important too, and I haven't spent much time on it. That said, this price tag gets you some elite level specs: 1TB of SSD storage, a dedicated GPU with 8GB of memory, 32GB RAM and an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor. There are certainly gamers and professionals for whom this would not be sufficient spec for their day to day, but those folks are going to be fewer than pretty much everyone else, for whom these specs are excellent. And while I didn't say much about audio performance, I will admit that the speakers in the Premium 16 left me a bit underwhelmed; they felt hollow and tinny, and while they get plenty loud, I'd much rather have headphones on when consuming media on this device. Price is the catch, of course. This device lists at $2700 on Best Buy's website at the time of this writing, and that seems appropriate for the top tier experience that the laptop provides (along with the price spikes we've seen in recent months across most industries). I would prefer see this device in the $2000-$2500 range, and would not recommend purchasing it at full price; in a few months I'm sure it will start receiving discounts and would be a good purchase at 10%-20% less than its MSRP. But, despite a handful of shortcomings and nitpicks, I really, REALLY like this machine. It's not as portable as some other laptops, but it lives up to its name by giving you a premium user experience, if you can afford it.

he Dell Premium 16 is a well-built laptop with a beautiful OLED 4K (120 Hz) touch screen and a glass keyboard/touchpad.  It looks very similar to a MacBook Pro except the Dell is even nicer.  It comes with a Nvidia RTX5050 GPU (8GB DDR7), 32GB of system memory, and a fast 1TB SSD.  The keyboard has a row of lights above the top row that serve as the function keys. In operation, the Dell was able to play the latest games well at 1080P and medium settings.  Local LLMs also ran quickly within the VRAM limitations of the GPU.  Locally run photo/text to 3D and graphics programs such as Hunyuan3D2 and blender, etc. ran quickly.  All other uses such as web surfing, office applications, etc. ran well. Although the laptop is beautiful and offers very good performance as described above,  I feel that the Dell Premium 16 is somewhat of a component mismatch for its price.  The screen is 4K but the RTX5050 GPU is not capable of satisfactorily playing AAA games at that resolution.  Something like an RTX5070ti or a RTX5080 would seem to be better suited and more capable for the price. If you are looking for a premium laptop that is beautiful and quite capable but does not have the highest level performing GPU for games, I recommend considering the Dell Premium 16.

As both a full-time teacher and a small business owner, my day is jam packed with lesson plans, spreadsheets, video calls, and the frequent late-night brainstorm. My busy schedule and mix of activities means I need a machine that can keep up. Something that doesn’t just survive the workload, but thrives in it. After a year of wrestling with a flimsy, crash-prone device that got the job done (most of the time), I finally upgraded to the Dell Premium 16. From the moment I powered it on it didn’t just meet my expectations. It quietly redefined what I expect from a laptop. The Dell Premium 16 feels like a device built with intention and attention to details. Initially, I was concerned with the size and heft. Jumping from a super slim, lightweight 14” device to this was a big leap. After using it though, I’ve come to appreciate that it feels solid and reassuring, with just enough heft to promote durability without sacrificing portability. With its sleek and modern design, it feels at home in the classroom, a client meeting, or chilling on the couch. It has clean lines, minimal branding, and no unnecessary frills that might snap off or wear down over time. Every detail, from the smooth hinge mechanism to the Platinum finish, reflects a level of craftsmanship that inspires confidence. When it comes to performance, the Dell Premium 16 doesn’t flinch. I’m constantly switching between apps, with multiple profiles and tabs running at once. This device handles it all with no issue. There is no lag when launching apps, no hesitation when jumping between browsers, and no crashes when waking up! Everything feels snappy and responsive, which makes a real difference when you’re always racing against a deadline. Whether I’m editing videos for social media, hosting an online conference, or creating content, it stays smooth and stable. I didn’t expect this device to boost productivity, but I’m spending less time waiting for the tech to keep up, and more time getting things done. When I powered it on for the first time, I was immediately blown away by the stunning display. The screen is crisp, vivid, and bright, with colors that pop and text that’s razor-sharp. Whether I’m reviewing documents, watching training videos, or just unwinding on social media, everything just looks pretty. It’s a huge step up from what I was used to. What really made me smile though was the sounds. I expected decent audio, after all, it’s just a laptop. What I got was rich, full, and surprisingly loud. I know most folks plug in headphones, but I still fallback on built-in speakers for video playback and presentations. This device delivers. The media feels immersive and professional. This feels like a pleasant surprise: powerful, thoughtfully designed, and built to last. For someone who balances the demands of two full time jobs, that kind of dependability isn’t just convenient, it's a necessity. I don’t have time to wrestle with tech that slows me down or wears out after a year. I’m excited to say the Dell Premium 16 feels reliable, refined, and ready for whatever comes next.

TLDR: I love this Dell so much more than I thought I would. So much so, that I'm keeping the Dell for my personal use now instead of taking it to work, which is what I got it for. I'm giving up my beloved ThinkPad for the work computer now. For me, there is NO higher praise. I got this new Dell Premium 16" laptop for a new position I'm taking at a local non-profit. As a non-profit, they are a 'Bring Your Own Laptop' place since they don't have the funds to outfit everyone with tech. I'm mostly going to be doing writing and some Adobe apps like InDesign. After setting up and using the Dell for the last few days, I am now making this my main computer. It's gorgeous to look at, incredibly snappy with every program I've thrown at it, AND still has a fun side to play PC games! Seriously, this thing is like meeting a gorgeous model who is hot, smart, and nerdy (but not so nerdy that she has silly LED lighting everywhere). What do I love so much about the Dell Premium 16"? Let me count the ways! 1. Screen: I played around with A LOT of computers over the last few years and this screen is as nice, if not better than any I've ever used, including some on some really high-end gaming laptops. Sharp, bright, and beautiful. 2. Power: The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 7, 32GB of RAM, and both the EVO/RTX 5050 GPU internals, makes this for one wickedly fast computer. It is without a doubt the 'snappiest' computer I have laid my hands on. Tabs and programs open INSTANTLY. Work in Adobe is incredibly smooth, even when playing with complicated files. And while I might not be throwing some of the latest AAA titles at it, the Dell has been breezing through the games in my Steam and GoG catalogues! 3. Quiet: Even when putting the Dell P16 under stress, she stays quiet and cool. Again, I'm not trying to emulate the entire galaxy or render a massive movie file, but my last dedicated gaming computer didn't run these same games and programs this quietly. 4. Battery: Battery life has been incredibly solid. I charged it up fully straight out of the box and then I was able to get three full days of work and play out of her before I needed to plug in again. Granted, none of those days was a FULL day of operation (we are up and down with people in the office all day), but it's what *I* consider to be a full days work. Holds on to charge like a champ when in sleep mode too. That *SHOULD* be a given in this day and age, but I'm sorry to say that it is not. What don't I like (and these are VERY minor). 1. Keyboard: The reason my ThinkPad is my beloved laptop is because of that phenomenal keyboard. I had quite a few 'fat-fingered' mistakes early on with this Dell P16, but that has gotten better as I have gotten used to the larger keys and the layout. Other than that though, the keys feel good and are easy to type on. 2. Weight: The Dell Premium 16 is not a light computer. She is solid. This is another reason why she is now going to stay at home on my desk. My ThinkPad is much easier to cart around. 3. Set-up: This computer probably had the longest set-up from initial turn-on to ready to rock of any laptop I've used lately. That being said, once everything was up to date, she runs like a champ and subsequent updates have been few and fast. 4. Name: Seriously Dell? Premium 16?! That's it? This should be the Dell 16" XPS Smokeshow! If you are looking for a top notch laptop, with a stellar screen, a great keyboard, and absolutely killer performance both on the streets (of GTA) and in the spreadsheets, you can not go wrong with the Dell Premium 16". Love her so much, I promoted her to my main computer!

It has been a few years since I've gotten a new laptop and I was definitely overdue. I wanted something that could stand the test of time and I think this beast fits the bill. The very first thing I notice when I unboxed was the weight of this laptop. It is very substantial! You don't think 5 pounds sound like a lot but it is. This is definitely a two hander laptop! The design is what I was drawn to. It is Beautiful. Very sleek and modern, using high end materials. Upon opening the lid (Aluminum not plastic) I was a bit worried about how typing on the "zero lattice" keyboard would be, and it does take a bit of time getting used to with the wider keys, but not that much time. One little downside I've noticed with the white back lit keyboard in the platinum colorway, is its hard to see the letters in certain lighting conditions. There is no number pad, so that would have to be an extra accessory. The function row is a Gorilla glass capacitive panel across the top and not physical buttons. I'm good with that, as it adds to the sleekness of the device. I also noticed the glass panel under the keyboard (where the trackpad is) is clean and seemless. The track pad has been great to use. Nice tactile feedback and gesture navigations work well. The display Dell used in this laptop has blown me away! OLED is the only way to go. The colors are soo rich and vibrant, and such nice deep blacks. I could watch the 4K OLED test videos on YouTube for hours! It is a joy to watch Movies, consume content, and edit photos and videos. The touchscreen is soo handy to have. Filling out forms is a breeze. It adds another layer to make navigation of the laptop and content easier and more fulfilling. (If that makes sense) The variable 120 Hz screen makes everything seem much more fluid as well. I've had no problems with screen brightness, it gets nice and dim as well as super bright. I mostly have it at 40%. The hardware inside is premium and Dell has quite a few options when it comes to customizing your Laptop. I am a little disappointed with the ports that this premium laptop has tho. A headphone jack, three USB-C/Thunderbolt 5 ports and a Micro SD card reader. I would have preferred a bigger card reader, a regular USB port (some people still use thumb drives) and a HDMI port. I guess that's what the hubs and external adapters are for. I'm just trying to carry less around with me. Not a huge deal. The Speakers sound very decent for a laptop. They won't give you room filling sound but they do get very loud. Definitely lacking in bass and a certain warmth/fullness. The fact that they face you and not the bottom or out the sides does help. The battery life is good, not great but not poor either. It all depends on what you're doing. If you're editing videos, creating content, or gaming it's not that great. Although then it should just be plugged in anyway. For normal use, like document work and web browsing and streaming movies, I average 6 hours of battery life. Charging speed is good however. The 130 watt charger had the battery full from 9% in under an hour. If you are looking for a more premium laptop with a beautiful design and built with high quality luxury materials, I highly recommend this Dell.

There is much to like and little to criticize on this laptop. Like all Dell high-end models, it is built solidly, runs silent, has a very bright screen, and is a real powerhouse with all the bells and whistles to be used as a gaming laptop. My gripes are like many other reviewers, finding it a bit on the heavy side, battery capacity that I wish was longer, and it definately runs a bit warmer than I would like. I suppose like all other engineering, there were tradeoffs to be made, but none of those gripes would make me reconsider buying another one. My title says it all - a powerhouse laptop with a georgeous screen. Graphics are very good for gaming, the processer is fast enough, and the standard 1TB memory is enough for most users. My first upgrade was to a 4 TB Samsung drive as I dislike external drives to keep my stuff. Other reviewers posted the specs, so no need to repeat them here. This is my third Dell with the trackpad blended in to the case, and I have gotten used to the position I need to be in for use. It also has the integrated function keys in the case at the top of the keyboard, and that takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do, you will not miss the dedicated keys on the keyboard. It is a much nicer look and feel to me. Everyone has now gone to USB-C / Thunderbolt connenctions, and while this one has three of them, I would have wished for a fourth, or a HDMI as a fourth connector. I find myself having to use a dongle to hook up anything external with a cable, and I realize all builders are going in this direction. The power supply for this beast is huge, making it necessary to carry either the original supply with you, or buying another one of 130W or more to carry with you. The WiFi 7 works great and of course, is backward compatable. I have not measured the speed of it yet. One other minor quip, and it may not be an issue with the microphone, but others tell me I sound muted a bit to them on Zoom calls. I need to look into the settings to see if I can tweak the sound a bit. If not, this would be the first Dell that I owned to experience that issue. Solidly built, it is a powerhouse with a georgeous display. If you want premium, this is your computer!

This new Dell 16 Premium laptop is exceptional in both style and performance. I know most people don’t buy a laptop for its looks, but this laptop is stunning. It is extremely well-built and solid. It comes with the newest generation of Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor which is definitely fast. The touchscreen display is 16:10 at 3840X2400 120Hz Oled that looks amazing. The backlit keyboard took a little getting used to as the keys have different travel compared to other laptops that I own plus their spacing seems different too. The haptic keypad is also very different as it is covered in Gorilla Glass 3 and basically invisible. It works perfectly fine but knowing where it starts and stops takes some getting used to. This design gives the laptop a very clean look. Also, the function keys are capacitive as opposed to actual keys so things like the escape key are not always readily present. For a laptop of this size, I was surprised to see there is no numeric keypad. The other thing I noticed is there is really no lip on the lid to open it. It really takes 2 hands to lift from the sides of the lid. The laptop has 3 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports along with a microSD card slot and headphone jack. The laptop comes with 32GB Memory, 1TB SSD drive and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050. I am not a gamer but understand there may be better GPUs available. Unlike most laptops the speakers are mounted facing upwards on the top of the laptop and sound surprisingly good. The laptop is extremely quiet, and venting is on the sides. I have yet to hear the fans come on. There is a built-in camera and microphones for video conferencing, however I have not used these yet. All of this build quality and performance leads to a couple of things. First the laptop is not light. At a little over 5lbs it’s on the heavier side. I use my laptop on my desk and thankfully don’t have to carry it often. Also, the battery life is not great. I estimate around 6-7 hours of regular use. It comes with a 130-watt fast charger and charges very quickly. All in all, the performance of this laptop is exceptional. The display is fantastic, and the build quality is the best I have had. This is by no means an inexpensive laptop but at the recent sale price of $2099 it offers good value for a great laptop.

I was looking for a laptop that I can use at work, on the go and at home and that is why I landed on this Dell 16" touch screen laptop. Right out of the box you will notice how well built and sturdy this laptop is. It definitely has a high end feel to it. Once you get it fired up, the next thing that will get your attention will be the 4k OLED screen. The 4K OLED 120 Hz screen is definitely one of the standout features. This laptop produces rich, vivid colors, with good contrast (deep blacks). This is perfect for video editing, photo work, streaming, or just watching in high quality videos on the go or at home. The keyboard is also a nice feature. Super responsive and I always like it when it has the ability to light up. Once you fire it up, you will also notice how quiet it is. The only time I heard the fan kick on is when I was gaming. I don't usually carry the power brick to this laptop, so it is easy to transport between work and home. Once you get everything set up, you will notice how well it runs. The Ultra 7‑255H is a high‑end CPU, and with 32 GB RAM and fast SSD, the machine handles demanding multitasking, productivity workloads (office apps and multiple screens) with ease. Gets the job done at work and at home. The cameras and speakers are well‑done for their class of laptop. It has good webcam quality (1080p) and audio that works well for media and meetings. This is not a gaming laptop, but it can handle games that don't require too much processing power. The only downside to this computer is the battery life, but that is to be expected with these types of specs. Overall, this Dell Premium 16" touch screen laptop is a very good laptop. It excels at what it’s built for: sleek design, strong CPU performance, excellent OLED screen, and good all‑round usability. I highly recommend this laptop if you are in the market for a machine that you can use at work, on the go and at home.

First off, I have a dedicated gaming laptop that I will compare this Dell with. Overall, this is a very nice laptop that is capable of nice and smooth gaming. Multi tasking is a breeze and the screen quality is fantastic. Opening up the packaging, you notice the premium look and feel. The laptop has a good weight to it. Initial startup goes as planned but the updates do take a bit initially and take around a week of random updates to finish (more on this in a second). The back lighting on the keyboard is great with the F buttons being "touch" up top, as is the mouse pad! This is a fantastic look and feel that adds to the premium feel. The keyboard is nice and quiet, but is missing the number pad to the right, which took me a second to get used to. However, the speakers are to the sides and have to be the best sounding speakers on a laptop I have ever heard. Gaming, videos, multitasking, multi windows., no problem. WIFI 7, no issues and FAST. The laptop will even pick the best signal to maintain quality. Now, I did have an issue where the laptop would randomly freeze and I found that this is where the updates would start and freeze up the laptop. No big deal as now they have stopped and this beast is running smooth. Battery life is great, lasting a few days. My final quirk, this thing does not have a USB-A port for things like external mice. I did have an adapter laying around so that turned out to not be an issue. Just FYI. This is now my go to laptop for everything, including quick gaming sessions. Great job, Dell!

Well, this computer has so much style I couldn't figure out how to turn it on. LOL. I looked all around the front, the sides, the back... then my 11-year-old walks up and says, “It’s right here” and pushes the key that's to the right of backspace. So, we had a good chuckle and were in business. Besides the semi hidden power key, the brightness, volume and other keys are above the numbers and hidden in the panel of the computer, only to show up with the backlight icons. So that is also stylish, and the icons are very response. The last hidden gem is the track pad. You cannot see it as it’s only a hidden space below the spacebar. It works like any other track pad, it’s just hidden. This computer is a little on the heavy side, but only because it’s a stylish metal thin case. It’s very quiet while doing computing every day like writing this review. The screen is bright and very responsive to the touch. Battery life is also great and to keep things thin, the charging port is the USB-C on either side of the computer. It does not have a USB-B port, but so far that hasn't caused any issues for me. So, I've said a lot about the style of the computer, but you can't forget the power. The computer has everything you need for today's computing with enough RAM, 32MB to keep you current for years and with 1TB SSD you have quiet, fast and reliable storage that will be enough to keep you current for years as well. Overall, it’s a pricy computer, but it’s top of the line in every way for power and style. Dell hit a home run with this model, and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a high-end laptop.

The laptop works as expected—startup is fast, the screen is clear, and the battery lasts through a full day of light use. It is fairly heavy but not to the point of being a problem. Setting it up out of the box was simple, and walked me through each step. The touch screen responds quickly to taps and swipes, and scrolling through documents or zooming in on images feels natural. It doesn’t replace the keyboard or touchpad for longer tasks, but it makes quick navigation easier. The hinge feels sturdy when leaning screen back. It charges quickly and the battery life is excellent with moderate use. The photo editing options are easy to use and include just about all features I'd want to use. Also has AI capability to change your photos backgrounds. I've played games on it and it performs the same as if I were searching the Internet or creating a document. There is no lag time. Sound quality is clear for video calls and casual media use, though I would recommend headphones for music. The webcam works well for meetings, and the built-in microphone does it's job.