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Dell's Latitude 5285 looks just like a Surface Pro

Dell's Latitude 5285 looks just like a Surface Pro

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Dell Latitude 5285
Dell

This might sound familiar: Dell's newest PC is a tablet with a built-in kickstand, that's meant to be used with a soft keyboard cover, and supports input from a stylus.

Yeah, it's the exact formula behind Microsoft's Surface. It even looks just like Microsoft's Surface. But in this case, it's Dell's Latitude 5285.

The Latitude 5285 is beat for beat a shot at the Surface Pro. It has a 12.3-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio (same as the Surface), supports up to a 1TB SSD (same as the Surface), includes up to 16GB RAM (same as the Surface), and supports traditional Core i processors from Intel (just like the Surface) — in this case, from its seventh generation release.

But there is one place Dell cuts corners: the Latitude's display. There's only one option here, 1080p, and that's significantly lower than the 2736 x 1824 resolution included on the Surface Pro 4.

Dell Latitude 5285 2-in-1
Dell

That might be okay for Dell, since it's going to be selling these machines to businesses first and foremost, and getting high-end displays isn't necessarily every company's top priority. Dell also includes LTE and WiGig options, as well as support for fingerprint and security card readers.

Dell has already been offering similar 2-in-1s, but nothing quite so identical to the Surface Pro as this. Prior Latitude models included kickstand cases and bulkier keyboard attachments. Dell is even a reseller of the Surface Pro, with its own management services added on top. This new tablet seems like an attempt to siphon off some of those customers by meeting slightly different needs.

The Latitude 5285 will go on sale February 28th with pricing starting at $899 — exactly the same as a Surface Pro 4 with a Core i processor. Likewise, the keyboard cover will sell separately. Dell hasn't announced the price for that just yet.