Buying an used off-lease computer means giving up shiny-new cosmetic perfection in exchange for a hefty discount, a tradeoff I was willing to make. I don't think I'll be bothered by the "Grade B" blemishes on my unit and besides, it's what's inside that really counts. Purchasing from Dell Financial Services via their retail site https://dellrefurbished.com includes a 100-day warranty to back up their claim that all machines are fully functional regardless of cosmetic state.

My order confirmation email had a pleasant unexpected bonus: it included the Dell service tag for the specific machine I had just bought. I could then put that service tag into Dell's support site to learn information about that specific unit before it had even arrived. There were still a few weeks left on its original 3 year warranty, though it would expire before the 100 day refurbished warranty would. Another positive attribute was the fact my unit was not equipped with a cellular data (WWAN) module. I don't expect to use WWAN, and without the module, the machine should have room for a M.2 SSD in the more common, longer, and cheaper 2280 form factor. The factory configuration list included a model number for the factory SSD, which is associated with a M.2 2280 drive.

The machine arrived a few days later and, once I confirmed the machine functioned as expected, I brought up Dell's service manual and opened up my unit to familiarize myself with its internals and to confirm information listed on Dell support. Compared with my previous Dell laptops, there was much more extensive use of thin adhesive-backed sheets of various materials. Are they for RF shielding? For airflow management? Other purposes? It's hard for me to tell but their presence is not surprising in a device designed to be thin and light. I just have to keep in mind I can only remove them a few times before their adhesive gives out.

Modern component miniaturization allowed smaller circuit boards, freeing up more internal volume for the battery. Which needs to be disconnected and the system depowered before I disconnect anything else. This battery plug was very securely fastened and difficult to remove. Far more difficult than any previous Dell laptop battery connectors I've encountered. Hard enough that I triple checked I didn't overlook some other mechanism I was supposed to release before unplugging the connector. But there were no other mechanisms, it was just a really tight fit.

After the system was depowered, I quickly made my way to the SSD to confirm it was indeed a M.2 2280 unit. This will make future upgrades easier and cheaper than the less common M.2 2230 type used in WWAN-equipped units. Speaking of which, I don't think I can (easily) retrofit mine with one. The module connector is there on the logic board, but I don't see any loose wires that would be appropriate for plugging into a cellular modem. So my machine probably lack cellular antennae as well. Though if I ever come into possession of a M.2 2230 SSD in the future, I might be tempted to give it a shot anyway for curiosity's sake. Compatible WWAN modules seem to cost about $30-$50 from various Amazon vendors and maybe I can rig up a less elegant antenna. As long as I keep my expectations modest for such a project, it might still be an interesting data point. In the meantime I'm content to use the machine as-is.