Dell’s XPS 13 line does one huge factor rather well — it is a slim, well-made Home windows laptop computer that kinda offers you the appear and feel of a MacBook Air, however working Home windows somewhat than MacOS. 

And for the previous a number of years, it is crammed precisely that area of interest. That is why it stays one in every of my favourite Home windows laptops. Even higher, it begins at $829, effectively lower than even the older M1 MacBook Air, which continues to be a terrific laptop computer however can also be two years outdated at this level. The newer M2 MacBook Air begins at $1,199 and goes up from there.

MacBook comparisons apart (though they’re inevitable), the newest XPS 13 stands by itself as a terrific minimalist Home windows laptop computer. It is fairly skinny (round 14mm), mild (2.6 kilos) and has an excellent 13.4-inch full HD show. My partner, no stranger to those issues, noticed the brand new XPS 13 and stated, unsolicited, “That is very Apple-y. Good job, Dell.” 

8.1

Dell XPS 13

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Like

• All-aluminum design offers it a refined, trendy look
• Wonderful battery life
• Good configurations are fairly priced

Do not Like

• Bye-bye audio jack
• Decrease-power chips maintain again efficiency
• Do not love the clicky touchpad

XPS evolution 

Having coated this explicit product line since its launch, I’ve seen it evolve away flaws like poor or poorly positioned webcams. I went again to my evaluation of the primary XPS 13, from 2012, to refresh my reminiscence, and located that the excessive factors again then have been a pointy design and a footprint barely smaller than different 13-inch laptops (sure, just like the MacBook Air). One of many huge issues was a scarcity of ports. That authentic $999 mannequin had two USB-A ports (one USB 2.Zero and one USB 3.0), plus DisplayPort and an audio output. 

The 2022 model is much more minimalist, with solely two USB-C ports, and never even an audio jack. That mimics the current XPS 13 Plus, which is a higher-end model that attempted some formidable design tweaks, together with a seamless touchpad and capacitive contact buttons for Perform keys. Whereas the Plus is visually arresting, highly effective and really skinny, I did knock it for dropping the headphone jack, one thing that only a few laptops have performed so far, despite the fact that it is normal working process for telephones proper now. 

And despite the fact that it is a disappointment to see the usual XPS 13 observe go well with in ditching a built-in audio connection, I nonetheless choose it to the fancier Plus mannequin. It is inexpensive, definitely highly effective sufficient for on a regular basis duties, and the touchpad and Perform keys are simply simpler to make use of of their conventional format, even when the Plus variations look cooler. Comparably spec’d, an XPS 13 with a Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage and an ordinary FHD touchscreen is at present $1,399 for the XPS 13 Plus and $1,149 for this normal XPS 13. The most important distinction, moreover the design, is that the Plus runs quicker P-series Intel CPUs, versus the ultrabook-ish U sequence right here. 

At the least each the XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus pack a few adapters within the field — one USB-C to USB-A and one USB-C to audio. Each even have a 720-resolution webcam plus an IR digicam for Home windows Hey facial recognition login. Many more moderen laptops, together with the newest MacBook Air, have upgraded to higher-resolution 1080 cameras, that are vital in our age of Zoom conferences. Within the slimmer XPS Plus mannequin, I should buy that there is not room for a greater digicam, however within the extra mainstream model, it is time to hook that up. You possibly can, nevertheless, use the included digicam and IR sensor for Home windows Hey facial recognition login. 

Touchpad, keyboard and show

Some XPS fashions have had carbon fiber wrist rests that supplied some visible distinction with the remainder of the aluminum physique, however now it is one uniform shade throughout the complete chassis. I am advantageous both approach, however the brand new look is certainly a bit extra streamlined and trendy. 

I’ve all the time thought the XPS 13 had an excellent touchpad… for a Home windows laptop computer. That caveat is vital, as a result of it is a kind of areas the place Macs nonetheless really feel extra responsive and simpler to make use of. It is advantageous, however the pad bodily depresses, somewhat than supplying you with somewhat haptic kick like another touchpads do. I discovered it clicked down somewhat too simply, which felt clumsy to me. 

The keyboard, nevertheless, is superb, with a logical structure, broad key faces and a satisfying clack when tapped. One pet peeve — the backlit keyboard shines a light-weight by means of translucent white letters on a silver-colored keyboard, which suggests in lots of not-quite-dark-enough conditions, turning the backlight on truly makes the keys tougher to see. At the least you may flip it off with a faucet of a perform key. 

The 1,920×1,200 show has a 16:10 facet ratio (you rarely see a 16:9 laptop computer anymore), and it could attain 500 nits of brightness. It is fairly sharp and shiny, however bear in mind, this is not an OLED panel, which is one in every of 4 completely different display choices on the XPS 13 Plus. Right here you may select contact or non-touch, that is it. 

The display is emphasised by the very skinny bezel round it. That is pretty widespread now, however the XPS 13 was an actual pioneer in shaving down the border round laptop computer screens. 

Efficiency and battery life 

The XPS 13 comes with both a Core i5 or Core i7 12th-gen Intel CPU. We examined the Core i5 model. The more-expensive XPS 13 Plus we examined was an excellent deal quicker, however our check unit of the Plus had a Core i7 CPU (and one from a extra highly effective chip line)

In our benchmark checks, the XPS 13 was slower than numerous different 13-inch laptops we have examined lately, however lots of these have been dearer fashions with Core i7 CPUs (or within the MacBook Air’s case, an M2). Barely extra head-to-head, the XPS 15 was quicker than the Floor Laptop computer Go 2, which additionally has a Core i5 U-series chip, however an 11th-gen one, versus the newer 12th-gen one right here. 

However in on a regular basis use, which for me included streaming video, engaged on paperwork and even performing some reasonable Photoshopping, the efficiency right here is completely advantageous. The quicker i7 chip is on the market in the event you suppose you want it, however doubling the bottom RAM to 16GB is absolutely the primary improve to think about when configuring a system. 

That U-series CPU actually pays off in terms of battery life, topping 10 hours in our on-line video playback check. That is in comparison with the XPS 13 Plus, which was painfully brief, nearer to Four hours. No, I am unable to finish this evaluation with out yet another MacBook reference: The newer M2 model of the MacBook Air ran for simply over 16 hours on the identical check. 

As Home windows laptops are usually made from the identical small handful of CPU, GPU, display, storage and reminiscence choices, the selection comes right down to design, ergonomics and value, when you issue within the desired specs. If I am trying to seize a slim 13-inch laptop computer that’ll final just about all day and in addition appear and feel good whereas doing it, I’ve normally reached for an XPS 13. This 12 months’s refreshed mannequin hasn’t modified my thoughts about that. 

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