Dell XPS 13 evaluate: Dell is coasting (and that’s tremendous)

The Dell XPS 13 has lengthy been one of many high suggestions for Home windows customers on the lookout for a MacBook Air various. The mannequin I reviewed in 2020 was probably the greatest devices I’ve ever reviewed; all the things from the display to the construct to the efficiency and battery life was exceptionally sturdy. 

Intel’s twelfth Gen and thirteenth Gen processors have made computer systems like {that a} little bit of a… fantasy. Certain, Apple and AMD are doing a fantastic job on each the ability and effectivity fronts. However the XPS is an Intel line by means of and thru, and lots of of Intel’s twelfth Gen choices have proven themselves to be one-trick ponies in that regard. You may get energy from the H-series, you may get (a point of) effectivity from the U-series, or you may get… a few of each, I suppose, from the middle-of-the-road P-series. 

In flip, Dell has break up up its XPS 13 line. You may get XPS 13 Plus, a P-series OLED machine that prioritizes energy over effectivity. Or you may get the common XPS 13, a extra conventional and barely cheaper U-series clamshell with a concentrate on portability and battery life (our mannequin has an MSRP of $1,149, $350 cheaper than comparable Plus SKU). If the XPS 13 Plus is for an eclectic and explicit energy person, the XPS 13 is for, nicely, everybody else. (The XPS 15 and XPS 17 have thirteenth Gen choices, however twelfth Gen continues to be the phrase in terms of the 13-inch clamshell.)

So anyway, I’ve been utilizing the common XPS 13 for the previous few weeks. And, like, it’s tremendous. It’s simply tremendous. It’s worse than its 2020 predecessor in some methods and higher in others. It continues to convey a few of the greatest construct high quality within the 13-inch house. The show is ok. The audio system are tremendous. There’s an off-purple shade choice! It’s definitely probably the greatest Home windows laptops you should buy, and it additionally doesn’t come near the efficiency or effectivity that at the moment’s MacBooks can present, which says a factor or two concerning the present state of the Home windows laptop computer house.

The GoodThin and lightNice screenBattery life is definitely okayBeautifully builtDecent worth for the specsThe BadWhere have all of the ports gone?Audio system may very well be louderNo high-resolution or OLED display optionRAM and SSD not replaceable Missing in efficiency in comparison with comparable modelsHow we charge and evaluate merchandise

Let’s begin with the class the place the XPS 13 is a far-and-away winner: portability. At 2.59 kilos and 0.55 inches thick, this XPS is a dream for journey. I introduced it on a weekend ski journey and was capable of squeeze it into the entrance pocket of a backpack that included my ski boots, helmet, and diverse gear. There are only a few different laptops that may’ve been that straightforward to convey. 

This was taken earlier than I traveled with the unit, so it’s pristine.

Construct high quality is the opposite space the place the XPS line has lengthy stood out, and this 13-incher continues that pattern. It’s product of aluminum (“low-carbon” aluminum, particularly) and glass. The end obtained a bit scratched up after being battered round in my backpack for a few weeks, however at the very least it doesn’t decide up fingerprints (which was a problem I had with the darker Plus). 

50 % of the ports are pictured right here.

The XPS 13’s keyboard and touchpad proceed to be a few of my favorites in the marketplace. The touchpad is definitely an enchancment over the invisible haptic one which the Plus sports activities, with a easy floor and a satisfying and responsive click on. It’s a bit small as they go and won’t be my best choice if I had particularly giant fingers. The keyboard can also be clicky and comfy, with respectably smooth backlighting. The arrow keys are half-height, however such is life typically. 

And right here’s the opposite 50 %.

Lastly, I discover no fault with the show. It appears to be like fairly good, with crisp particulars and colours that popped. It kicks again little glare and was the right panel for the dimmest to the brightest of settings. It reaches 500 nits of brightness, however I by no means discovered myself needing to crank it greater than 20-30 %. 

Now, I’ve seen some complaints concerning the lack of alternative this XPS 13 affords in terms of show high quality. Particularly, you’re restricted to a 1920 x 1200 60Hz IPS panel on this mannequin, and lots of have referred to as for an OLED choice. The spec sheet I used to be despatched does point out {that a} 4K choice is obtainable, which might be one thing at the very least, however that isn’t at the moment listed on Dell’s web site.

I perceive the place these complaints are coming from — extra choices are at all times good — however I’ll say that I’ve by no means used an OLED XPS that I actually preferred. On the XPS 13 Plus, the XPS 15, and the newest OLED XPS 13, it was clear that the additional pixels had been considerably consuming away at battery life. These elements don’t essentially damage the machines, however they’re important sufficient compromises that I typically discover myself recommending different OLED laptops as alternate options. All that stated, these looking for a harder-core display could also be higher suited to the XPS 13 Plus, which has a greater variety of decision choices. 

I do want this energy button to the one on the Plus, which is squeezed in subsequent to the backspace.

Relating to the video calling expertise, I’m a bit extra underwhelmed. I want the webcam had been higher — my colleagues on Zoom calls famous that I regarded tremendous, however my backgrounds had been fairly washed out. The microphones are as respectable as you may anticipate from a tool like this; I introduced this unit to Instances Sq. for a latest Vergecast episode and located that it did an honest job of filtering out numerous sirens, shouting folks, and basic kerfuffle that surrounded me, however my voice nonetheless sounded fairly processed. 

Audio, nonetheless, left a bit to be desired. Every little thing sounded fairly good, however I had the amount between 90 and 100% more often than not once I was watching movies to be able to catch each phrase, and the downward-firing audio system (4W of whole output) weren’t loud sufficient to be heard in public areas. I used to be placing my ear to the keyboard deck whereas recording the aforementioned Vergecast section and nonetheless might barely hear the hosts. 

Right here, have a more in-depth look.

There’s one space through which I actually should register my grumpiness, nonetheless, and that’s the port choice. This XPS 13 has a grand whole of two ports, each of that are USB-C / Thunderbolt 4. One will typically be occupied by the charger, so just one is reliably and constantly accessible. 

Even for individuals who have totally embraced the USB-C way of life (and I acknowledge that this group is rising every single day), I simply don’t assume two is sufficient. The unit ships with a USB-C to USB-A adapter and an non-obligatory USB-C to three.5mm adapter, which is good, however neither of these modifications the truth that you may solely plug one factor into this gadget whereas it’s charging. Actually, one factor. If you wish to each cost your cellphone and use an exterior webcam for a video name, higher hope you introduced a dock! 

Look, I do know that that is the course that ultraportable laptops have been heading lately. However even amongst these, the XPS 13, in addition to its Plus sibling, is excessive. The M2 MacBook Air has two USB-C ports, however its devoted MagSafe charging port primarily affords an additional USB-C. (Oh, and it has a headphone jack as nicely.) 

I like the portability this gadget affords. However the truth that folks may want to hold a bunch of dongles and docks round with them, to me, is factors off in that class.

The place the XPS 13 Plus promised transportable energy, the XPS 13 guarantees transportable… much less energy, I suppose? Our $1,149 unit features a Core i5-1230U, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. This unit, nonetheless, seems to be offered out on Dell’s web site at the moment. What you should buy is a Core i7-1250U, which is at the moment $1,199 for a 16GB / 512GB / touchscreen mannequin. A equally configured M2 MacBook Air is at the moment promoting for $1,699, which makes Dell’s pricing enticing — although the efficiency advantages Apple delivers for that further worth aren’t insignificant, as we’ll quickly talk about.

The U-series XPS is a big step down from the P-series XPS 13 Plus (which was already dropping badly to the MacBook) in terms of the uncooked numbers. Benchmark scores had been decrease nearly throughout the board. Particularly stark was the 30-minute loop of Cinebench, the place the XPS 13 obtained near 50 % of the Plus’s rating. It’s clear that the XPS 13’s efficiency modified considerably after the primary 10-minute run.

With all that stated, I didn’t observe a lot of a distinction between the XPS 13 and the XPS 13 Plus throughout my every day use. They’re each completely quick for work in Chrome, watching Succession, chatting on Discord, and such. They’re each a little bit of a nightmare while you attempt to use packages like Lightroom and Premiere; anticipate crashes, lags, and a typically disagreeable time.

93.9 % screen-to-body ratio.

One factor to notice concerning the XPS 13, although — the followers get going very simply. They had been audible with a pair Chrome tabs and Slack open. Throwing on the Silent cooling profile (accessible within the My Dell app) will shut them up if the blowing bothers you, so the noise itself isn’t regarding. That is simply for instance that my pretty normal workplace workload was taxing the Core i5 a bit.

On the plus facet, this XPS is doing a significantly better job of not frying itself than earlier XPS fashions have. All through intense benchmark testing, the CPU stayed at a constant temperature nicely underneath 70 levels Celsius. Even higher, the chassis and keyboard remained fairly cool, even once I was doing pretty taxing work. XPS fashions I’ve reviewed previously (the Plus included) have tended to boil after just some hours of standard use. I’m lastly, lastly complimenting a Dell pc’s cooling system. I assumed I would by no means stay to see at the present time. Effectively executed. 

Dell XPS 13 specs (as reviewed)

13.4-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge contact show, 500 nits12th Era Intel Core i5-1230U (12MB Cache, as much as 4.4 GHz, 10 cores)16GB LPDDR5-5200 POP Twin Channel512GB PCIe 4.0 x2 SSDTwo Thunderbolt 4 USB Sort-C with DisplayPort and Energy DeliveryOne USB-C to USB-A v3.0 adapter in field, one non-obligatory USB-C to three.5mm headset adapterStereo speaker design with 4W whole outputFull dimension, backlit, chiclet keyboard, 1.0mm travel720p Home windows Hi there cameraIntel Killer Wi-Fi 6E 1675 (AX211) (2×2), Bluetooth 5.211.63 x 7.85 x 0.55 inches (295.4 x 199.4 x 13.99mm)2.59 kilos (1.17kg)

Talking of issues which have improved: battery life. I averaged six hours and 42 minutes of constant use round medium brightness, working with round a dozen-ish Chrome tabs and occasional Spotify streaming overtop. That may be a step down from final yr’s XPS and is lower than half of what I get from the MacBook Air on the identical load — but it surely’s over an hour higher than what we noticed from the Plus and continues to be one of many higher outcomes I’ve seen from a latest Home windows laptop computer. I nonetheless very a lot want I didn’t need to cost the gadget a number of instances a day, however that appears to be par for the course in Home windows land as of late. The 45W AC adapter juiced the gadget as much as 52 % in an hour with gentle Chrome use.

Comply with Proceed: Dell XPS 13

As with different Home windows computer systems, the Dell XPS 13 Plus presents you with a number of issues to comply with or decline upon setup.

The necessary insurance policies, for which an settlement is required, are:

A request in your area and keyboard layoutMicrosoft Software program License Phrases and Dell Phrases of Sale/Finish Consumer License AgreementDell privateness coverage and telemetry discover

As well as, there’s a slew of non-obligatory issues to comply with:

Machine privateness settings: Discover My Machine, Inking and Typing, Promoting ID, Location, Diagnostic information, Tailor-made experiencesMicrosoft 365 free trialJoin Xbox Sport PassProvide your title, electronic mail area, and cellphone quantity to permit McAfee to ship you service-related electronic mail and textual content notices

That’s six necessary agreements and 9 non-obligatory ones.

Up to now, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the perfect laptop computer in the marketplace. However the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the ground with a lot of the ultraportable Home windows laptops that cross my desk every day. This XPS isn’t any exception. In comparison with the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse. Benchmark efficiency is worse. Display, whereas good, is worse. Port choice is worse. Audio is worse. The XPS is barely lighter, and I subjectively want the texture of its keyboard. However it has two main benefits now: the cheaper price (which isn’t one thing I’m used to praising concerning the XPS line) and the truth that it runs Home windows, an working system that many individuals like an terrible lot.

And that has me a bit anxious. I’m anxious that this may simply be the very best model of an ultraportable, thousand-dollar-range Home windows laptop computer which you could purchase on at the moment’s market. It’s a really tremendous gadget — however I don’t really feel that I can enthusiastically reward it the best way reviewers used to. The XPS is now not what sells the XPS; Home windows is what sells the XPS. And I ponder if Dell, or any OEM, will give you one thing really progressive within the subsequent few months that can break that mildew. Within the meantime, although, please give us just a few extra ports.

Dell XPS 13 Plus Accessibility

Dell XPS 13 (as reviewed)

The letter keys are 1.6 x 1.6 centimeters with 0.3 centimeters between them. All keys are backlit. The Caps Lock and microphone keys have indicator lights. The ability button is 1 x 1 centimeters. The quantity keys are contact LEDs. The keys are black with white textual content and take a little bit of agency pressure pressure to depress.The display reaches 500 nits of brightness and has a 2000:1 distinction ratio.The audio system reached a median of 74 decibels in my testing.The lid could be opened with one hand. It may be tilted again to 140 levels.The touchpad is 6.3 x 11.2 centimeters and helps precision gestures.Setup includes turning the gadget on and clicking by means of a number of menus.The XPS 13 Plus helps fingerprint and facial recognition logins.

Home windows 11

Home windows 11 features a devoted accessibility menu.Home windows 11 features a built-in display reader (Narrator). It helps third-party display readers together with NVDA from NV Entry and Jaws from Freedom Scientific. A full listing of suitable software program could be discovered on Microsoft’s web site.Home windows 11 helps voice typing (accessed by Home windows + H) and speech recognition (toggled with Home windows + Ctrl + S).Shade Filters together with inverted, grayscale, red-green, and blue-yellow could be toggled with Home windows + Ctrl + C. Distinction themes are toggled with Alt + Left Shift + Print Display. Commonplace Darkish Mode and customized colours are additionally accessible underneath Personalization.Caption shade and dimension could be personalized and seem near the underside of the display.The keyboard could be remapped with Microsoft’s PowerToys. Sticky Keys is supported. An on-screen keyboard is obtainable.The cursor’s dimension and velocity could be adjusted and gestures could be remapped in Touchpad Settings.Home windows 11 helps eye management with exterior eye trackers.Home windows 11 features a Snap Format characteristic, accessed by hovering over the Maximize button on any open window.