OUR VERDICT
The Dell XPS 13 is like a tortoise surrounded by hares, taking its time in adopting fresh, new tech to deliver an excellent, modern experience that doesn’t leave legacy users behind. Plus, it’s just bloody gorgeous.
FOR
- Faster than ever
- Same long-lasting battery
- SD card slot
- Great range of prices
AGAINST
- Still poor webcam position
- No Windows Hello
Dell has done it all over again. The latest and greatest Dell XPS 13 just came out, and it’s the best laptop in the world.
With this model, the XPS 13 comes with 7th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel processors behind the same mind-blowing display and punchy keyboard we’ve come to enjoy typing on – now all within an optional rose gold frame – the new XPS 13 has made us fall in love all over again.
And, much of that isn’t thanks to crazy innovations or fresh additions, but a few key refinements that help the XPS 13 stand out amongst a sea of laptops that are perhaps trying to change a bit too quickly. The XPS 13 is a tortoise surrounded by hares … only it’s got a rocket strapped to its back.
Price and availability
Now available through their website and several retailers, Dell’s standard XPS 13 starts at $799 (£999, AU$1,899). In the US, that gets you a Kaby Lake, dual-core Intel Core i3 processor with Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state storage behind an FHD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), non-touch InfinityEdge display. (The UK and Australian versions come starting with an Intel Core i5.)
If you want the touchscreen at QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) resolution – and the two screen features only come as a pair – you’ll need to come up with at least $1,299 (£1,249, AU$2,499). That also nets you a dual-core Intel Core i5 chip, but sadly doesn’t up the storage or RAM capacity. Of course, you can choose to upgrade both of those components for extra cash.
Latest news
Dell has shown us an early glimpse of next year’s model, and following this, they have knocked $150 off the price tag of its 2017 XPS 13 configuration. Essentially making it $1,149, this edition of the Dell XPS 13 boasts an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8550U, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.
If you’re interested in picking up the higher end model you can get it here , but for anyone looking to keep their current XPS 13 hardware, there have been a slew of updates, like the Windows 10 Fall Creators update that can help you make the most of your existing hardware. We have come out with our own tutorial for downloading and installing this update, check it out if you need some help with it.
Going back to news that’s more specific to the XPS 13, Dell has released an important firmware update to deal with Thunderbolt issues earlier this month. The impact that it’ll have on your system isn’t exactly clear, but because they’ve marked it as ‘urgent’, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and download it here, or with the Dell Update Application.
SPEC SHEET
Here is the Dell XPS 13 configuration sent to TechRadar for review:
CPU: 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-7500U (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 3.5GHz)
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620
RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 (1,866MHz)
Screen: 13.3-inch QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) InfinityEdge touch display
Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
Ports: 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 3.0 w/PowerShare, 1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), SD card reader, headset jack
Connectivity: Killer 1535 802.11ac (2.4 & 5GHz); Bluetooth 4.1
Camera: 720p widescreen HD webcam with dual array digital microphones
Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.29kg)
Size: 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.33 – 0.6 inches (W x D x H) (304 x 200 x 9 – 15mm)
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620
RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 (1,866MHz)
Screen: 13.3-inch QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) InfinityEdge touch display
Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
Ports: 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 3.0 w/PowerShare, 1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), SD card reader, headset jack
Connectivity: Killer 1535 802.11ac (2.4 & 5GHz); Bluetooth 4.1
Camera: 720p widescreen HD webcam with dual array digital microphones
Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.29kg)
Size: 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.33 – 0.6 inches (W x D x H) (304 x 200 x 9 – 15mm)
Design
To be fair, there isn’t a lot to be said of the XPS 13’s design this time around, as very little, if anything, has changed. You still have the 13.3-inch display as sharp as QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800 pixels) with optional touch controls tightly packed within an 11-inch-wide frame.
And, you still have the beautiful, machined aluminum lid and base that beset a comfy, carbon fiber keyboard deck coated in soft-touch paint. Only this time, the lid and base come in rose gold – the salmon shade that’s all the rage in tech products these days – as well as the traditional silver option.
The machine somehow measures even thinner than the previous generation, though only by a hair: 0.33 inches (9mm) at its thinnest point to 0.6 inches (15mm) at its thickest. For those keeping score, the previous model came in at two hundredths of an inch thicker at the nose.
Dell has also lowered the weight of its leading laptop, but by such a small degree it would be impossible to notice: from 2.93 pounds (1.32kg) to now just 2.9 pounds (1.29kg) even for the touchscreen model. Short of a major breakthrough in the materials used to construct the XPS 13, we’re likely looking at the thinnest and lightest Ultrabook from Dell for a while. (Please, prove us wrong.)
All told, we’re still smitten by the XPS 13 design, and frankly we’re happy it hasn’t changed much, because it doesn’t have to. One small request: if Dell could at least center that bottom bezel-oriented webcam like it has on the new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, that would be clutch.
More ‘pro’ than the MacBook Pro?
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During our time with the new XPS 13, we realized an important point: this laptop can match and even surpass the new, entry-level 13-inch MacBook Propart-for-part. For 100 bucks less than Apple’s latest laptop, the XPS 13 offers a sharper screen, a stronger processor and the same amount of RAM and storage.
Oh, and this guy has a full-size SD card slot.
The MacBook Pro? You’ll get one more Thunderbolt 3 port – one of which needs to be used for charging – and little else for its starting price. On paper, it seems like the XPS 13 will give you a better time editing photos and video than its archnemesis. Well played, Dell.
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