Are you consider of corrupt a Windows laptop ? Do n’t , until you ’ve interpret this review . The new Dell XPS 13 is n’t perfect , but it ’s freaking unbelievable for the $ 800 you ’ll spend to convey one home .
What Is It?
The latest version of Dell ’s 13 - inch MacBook Air competitor , now thinner and lighter than before . A laptop computer with a screen that practically looks like it ’s float on air thanks to crazy - thin bezel . A exchange premium laptop computer with a burnished aluminum chassis , silky carbon fibre palmrests , and a preciseness touchpad . A laptop that somehow manage to offer all that and a lovely 1080p lusterlessness screen for just $ 800 . Or a QHD+ touch screen for $ 1300 . A lilliputian Windows laptop computer that superintend to fit a full - size SD card slot .
That Sounds Perfect! What’s Wrong?
Dell quote up to 15 hours of stamp battery life , and I scramble to get even half that in the substantial world . Though some laptop reviewers may say the XPS 13 ’s is on par with or better than a 13 - inch MacBook Air , I tried them both side by side and the Air survive several hours longer .
Design
Yes , it kinda look like a MacBook Air . With a few renowned exceptions , that ’s how PC maker build up thin Windows laptop computer these days . That ’s just what laptop computer look like now . Which is fine ! Besides , for my money this sleek silver - and - black-market MBA alternative altogether junk Apple when it comes to take care and feel . For fledgling , it chock up a 13 - inch 1080p ( or better ! ) screen into a laptop computer nigher to the size and weight unit of the 11 - column inch MacBook Air , and without sacrificing my precious Coyote State card slot . Those thin bezels make the Air ’s elephantine silver borders stick out like sore thumbs , too .
But there ’s also the experience to consider . When I sit down with a MacBook Air , there ’s bare , harsh metal under my wrists . My palm ignite up when the simple machine gets warm . The screen throws off public eye . ride the Caltrain to San Francisco and back , the smooth metal material body jeopardise to slide off my prepared lap and tip over rearward . Not this Dell . carbon copy fibre surface , anti - skid rubber foot and the mat screen take care of all those outlet . And not in a cheap way of life , too . The whole laptop computer feels finely crafted in a way that MacBook competitors have rarely ever make do .
And the things everyone praises Apple for — an incredible touchpad and keyboard — are nicely reduplicate here on the XPS 13 too . Which is to say that the keyboard is thin — very thin — but quite sensitive and adequately cushioned so my finger do n’t get afflictive from fathom out , and the touchpad is deadly responsive and accurate . It ’s so good .
You ’ve got to understand that for years , most touchpads on thin Windows laptops have been ludicrously bad , to the point where enunciate “ This is the good touchpad I ’ve ever used on a Windows machine ” was n’t much of a compliment . Here , though , a preciseness touchpad using Microsoft ’s own drivers feels just as in effect as Apple . If you ask me , clicking down on the pad ’s integrate clitoris really feels good . No melodic theme why it consume so freaking long for a microcomputer manufacturer to figure this stuff out , but I surely am beaming they did .
And the filmdom — gosh , even the entering - level 1080p variation you’re able to get for $ 800 - just puts Apple to shame . I have to assume that Apple plans to introduce a new MacBook Air intent presently , because pricey Windows laptops have been outclassing the MBA ’s 1600 x 900 panel for a while now with silklike high - resolution displays , and there ’s no agency Apple , the company that introduced the Retina display , will have that endure for long . But a nice matte 1080p showing is rare on any laptop , and I in person prefer this one to the glossy , crisp , colorful 3200 x 1800 screen you may get on Dell ’s $ 1300 example .
I ’ve been go back and forth from one to the other , using them every day for piece of work . While schoolbook and my DSLR picture expect positively gorgeous on the higher - Re show — and I do equal the superb touchscreen from time to clock time — I’d merchandise it in a heartbeat for the lack of glare and the superfluous veridical estate . Did you know that 3200 x 1800 gives you an efficacious resolution of 1600 x 900 when it come to how how infinite thing take up on the covert ? 1920 x 1080 grant you a bigger workspace .
Plus , there ’s battery liveliness to consider when you make that trade . When I used the XPS 13 with the QHD+ filmdom as my day - to - day work auto ( or ply our tangible - world bench mark ) , I was golden to get 5 hours on a charge . The cheaper 1080p version gave me a solid 6 time of day . Honestly , neither of those routine is starring , and a far cry from Dell ’s unhinged claim of up to 15 hour . But I essay both laptop computer shelling over and over again , Clarence Day and nighttime , both by using them for work and with our heavy - duty battery bench mark , and I got the same resolution time after time . A fresh MacBook Air , meanwhile , got around 8.5 hour when I tried it side by side . It ’s pretty unsatisfying .
But before you call battery life a dealbreaker , you should probably screw that the XPS 13 has one last trick up its sleeve : for $ 100 , you could buya special 12,000mAh outside assault and battery packthat can actually power the entire machine . I punch it in when the QHD+ model was in its destruction throe , and got a full two - minute reprieve . With the 1080p model , I got four extra hours , for a imposing total of 10 hours of tangible work . The battery pack has two USB ports to charge your phone , too : I level my 2013 Moto X from dying to full twice over , and used only 20 - 30 % of the external battery ’s capacity .
Performance is what you ’d expect from a thin Windows laptop with a extremist - low potential difference Intel CPU and a satisfying body politic cause on board . It boot in a flash , deal internet browser tab and basic workload with ease , but still chugs on secret plan . Still , the fresh Intel Broadwell central processor will play more than before : I actually get down Dark Souls II running at 720p and minimum configurations on the $ 900 model ( with a duple - core 2.2GHz Core i5 processor and 4 GB of RAM ) and it was mistily bearable . Less demanding fare might work better .
What I did n’t look is how coolheaded and still this electronic computer would be . Most of the time , it ’s drained silent . At first I was n’t even certain there was a devotee inside this machine .
Like
stuff this laptop computer anywhere and having it easily set .
Opening this laptop and fondly gazing at the show .
Having a Windows trackpad that is n’t an mess of shit .
find that the trackpad ’s touch - to - zoomis disable in Chrome . Hey Dell : if that ’s a hemipteran , please do n’t ever fix it . Love , Sean .
No despicable stickers ( okay , there ’s one sticker ) on the palmrest or base . The important one are all underneath a endearing hinged magnetic panel on the bottom of the car .
The delightfully small-scale power adaptor which slides easily into my dish .
No Like
I wish the screen opened a full 180 degrees so I could rest the bottom edge on my lap while I use the touchscreen , like I do with the Acer Aspire S7 . Yep , decidedly not buying the touchscreen model .
I also wish Dell opted for a bigger battery in this machine instead of slimming down . ( I wish that about practically every laptop . )
You ’ve got ta blame the optional external assault and battery pack with your laptop power arranger , not over USB . I do n’t care choose between charge the battery battalion and charge the laptop computer .
The talker are fairly bad . much no bass , and exceedingly tinny , even with all the software processing Dell use . I miss the XPS 12 ’s speakers , which sound way best .
The touchpad surface pick up my digit grease and does n’t let it go .
The webcam is mounted low on the laptop at a topnotch weird slant and I am afraid hoi polloi will be able to see my nosehairs .
Should You Buy It?
For $ 800 , perhaps $ 900 ? Yes . Yes . Absolutely . If you want a mellow - quality ultraportable Windows laptop computer at an unbelievable price , this is the one to get . If you want a MacBook Air bunk Windows , this is the close we ’ve ever come . Say you purchase the $ 800 model with the $ 100 barrage . Now you ’ve got more barrage life than the 13 - inch MacBook Air , and you ’re still paying less than the $ 1,200 that Apple wants .
And last I look , there ’s nothing on the Windows side of the fence that come near to the new XPS 13 in portability , toll , and style .
What about $ 1,300 for the QHD+ touchscreen version ? I ’m not so sure . Not only do you pay the Leontyne Price in bombardment life , there ’s at least one other Windows car worth considering . The Acer Aspire S7offers a 13 - column inch , 1080p touchscreen control panel for around that Leontyne Price along with incredible habitus quality , solid battery living , and a touchpad and keyboard that rivals the Dell . I have n’t tried the upcoming edition with Broadwell mainframe , but the Haswell version might still be my favorite tenuous Windows laptop . If battery life is what you want , you should probably wait for the gargantuan , swappable stamp battery you could get with Lenovo ’s upcoming ThinkPad X250 . And if you are look for a MacBook , of course , accept no substitutes .
If you ’re osmium agnostic , though , do await for the other shoe to put down , to see what Apple denote next in the MacBook agate line . There ’s no mode Apple gets flap by Dell without putting up a battle .
Dell XPS 13 Specs (as tested)
presentation : 13.3 - inch 1080p anti - glare IPS video display ( $ 900 model ) or 3200 x 1800 IPS touch screen showing ( $ 1400 model )
Processor : Dual - core group 2.2GHz Intel Core i5 - 5200U ( Broadwell )
graphic : Intel HD Graphics 5500
Memory : 4 GB DDR3L ( $ 900 modeling ) or 8 GB DDR3L ( $ 1400 mannikin )
Storage : 128 GB SSD ( $ 900 simulation ) or 256 GB SSD ( $ 1400 example )
Connectivity : 2x USB 3.0 , 1x Mini DisplayPort , 1x SD menu slot , 1x 3.5 mm sound , twofold - band 802.11ac Wi - Fi , Bluetooth 4.0
Dimensions : 11.98″ x 7.88″ x 0.6″
Weight : 2.6lbs ( $ 900 non - touch simulation ) or 2.8lbs ( $ 1400 poser with touch )
Base Leontyne Price : $ 800 with 2.1GHz Core i3 , 1080p screen door , 4 GB RAM , 128 GB SSD
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