TEST 03: SCREEN
Only a perfect panel will do, so let’s see how our three machines measure up
Although, as you’ve seen so far, we’re thoroughly wowed by Microsoft’s Surface 2 design, we’re not exactly upset that we can’t remove the InfinityEdge display from the base of the XPS in the same way. Why? Because it’s an InfinityEdge display and they are, quite frankly, peerless. This thing is beautifully lit, astonishingly broad in terms of both size and colour gamut, and it’s brighter than many clusters of stars.
The bottom bezel does let it down, though; while the other edges are as tight as you’d expect, the base is a whopper and obvious when working in tablet mode. It’s also the only machine here with a 1080p display, though a higher-tier model is available with the 4K pixel quotient and a Core i7 chip.
We could accuse the Yoga 730 of aping the XPS’ design (or perhaps vice versa). And we will: they’re incredibly close in terms of hardware layout, but putting the two next to each other shows that Dell’s small advantages really do make a big difference. Lenovo’s screen is nowhere near as spectacular. It retains the large bottom bezel, thickens up the other edges just slightly, and doesn’t have the same wow factor. You’re not getting a bad screen, by any means – the viewing angles are fantastic, its UHD resolution is better, and there’s a pressure-sensitive stylus included – but we weren’t blown away.
The argument for Microsoft’s panel comes mostly back to that design conversation, because this is not a screen. It’s a proper tablet, with tablet bezels and everything a tablet needs built into it. Removing it and using it on your lap cuts the battery life, drops you down to Intel HD graphics and hinders its ports, sure, but neither of the others is that flexible. You can use it in tablet mode with the base attached, which is awesome, and Microsoft’s choice of an unusual 3:2 ratio works well. However, the panel itself isn’t the best. It’s a touch washed out and a little dimmer than both rivals. Like-for-like, it’s our least favourite of the bunch.
The screen on the Dell XPS 15 is beautifully lit and astonishingly broad