Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Lightweight hybrid does it all – but can it justify the hefty price?
Everybody knows what a laptop looks like, but how should it be made? Traditionally, a metal frame – like a scaled-down desktop PC – was wrapped in a plastic shell. Apple took things in a new direction a few years ago when it started building its laptops as a ‘unibody’, meaning the whole keyboard section is carved out of a single piece of aluminium.
Some rivals followed suit, but not Dell. Instead, the XPS is a sandwich, with aluminium on the bottom and black carbon fibre on top. ‘Carbon fibre’ sounds very high-tech, but you’d be within your rights to call it ‘plastic’, and for some plastic with a join around the edge just isn’t as classy as seamless metal. Even so, Dell has done a nice job, and the XPS 13 2-in-1 not only looks but feels special.
Its name comes from the 360-degree hinge, which lets you fold the keyboard away and use the touchscreen as a tablet. There’s little temptation to do so, because the keyboard is excellent, and the large touchpad works well. After a short while, however, we did find ourselves reaching for the touchscreen, perhaps because the XPS 13’s compact size brings it enticingly close. And with Windows 10’s touchscreen Tablet mode available to make the trackpad redundant, the convertible format does make a certain amount of sense – even if it weighs twice as much as a tablet.
A glance at the specs suggests there’s a Kaby Lake ‘i7’ processor inside, but it’s actually Intel’s renamed m7 (now known as the i7-7y75). It uses a lot less power and heats up less than processors from the main Core ranges, but it’s nowhere near as fast at running Windows programs. Even compared with a desktop PC i3 processor, it’s not particularly capable, and its built-in HD Graphics 615 card is just adequate for 3D gaming. But with 8GB of memory and a fast 256GB SSD, the XPS 13 feels smooth in everyday use, and the battery lasted us a practical seven hours 54 minutes of video playback.
If you don’t plan to use your laptop for anything more than basic tasks, you can pay £100 less for an i5-7y54 with just 4GB of memory, but that seems like a big compromise for a relatively small saving. There’s no denying that the XPS 13 2-in-1 is expensive, and unless you really feel the need for the touchscreen, the plain XPS 13 (see our review, Issue 496), which is almost as slim and light but significantly faster, is a better buy – although still costs four figures.
Not cheap, but an excellent keyboard and smooth operation
SPECIFICATIONS 1.3GHZ Intel Core i7-7y75 dual-core processor • 8GB memory • 256GB SSD • 13.3in 1920x1080-pixel screen • Webcam • 802.11ac Wi-fi • 1x USB Type-c/ Displayport • 1x USB Type C/thunderbolt • Microsd card reader • Windows 10 Home • 13.7x304x199mm (HXWXD) • 1.24kg • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/24052 VERDICT: If a slim, light 2-in-1 is what you want, this is a great choice, but you’re not getting much performance for your pound
★★★☆☆
ALTERNATIVE: Dell XPS 13 £1,379 With a full i7-7500u processor for less money, this standardrd laptop is much more powerful