Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Dell makes its flagship foldable even better
THE XPS 13 was already pretty good, especially since the minor redesign that saw Dell return the webcam to its rightful place in the center above the screen. But then came the hardware refresh— more powerful components, chiefly the Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor that has cropped up in a number of ultralight laptops as of late.
If you’ve been following Intel’s latest, you’ll know why this is kind of a big deal; if not, we’ll give you the CliffsNotes. The 10th generation of Intel’s mobile CPUs are equipped with new integrated graphics, namely Iris Plus, a new breed of on-chip graphics that blows previous iterations out of the water. This is huge for superslim devices—removing the need for discrete graphics cards means that notebooks and tablets can be thinner and lighter than ever before.
And so we arrive at the new XPS 13 2-in-1. Yes, that’s its actual name— apparently, consumers need to be told that a product is both a laptop and a tablet right from the get-go. But this convertible does do a great job of being both devices, with a gorgeous 4K touchscreen for tablet tasks and a solid keyboard for typing in laptop mode.
Let’s talk about that screen first. It’s bright, colorful, and boasts incredible sharpness for such a small screen. This 2-in-1 doesn’t come with a stylus, so you’re limited to finger controls, unless you splash out on an active stylus; if you use the tablet mode regularly, you will also probably want to invest in a microfiber cloth to keep that screen fingerprint-free.
With regard to the rest of the design, Dell hasn’t pulled any punches. The aluminum casing and tiny screen bezel scream “high quality,” and the overall build feels exceptionally sturdy, right down to the trackpad and rounded metal USB-C ports. The keyboard is good, too; a little more travel on the keys would be nice, but this keyboard isn’t truncated like some other notebooks.
XPS-ENSIVE XPS-ERIENCE There isn’t much else to say about the physical design; some security features, such as a fingerprint scanner or webcam kill switch, would have been nice, but aren’t mandatory inclusions. The XPS isn’t cheap, though, with model prices all sitting around 2,000 bucks. Our model— with 16GB of RAM and a black interior finish—is the cheapest, at $1,760.
For that price, you need quality in performance as well as in design. Luckily for the XPS 13 2-in-1, that Intel processor carries it to victory, letting it hold its own against other ultralight laptops. Iris Plus graphics are leaps and bounds beyond last-gen graphical capabilities, and 16GB of high-speed memory is perfectly sufficient for most conventional notebook tasks. A 32GB model is available, but we’d only recommend that if you use RAMintensive software regularly.
Gaming isn’t really an option, at least beyond a spot of casual Fortnite at lower graphical settings. Dropping the resolution to 720p is often necessary, and the latest triple-A titles are definitely beyond the XPS 13’s reach. Rendering is well handled, although this isn’t a powerhouse machine; graphical artists will love the tablet mode, but high-end 3D rendering tasks are better suited to bulkier machines.
The only thing we wish the XPS 13 2-in-1 had is more ports. All you get is two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader; sacrifices made to ensure the superslender form factor, we imagine. A USB-A port would be appreciated to circumvent the need for adapters and USB hubs; the lack of a dedicated AC power connector also means your USB-C ports are cut down to one while the laptop is plugged.
These don’t ruin the system, though; this convertible XPS is as good as they come for the price. The battery life is fine; drive transfer speeds are a bit below what we’d hoped for, but the difference will be imperceptible for the majority of users. If you’re looking for a simple but effective 2-in-1, you could do a lot worse than Dell’s latest offering. –CHRISTIAN GUYTON