Dell XPS 13

Connect poor

The 2022 version of the Dell XPS 13 is the latest in a long line of XPS laptops from Dell that come with 13in screens. However, this isn’t the same case as the previous XPS 13 (launched in 2020). A number of design improvements make it thinner and lighter, but at the expense of a few handy ports.

In fact, there are only two ports on this laptop, with one for USB-C on each side. Thankfully, these are both Thunderbolt 4, which means they’re very capable of carrying video signals and connecting to a hub that contains all the other ports you might need. However, it’s still a significant sacrifice that may not appeal if you tend to connect a lot of peripherals.

The URL at the top of the page will take you to the basic model of the XPS 13 range, which at the time of writing costs £853. To see the specification we’ve reviewed here, you need to customise the configuration to increase the RAM from 8GB to 16GB. This pushes the price up to £1,004, which is a significant increase for an extra 8GB of RAM, but it’s probably still worth it if you don’t fancy fiddling about trying to install more RAM yourself at a later date. If you do opt for the cheaper model, bear in mind you probably won’t get the same performance in Windows that we saw from the 16GB model reviewed here.

Both models have a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1230u processor and a 512GB SSD. In performance terms, you’d expect the XPS 13 to lag slightly behind the Lenovo Thinkpad E15 Gen 4 we reviewed in Issue 643, which has an i5-1235u processor, but otherwise has similar specifications. This proved to be the case in our benchmark tests.

The screen is more impressive than its Lenovo counterpart, however. It doesn’t use OLED technology, so isn’t up there with the very best, but its maximum brightness level can reach 500cd/m2. It’s also a lot slimmer than the Thinkpad, measuring just 14mm thick compared with 18.9mm, and significantly lighter – 1.17kg rather than 1.8kg.

Some of this extra bulk in the Thinkpad is no doubt dedicated to its larger battery. So while the XPS 13 lasted a reasonable 7.5 hours in our standard Windows test, the Thinkpad ran for an extra 90 minutes.

A lightweight, slim design with a decent screen, but it lacks connectivity options

SPECIFICATIONS

Ten-core Intel Core i5-1230u processor • 16GB RAM • Intel Iris Xe graphics • 13.4in 1920x1200-pixel screen • 512GB SSD • Wi-fi 6E • Bluetooth 5.2 • 2x USB-C ports • Windows 11 Home • 14x295x199mm (HXWXD) • 1.17kg • One-year warranty www.snipca. com/43666

VERDICT A slim, light and attractive design that has fewer ports and so-so battery life as a consequence

★★★★★

ALTERNATIVE Lenovo Yoga 6 Gen 7 £702 For a more affordable alternative, this similarly sized laptop cuts back a little on memory and storage to achieve a much lower price