The Dell XPS 13 Plus is both a technological leap forward and a daring attempt at minimalist design. I mean, the touchpad is hidden beneath the keyboard. It’s only a matter of trusting that it’s there.
The XPS 13 Plus is a beast in terms of performance, as it’s built to fit the 12th gen Intel Core 28W processor, up from 15W on the previous XPS 13. Plus, the XPS 13 Plus has larger fans for greater airflow, making it a stronger competitor to the MacBook Air M1 and MacBook Pro 14-inch.
The XPS 13 Plus has a 4-sided InfinityEdge display, which gives it a practically borderless appearance. However, in order to cram such a powerful CPU into its slim 2.7-pound design, Dell had to make certain compromises. Based on our initial impressions, our Dell XPS 13 hands-on review will show you all the benefits and cons thus far.
What you will see here!
Release date and price
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is now on sale for $1,249.00. The base model comes with a 12.4-inch FHD+ display, an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.
CPUs up to the 12th generation Intel Core i7-1280P, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage are available as upgrades. You can also choose between a 3.5K OLED touch display and a 4K LCD touch display.
Keyboard and touchpad
The Dell XPS 13 Plus should appeal to touch typists. It has a zero-lattice keyboard with larger keycaps, and Dell claims that the layout is supported by a deeper dish (0.3mm).
But didn’t notice the lack of space between the keys during my hands-on time, and typing was generally comfortable with plenty of travel. Would prefer the down and up arrows were larger, but the overall typing experience on the XPS 13 Plus is good.
Before making a decision, spend more time with the touchpad because it feels different. As previously said, the touchpad is built into the palm rest, so there are no visible lines, and the pad delivers haptic feedback via Piezo technology (tiny operated motors).
Although the clicks were not as gratifying as those on a MacBook Pro trackpad, You had no problems scrolling or clicking.
Design
The Dell XPS 13 plus appears sleek and futuristic, but there are some aspects of the design that are divisive. On the bright side, the XPS 13’s CNC machined aluminum and glass body is rather appealing, and it weighs only 2.7 pounds with a slim 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6-inch footprint.
You can choose between two finishes, which are similar to the two flavors of the Star Wars force. There are two versions: light (Platinum) and dark (Graphite), both have a clean tone-on-tone design to reduce distractions.
The touchpad, on the other hand, is so flawless that you can’t tell where it begins and stops. It’s built into the palm rest and responds to touch with haptic feedback. During our limited hands-on time with this configuration, it performed admirably, however, It could take some time to get used to.
Ports
For most people, the biggest change will be the new capacitive touch function row, which allows you to switch between function and media keys. Given that Apple removed the Touch Bar from its MacBook Pro, it’s surprising to see another laptop manufacturer embrace a similar feature. The good news is that the keys’ positions don’t alter depending on what you’re doing; they’re always like that.
The XPS 13 Plus has a simple appearance throughout, including the connectors. Only two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB Type-C) are available, each of which supports DisplayPort and power delivery. A USB-C to USB-A adaptor is included by Dell.
The XPS 13 Plus lacks a headphone jack and a microSD card slot, unlike the normal XPS 13. That’s a pity.
Display
The Dell XPS 13 Plus retains its 4-sided InfinityEdge 13.4-inch display, but Dell claims that the number of layers has been lowered to improve clarity and save weight.
The Dell XPS Premium’s OLED display was bright and colorful in person, but there are a variety of possibilities. It starts with an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) panel with 500 nits of brightness, and it also comes in a touch screen variant.
You may upgrade to the 3.5K OLED touch display for greater colors, perfect blacks, and broader viewing angles, albeit the brightness is only 400 nits. The 4K LCD touch display option increases the resolution and brightness to 500 nits.
Performance
The 12th generation Intel Core processor with 28W of power is the main reason to choose the Dell XPS 13 Plus over the normal XPS 13. This is an increase from the previous Dell XPS 13’s 15W. As a result, you should expect improved performance, particularly during heavy workloads.
It felt quite speedy while launching programs and switching between numerous apps during my brief hands-on time with the XPS 13 Plus, but it’s hard to evaluate how fast it is at this moment.
The XPS 13 Plus comes with four processor options, starting with a 12th generation Core i5-1240P. (4.4 GHz). A 12th generation Core i7-1260P (up to 4.7 GHz) and a Core i7-1270P are also available (up to 4.8 GHz). The top-of-the-line Core i7-1280P boosts the number of cores to 14 and the cache to 24MB.
The base model comes with 8GB of memory, but you can upgrade to 16GB or 32GB. A 256GB PCIe SSD, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB are among the storage options. Intel Iris X graphics are standard on all XPS 13 Plus versions.
Battery life and charging
The 55WHr battery in the Dell XPS 13 Plus is larger than the 52WHr battery in the original Dell XPS 13. The Plus, on the other hand, has a more powerful CPU, so its larger battery won’t always mean longer battery life.
Dell says that the XPS 13 Plus will reach 80 percent battery life in under an hour thanks to Express Charge 2.0 technology.
Is Dell or HP the better option?
When it comes to components like the CPU and memory capacity, Dell laptops have the upper hand. Dell’s CPUs are faster and of superior quality when compared to HP’s machines with identical characteristics. HP, on the other hand, continues to manufacture long-lasting gadgets, implying that future models will have even better batteries.
What’s the difference between the old and new Dell XPS 13?
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a 55WHr battery, which is larger (and presumably lasts longer) than the 52WHr battery found in the previous Dell XPS 13. The Plus, on the other hand, has a more powerful CPU with a higher power demand than prior versions, thus its larger battery may not equal longer battery life.
Is the Dell XPS 15 better than the Dell XPS 13?
For most individuals, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (9320) remains the best Dell laptop option, however, there are plenty of other options for specialized interests. This industry-leading 13-inch notebook is beautiful and powerful, but it’s a bit on the costly side.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 13 Plus looks and feels like a Windows-based MacBook Pro. While the standard XPS 13 provides ample speed and battery life, some customers simply require more power.
Dell’s ability to cram a 28W 12th gen Intel Core CPU into such a small package is astounding. The InfinityEdge display is still one of our favorites. There are no bulky bezels or notch on this watch. The capacitive touch function row, on the other hand, does not excite us at first glance. Although it saves space, the implementation does not feel as high-end as the rest of the design.
