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Dell XPS 13 Laptop Review
Verdict
Not that it needed them, but the Dell XPS 13’s latest series of changes have made it a spectacle for the third year in a row. As it’s been the best laptopwe’ve reviewed throughout the entirety of that extensive period, you could rightfully assume that the improvements are subtle, by and large.
Among the enhancements that are present in this year’s Dell XPS 13 refresh, however, you will find a next-generation InfinityEdge display that Dell claims makes it the ‘world’s smallest 13-inch laptop.’ You might also notice support for the new Dell Cinema features that bring HDR-like colors and faster video streaming to the XPS 13. Of course, things still aren’t perfect, with the webcam located beneath the display rather than directly above it.
All told, we’re deeply impressed by the new XPS 13, thanks in large part to a new, stunning 4K Ultra HD display and a beautiful, new color option called Rose Gold on Alpine White. In fact, we’re so impressed by Dell’s design revisions that it’s once again earned TechRadar’s Best in Class award for laptops.
That said, if you want in on the deepest revision on the XPS 13 design in years, you’re going to have to pay up – and more than before.
Price and availability
Making a departure from its extremely popular pricing plan, Dell is offering the 2018 Dell XPS 13 at $999 (£1,269, about AU$2,190) to start, not $799 like it has for years. That starting price nets you the usual Full HD display (no touch) with an 8th-generation Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD inside.
At this starting price, you’re not going to be getting a budget option any time soon.
Annoyingly, the new color option, Rose Gold on Alpine White, is a bit pricier than its standard, silver-on-black model in the US at another $50 regardless of configuration. Worse yet, this option isn’t available outside the US at the time of writing.
All configurations for the new Dell XPS 13 include three USB-C ports (two of which are Thunderbolt 3), a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Design
This year marks the first time that Dell has tangibly changed the XPS 13 design since it graced the top of our rankings. First off, it’s actually thinner and lighter than the previous model released just months ago.
Dell slimmed down the XPS 13 chassis to be 30% thinner at just 0.3 inches (3.4mm) at its narrowest point and a touch lighter at merely 2.67 pounds (1.21kg).
Now, the most notable of changes to the XPS 13 design is bound to be the brand new Rose Gold on Alpine White color option.
While almost every laptop maker has a rose gold color option these days, Dell took it to the next level with an all-new set of materials for the complementary-colored keyboard deck.
Dell is particularly proud that the new keyboard deck houses a crystalline silica material that has the white color literally woven into it like a fabric, in nine composite layers.
This is the first time woven glass fiber has been, well, woven into a laptop. Plus, the base has a titanium oxide coating which gives it a pearlescent sheen, not to mention stronger stain-resistance than most.
Sadly, the same can’t be said for the plastic that borders the edges of the laptop’s display. Over the past few weeks of use, we’ve found that this softer plastic has grown a little gray compared to the plastic that borders the edge of base.
Of course, this XPS 13 model also marks the turning point on what might be its biggest bugbear: the webcam placement. Better yet, the new IR lens works well for speedy logins using Windows Hello, the biometric security system that uses your webcam to sign you in. However, the red flashing of the infrared lights is a little intense.
That said, the 720p webcam produces about as sharp of visual as that of the latest MacBook Pro, but isn’t a 60 frames-per-second lens like that on the Pixelbook. The Surface Book 2 beats them all with a 1080p camera.
The webcam comes equipped with four microphones – placed within the lip of the base of the laptop – for stronger video chatting input as well as far-field communication for yelling at Cortana from across the room. These mics pick up clearer voice audio over video chats than some of its competitors.
However, they won’t be challenging the likes of Google Home and Amazon Echo anytime soon. While the microphones can pick up our ‘Hey, Cortana’ commands from a few feet away in front of the laptop, trying them from behind the laptop at the same distance is a bust.
Display
Another major improvement upon this year’s design is the display. The screen is now available with an optional 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution beneath a glossy, IGZO touchscreen. That’s sharper than any of the previously mentioned, competing laptops.
The touchscreen is coated in a 0.65% anti-reflective coating that aims to offset the downfalls of all touchscreens and screen glare.
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We haven’t noticed much difference while using the laptop for the past few weeks, but the brightness scaling of the device is fantastic enough to call out. Putting the screen at even 10% brightness doesn’t detract from our ability to write and read on this laptop.
With a 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 100% sRGB color profile, blacks look as if the backlight shuts off in those spots during darker scenes in videos and photos and colors pop with vibrancy. Meanwhile, the display responds snappily and fluidly to touch gestures.
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