After that high praise, I admit I went into this review with a degree of skepticism.
But you know what?
That praise is justified.
Every inch of the XPS 13 bleeds thoughtful design and engineering, backed up by excellent hardware and materials.
The laptop isn’t perfect, but it’s damn close.
And in fact, it would be hard to do better.
Design
The XPS 13 is an aluminum-and-carbon fiber-sandwich.
Aside from its crazy-thin frame, the aesthetics of this laptop are actually pretty understated.
(Remember when XPS was Dell’s “gaming” brand?)
The black model is even less distinctive, though the carbon fiber on the palmrest is quite nice.
There’s a fingerprint sensor cleverly hidden in the power button.
Left side: USB-C and MicroSD card reader.
(There’s a convertible model, too, though it’s bigger and less sleek.)
The only other distinguishing feature is the power light, glowing beneath the trackpad whenever the laptop is on.
On the left side, you get a USB-C port for data and power plus a MicroSD card slot.
On the right is an identical USB-C port, plus a headphone/microphone jack.
Aside from the speakers and air vents on the bottom of the frame, that’s it.
Right side: USB-C and headphone/microphone.
Power can be delivered to either side.
The finish on the bottom is easily damaged, even though I’ve babied it for this review.
Every bit of this thing oozes careful and tight design.
It’s amazing how much is done so right and so consistently on the XPS 13.
A proper left Ctrl position and a full-width right Shift bar help a lot.
The trackpad deserves special praise.
The touchpad is almost—almost—good enough to make me forget about my mouse.
The firm lid can be opened with one finger.
Naturally, it’s also available in 4K, if you think that’s necessary at this size.
Oh, and the screen has touch input, though I almost never used that feature.
There’s only one thing I’d change if I could: this thing needs a USB-A port.
The GPU can handle a little basic gaming, but don’t expect miracles.
Still, it managed to hang on to the 1920x1200 resolution.
Not bad, just don’t ask it to run silky-smooth DOOM or Destiny.
In terms of software, the Windows 10 build preinstalled on the XPS 13 is fairly clean.
But indeed, you could replace the storage with an off-the-shelf M.2 drive, without voiding your warranty.
It seems a little touchy—using it outside was tricky—but I appreciate the inclusion.
Ditto for the fingerprint sensor, already discussed.
I also like the MicroSD card reader, which is a feature becoming more and more niche.
The power adapter can use a full cord or a handy travel plug.
One more feature deserves particular kudos: the power adapter.
It even has the swiveling prongs that collapse into the plastic housing.
Well done, Dell.
That’s nothing exceptional by modern standards, but it’s also not particularly heavy.
I’d estimate that means a 10-hour battery life of doing almost anything with the exception of gaming.
That’s excellent longevity out of the 52 watt-hour battery.
Combined with USB-C charging on either side and the well-designed charger, this laptop is a little road warrior.
That said, I’m inclined to say that it’s worth it.
Woes about USB ports and slight dim are minimal: this is a fantastic little laptop.
Add on impressive battery life and portability, and you’ve got a winner in just about every way.
If the price is too much for you, consider that Dell often runs promotions on its web store.
