Dell XPS 13 Plus review: Just get a regular XPS

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is proof that you simply shouldn’t attempt to repair what isn’t damaged. This pocket book fully reinvents the Dell XPS 13 — our long-running best Windows laptop decide — with a strikingly minimalist design that’s positive to be a press release piece in your house workplace. However when you get previous the XPS 13 Plus’ fancy aesthetics and really get your palms on one, you may shortly understand that “Plus” doesn’t essentially imply “higher.”

Regardless of retaining a lot of what makes the XPS 13 nice (a shocking show, an amazing keyboard and quick efficiency) and introducing some neat touches (like an invisible trackpad that really works), the XPS 13 Plus has some severe design flaws that made it straight-up uncomfortable to make use of all through per week of testing. Until you’re married to its admittedly slick design — and don’t care concerning the well-being of your thumbs — these trying to find an amazing premium Home windows laptop computer can skip this one. Right here’s why.

Whereas I don’t love every part concerning the XPS 13 Plus’ design, there’s no denying that it’s a looker. Opening the pocket book’s lid reveals a strikingly minimalist inside, with no seen touchpad, no bodily operate keys and a very gapless keyboard that doesn’t waste a centimeter of house. It seems to be like one thing out of a contemporary sci-fi film — each acquainted and futuristic directly — and is sort of assured to show heads once you’re out utilizing it in public.

Luckily, the XPS 13 Plus’ eye-catching design isn’t solely for present. I proceed to be amazed by the laptop computer’s invisible glass touchpad, which, regardless of having no clear borders or perhaps a bodily click on beneath, simply type of works the way in which you’d desire a touchpad to. Scrolling by way of webpages and pinching to zoom felt pure straight away, and very similar to on Apple’s latest MacBooks, the laptop computer’s haptic suggestions does an amazing job simulating the texture of a conventional mouse click on. Whereas I believe among the XPS 13 Plus’ ultra-minimalist options are to its detriment, the seamless touchpad is proof you can have kind and operate all of sudden.

The identical will be mentioned concerning the laptop computer’s keyboard, which feels each bit as snappy and responsive as I’ve come to count on from an XPS pocket book. The fully edge-to-edge design permits the keys to be even greater than these of the usual XPS 13, and their gentle soft-touch coating stored my palms comfy all through lengthy days of crunching away.

Like many trendy laptops, the XPS 13 Plus is sadly restricted to simply two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports for connecting to shows and equipment. There isn’t even a headphone jack this time round! Luckily, Dell continues to be one of many few firms to throw in a USB-C to USB-A adapter for older peripherals, and there’s additionally a USB-C to three.5mm jack adapter for individuals who care about wired audio.

The XPS 13 Plus is pretty travel-friendly, weighing simply 2.7 kilos and sporting slim edges that measure out to simply over half an inch. It doesn’t really feel fairly as gentle as the brand new MacBook Air M2 regardless of weighing the identical — probably as a result of the XPS condenses all that weight right into a shorter physique — however you shouldn’t have a lot bother throwing it in your bag on your day by day commute.

Whereas the XPS 13 Plus fully reinvents the basic XPS 13 design, it retains one vital factor precisely the identical: the show. Dell’s vibrant, practically borderless InfinityEdge display screen continues to be nearly the most effective laptop computer show on the market, providing attractive colours and barely any bezel to distract you from getting work executed or turning into absolutely immersed in your favourite exhibits and flicks. It turns into even higher if you happen to select the elective OLED mannequin, which our evaluate unit got here with.

The XPS 13 Plus’ extremely sharp 3456 x 2160 panel was a delight to make use of as my principal work show, providing deep blacks and wealthy distinction that made it straightforward to comfortably think about big chunks of textual content whereas writing and modifying critiques. And when it got here time to geek out over the brand new trailer for “Star Wars: Andor,” I used to be instantly struck by the intense inexperienced laser blasts and wealthy orange explosions that stuffed the display screen as a insurgent ship took out TIE fighters. I additionally admire that the show is touch-capacitive, which made it very straightforward to zoom into webpages or shortly scroll round once I didn’t really feel like fidgeting with the touchpad.

The pocket book’s attractive show is complemented by 4 inner audio system, which have been completely tremendous for listening in on video calls or watching YouTube movies. You’ll need to plug in your headphones or laptop audio system for severe music listening — my go-to rock songs sounded far too tinny — however they’ll get the job executed on your day by day Zoom conferences.

Dell calls the XPS 13 Plus its strongest 13-inch XPS but, and based mostly on my testing, that’s a fairly correct declare. Dell’s newest laptop computer by no means buckled beneath my traditional workload, permitting me to comfortably bounce between dozens of Chrome tabs whereas taking a video name or doing a little gentle photograph modifying. That’s thanks in no small half to our evaluate unit’s high-end specs — which embody the newest twelfth Gen Intel Core i7 processor, a speedy 512GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 16GB of RAM — in addition to improved internals that enable for as much as a 28W CPU in comparison with 15W on the earlier XPS 13.

This robust on a regular basis efficiency was mirrored by our benchmark exams, the place the XPS 13 Plus held up very nicely in opposition to the competitors whereas exhibiting some important good points over earlier XPS fashions. On the Geekbench 5 (which measures general efficiency), the XPS 13 Plus’ multi-core scores have been proper behind that of the MacBook Air M2, and about 57% higher than what we obtained out of the usual Dell XPS 13 with an eleventh Gen Core i7 processor.

The XPS 13 Plus was lower than stellar on our gaming exams, which is to be anticipated for a machine that lacks a devoted graphics card. The system solely managed to muster an unplayable 17 frames per second (fps) whereas working Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p on max settings, falling behind the newest M2-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Professional by a very good margin. Nevertheless, the sport jumped to a considerably playable 28 fps with the graphics settings at their lowest. You’ll have the ability to play much less demanding titles if you happen to fiddle with some settings, however that is typically not a machine designed for video games or grueling graphics work.

Regardless of its enticing seems to be, attractive show and nice efficiency, the XPS 13 Plus will be extremely irritating to make use of. The most important offender is the laptop computer’s extremely sharp entrance edge, which regularly pressed up in opposition to my thumb and wrists in a manner that felt uncomfortable — and typically painful. The XPS 13 Plus’ different edges are additionally fairly sharp to the contact, which typically made staple items like lifting the laptop computer up or adjusting the show disagreeable.

This may very well be particular to how I personally use laptops (my proper thumb typically rests on the sting once I’m scrolling), however it was sufficient of a problem to make me need to take breaks, and left me with a calloused thumb after longer classes. That is positively a laptop computer it is best to attempt to get your palms on in-store before you purchase.

I’m additionally not keen on the capacitive operate row simply above the keyboard, which replaces bodily buttons with touch-sensitive LEDs that management issues like brightness, quantity and music playback. Whereas these contact controls work simply tremendous, I nonetheless desire the texture of a bodily click on once I’m attempting to mute the audio system or brighten my show on the fly. There’s no haptic suggestions to let once you’ve hit a command, and I often discovered myself by chance activating among the LED buttons simply because my hand was resting on the laptop computer. And in contrast to the Contact Bar on the 13-inch MacBook Pro — which I’m additionally not a fan of — there aren’t any customizable or app-specific controls. Luckily, Apple has wisened up and introduced bodily operate keys again to just about all of its different MacBooks. That makes it particularly perplexing that Dell has gone in the other way.

Talking of discomfort, the XPS 13 Plus’ underside can get extraordinarily sizzling. You may have a couple of choices for managing the system’s thermals within the My Dell app (for instance, there’s a cool mode that de-prioritizes efficiency in favor of temperature), however out of the field, the laptop computer would get very heat even beneath a fundamental workload that largely contains Chrome tabs and some apps. You’ll need to use this pocket book on a desk at any time when doable.

The battery life and webcam aren’t the most effective

A sizzling underside isn’t the one purpose you’ll need to preserve the XPS 13 Plus in your desk. Dell’s new pocket book doesn’t final terribly lengthy on a cost, surviving for under 5 hours and 33 minutes of steady 4K video playback on our battery check. To its credit score, high-resolution OLED screens are likely to suck up extra energy, and the XPS 13 Plus nonetheless managed to beat out the MacBook Air M2 by a couple of minutes. However Dell’s laptop computer fell about half-hour behind the equally priced MacBook Professional M2 in addition to the usual Dell XPS 13 that we examined with an OLED show. You’re finest off maintaining that charger helpful.

The XPS 13 Plus’ 720p webcam proved to be simply tremendous for my day by day video calls, however it’s removed from the most effective you may get on this sort of laptop computer. Whereas it did make me look brighter and extra colourful than I did on the common XPS 13’s lackluster 720p digicam, my pictures have been oversaturated and nonetheless fairly pixelated — and never practically as clear as these I obtained from the MacBook Air M2’s superior 1080p webcam.

The $1,299 Dell XPS 13 Plus is a laptop computer that I needed to love a lot greater than I truly did. It’s obtained the identical immersive show, good efficiency and nice typing expertise that has made the XPS 13 considered one of my favourite laptops, all inside a brand new, superbly minimalist design. If solely it fairly actually didn’t go away me with a sore thumb.

The XPS 13 Plus’ uncomfortably sharp edges, awkward contact buttons and sizzling underside make for a laptop computer that simply doesn’t really feel good to make use of, which is a disgrace contemplating every part else it will get proper. The overwhelming majority of persons are higher off with the usual $999 Dell XPS 13, which will be outfitted with just about the identical specs because the Plus (save for the OLED display screen) and simply obtained up to date with some slick new shade choices. And if you happen to’re not married to Home windows, the brand new $1,199 MacBook Air M2 is the best overall laptop you may get on this value vary.

Should you’re particularly entranced by the XPS 13 Plus’ enticing design and OLED show, it is best to at the least attempt to get your palms on one before you purchase — in spite of everything, what felt uncomfortable for me won’t be a problem in any respect for you. However for everybody else, there are a lot better choices on the market for the cash.