Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 13 (Late 2015) review: Still lord of the ultra-portables

The new Dell XPS 13 remains a stunning ultra-portable with a more up-to-date processor and added Thunderbolt 3

Following the bold claim in 2014 that the then current model XPS 13 was the ‘smallest 1.3in laptop on the planet’ which remained true to an extent, Dell had plenty to live up to when they launched their newer model in 2015. Looking almost identical to the version it superseded, this year’s XPS 13 still maintains its gorgeously smooth and sleek chassis that’s fast becoming a staple of premium Dell products nowadays. It has and always will be a landmark achievement in my mind, and really sets it out from other flagship devices such as Apple’s MacBook Air.

At just 9mm at its thinnest point, tapering to a slightly thicker 15mm at the back, the 2015 XPS 13 is still exquisitely slim. Place it on the scales and it’s no heavy beast either, weighing a measly 1.29Kg which is substantially lighter than the recent MacBook Air’s 1.35Kg heft.

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InfinityEdge display

It feels refined in the hand and looks stunning to boot, thanks to the virtually borderless ‘InfinityEdge’ display. The bezels have been reduced to mere millimetres in order to squeeze a 13.3in screen into a far smaller chassis. It still remains an amazing feat of engineering, but it helps that the 3,200×1,800 touchscreen panel is simply gorgeous. The high resolution makes working on multiple documents a real joy, with Windows 10’s improved scaling options coping admirably with the extra pixels.

With 93.3% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, the screen is also very accurate – beating last year’s equivalent model. A contrast ratio of 1,052:1 was also excellent, giving colours plenty of pop. It means that the XPS 13 is still a reasonable choice for the photographers. Very deep 0.17cd/m2 peak blacks help give darker images plenty of definition, with none of the backlight bleed that spoiled last year’s model.

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Reflections are a slight issue, due to the glossy coating, but a bit of angle adjustment usually overcame it. The returning dynamic contrast adjustment is more irritating; this forces the brightness levels to jump around erratically based on what’s onscreen. Finally, the webcam is again placed below the screen. It’s unorthodox, but a side effect of those super-thin bezels.

Keyboard and Touchpad

A carbon fibre keyboard surround adds some variety to the inside of the laptop, contrasting nicely with the gunmetal grey exterior. It’s got a slight grippy quality to it and doesn’t conduct heat through the palm rests when you’re typing, which is always a positive.

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The keys themselves are nicely spaced and don’t feel cramped as you type. They have a good degree of tactility, which leads to better accuracy as you can really feel when a key actuates. We had no problems typing for long periods and missed keystrokes were an infrequent occurrence. The keys are backlit, so typing in dimly lit conditions isn’t a problem.

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The touchpad is great too. It’s large, at least in the context of the XPS 13’s slimmed down chassis, and is responsive and accurate. Windows 10 multi-touch gestures were all activated without a hitch, making swiping around a joy. You can also use the touchscreen; the hinge held firmly to prods and pokes, so we weren’t concerned the entire laptop would tilt back. Fingerprints do begin to mar the beautiful display, though, so you might want to carry around a microfiber cloth to keep it looking its best.

Performance

This version of the XPS 13 has a dual-core, 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, which can Turbo Boost to 3.1GHz with the right thermal conditions. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of PCI-express SSD storage. Performance was exactly what we’d expect from the low-voltage CPU, managing an overall score of 46 in our application benchmarks. You wouldn’t expect a svelte, ultra-portable laptop to be a processing powerhouse, but the i7-6500U will be able to handle most tasks without issue.

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Some light gaming is even possible, with Intel’s HD 520 integrated GPU managing 31.9fps in Dirt Showdown at 1,280 x 720 resolution, High quality settings and 4x anti-aliasing. You’ll need to tone down the quality settings and resolution to obtain playable frame rates for most games, but it’s a nice option to have.

In our battery test, the XPS 13 lasted 11hrs 30mins, which is an improvement on the older model. This is easily enough for a full working day away from the mains, and the charger isn’t too cumbersome to carry around either.

Connections

Two USB 3 ports, an SD card reader and a 3.5mm headset jack would be generous enough for a laptop so thin, but the XPS 13 also has a Thunderbolt 3 port. It uses the USB Type-C connector, but allows for faster 40Gbits/sec transfer rates (as opposed to USB 3.1’s 10Gbits/sec). It replaces the mini-DisplayPort found on the old model, meaning there’s no way to output to an external display without buying an adaptor; Dell sells VGA and HDMI dongles, plus one for wired Ethernet. There’s also a useful battery gauge indicator for checking your remaining charge at a glance.

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Conclusion

The new XPS 13 might be more of a refresh than a complete overhaul, but the upgraded components and the addition of Thunderbolt 3 bring it right up to date. It remains visually stunning, and that gorgeous display means it’s still one of the most portable laptops around. Windows 10’s display scaling makes working on the high-resolution display a joy, and image quality is improved over last year’s model. The XPS 13 is one of the best ultraportables around, and holds its own against the likes of Apple’s MacBook Air.

Core specs

  1. Processor-Dual-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U
  2. RAM-8GB
  3. Memory slots (free)-Not disclosed
  4. Max memory-Not disclosed
  5. Dimensions-304 x200 x15mm
  6. Weight-1.29kg
  7. Sound-RealTek HD Audio (3.5mm headset port)
  8. Pointing device-Touchscreen, touchpad

Display

  1. Screen size-13.3in
  2. Screen resolution-3,200 x 1,800
  3. Touchscreen-Yes
  4. Graphics adaptor-Intel HD Graphics 520
  5. Graphics outputs-HDMI
  6. Graphics memory-Integrated

Storage

  1. Total storage-256GB SSD
  2. Optical drive type-None
  3. Ports and expansion
  4. USB ports-2x USB3
  5. Bluetooth-4.0
  6. Networking-802.11ac Wi-Fi
  7. Memory card reader-SD, SDHC
  8. Other ports-Thunderbolt 3

Miscellaneous

  1. Operating system-Windows 10 Home
  2. Operating system restore option-Restore partition

Source: expertreviews.co.uk

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12 Comments
  1. Reply Chinchillo August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Hey where can I get the Background of the xps 13 you showed here thank you very much for an answer :) also very great test keep it up :)

  2. Reply Alan August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Should have added, only get the touchscreen model. Once used to it you’ll never go back!

  3. Reply Rocketman August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Do not even be remotely tempted to buy this laptop without reading actual owner reviews. Just a simple Google search will reveal countless problems with wifi and the trackpad. To be balanced, it’s a well made laptop with a dazzling, nearly borderless screen. However, the wi-fi drops out if you’re more than a few feet from the router… even going to another room will lose the signal. This is a known issue that Dell cannot fix. Check their own forums before you waste your hard earned money. You’ll see for yourself that Dell does not respond to the countless threads about broken wi-fi and useless trackpads.

    • Reply KoldKore August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Yes, the Dell provided WiFi card sucks. Get the Intel on Amazon for $30. As far as the track pad, if I can tell you, you’re right. It did suck. However, a couple months ago the bios was updated again and I’ve had no issues with the track pad what so ever.

      I give Dell credit, they are constantly updating their drivers and bios for this notebook. They also released a tool to disable the auto brightness feature for the UHD displays, which made me very happy.

      To be fair, the only thing I’m truly not in love with on mine is the keyboard, I wish it had a bit more travel as I was coming from a much older Acer TimelineX 4830TG that had excellent key travel.

    • Reply Alan August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Bit taken aback by Rocketman’s disappointment. I happen to be one of the actual owners he recommendeds listening to and I seem to have had a more positive experience. I wrote in my own review that the touch pad for the whole range is infuriating, only resolved by an external mouse so completely agree. However, the WiFi issue hasn’t troubled me. The real life experience with the poor battery is an concern though. I would still stand by recommending this but be aware the fully specced price with max warranty is closer to £1700 rather than the £1100 headline price.

      • Reply Rocketman August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

        I guess my frustration is that this notebook has been getting glowing reviews but something like Wi-Fi range not working is probably not tested thoroughly. All I’m asking is that people do a quick scan for user reviews and even Dell’s own site. Bear in mind this is a premium notebook with a price tag to match and I can’t use it at work, hotels, airports and cafes.

        • James Tuke August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

          In fact if you downgrade the Broadcom Wifi Driver to the one used for Windows 8.1 it works fine. It has a version number starting with 6 and was released in March 2015. This gets rid of the Wifi problems instantly but it is an effort to do this as the system constantly wants to upgrade you to the latest version which one has to resist at all costs!

  4. Reply Alan August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    This is my third of this range of XPS ultrabooks. Mainly good, but the worst Touchpad Dell has ever invented. It’s diabolical. Compare with the old XPS13 range and see the difference. My solution is a supply of micro-mice which I carry separately. Don’t believe the battery capacity by the way. If you can get 2 hours that’s a result. And as general point, there are no user-serviceable parts or upgrades possible. Even the battery “has to be replaced by a Dell engineer” or the warranty is jeopardised.

    • Reply Tom August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Just wondered if you had any video editing experience with this laptop? I’m close to buying one to edit my 4K GoPro footage on my travels

      • Reply Alan August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

        ‘Fraid no video experience. What I would caution is that if it requires extensive mouse action, then add an external mouse as the touch pad will drive you mad.

        The other issue is the screen resolution, which is the big selling point. For normal use it’s impossible to use most menus as the text is too small. I had to double the size of fonts etc but for an example, my Aol program can only be used with the on board Windows Magnifier app.

        • Ces August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

          Dell has fixed most of the issues mentioned (battery life now allows 6+ hours of .avi watching, 7+of video editing depending on what you are using. Obviously Photoshop is going to last longer than 3dSMax, 6 hours of gaming (I was playing an old version of Star Wars KotOR II with a few mods. No glitches save the ones already in the game.

          The Surface is great, as is the Macbook, but the difference in raw “Hulk Smash” power is the processor. The M is good; heck wonderful compared the days of the Celeron. I had to buy a Toshiba as it was the only affordable laptop at the time that offered an Intel 3.0 (Single core) and tolerable graphics.

          Back too the Dell vs. Surface. IMO, the Surface is better for editing graphics, even though the Dell is more powerful. It is almost a toss up; a little lighter and more powerful with less battery life, or less options regarding gaming, a slightly worse screen, but better graphic editing,,,

          Too bad you could not squish both together.

          I’m waiting for the quad octocore (32 cores, hopefully at at least 3 ghz per) to be put in a pc. They are small, use little energy, that is what “book” designers should be focusing on, It cannot be far away. Use one in a high end gpu…Oh goodness. Less expensive, 10kX more powerful. I can’t wait. Lol, next gen snapdragon cpu’s in a book, with an sd next gen powering a Geforce! Desktops will become irrelevant. I never thought I would utter those words, as I have been tweaking and building since a C64 my mother bought me for my 12th? b-day.

          On a side note, warranties from the factory are near useless. They nor,ally don’t break before the warranty expires. After market is the way to go if you plan on upgrading whatever device you are using. It is definately worth the extra 1-3 hundred bucks.

          TC

          Ces.

  5. Reply Alan August 15, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Should add that advice is to pay the (substantial) extra for the full NBD warranty and accidental cover. Dell have improved their service hugely and you will need it for the XPS

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