The Dell XPS 13 has always been one our favourite ultrabooks every year since it was first announced. The sleek lines and top-quality parts put it a cut above the competition, making it stunning and functional at the same time. Now with the introduction of the new Icelake Processors and some smart design decisions, this ultrabook should rise to the top of everyone’s laptop wishlists.
Perhaps one of the most exciting bullet points for this new laptop is the new 10th generation icelake processor. This new 10nm core U-series chip will start at Core i3-1005 and goes all the way up to the option of a Core i7-1065, and in our limited testing, the laptop felt very fast, responsive, and smooth to use. But perhaps the most impressive feature of this new chipset is the battery life. Boasting a whopping 16-hours of average use, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a workhorse that can make it through a day with ease.
One advantage of the new chipset is cooling, since the 10nm processor draws less power, and produces less heat, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is cooler to use, making it the ideal “lap” laptop should you so choose. Now it is hard to see how it will perform in real-world testing, as the show floor is not the best place to put it through its paces, but from what we saw, it kept cool even when throwing random intensive tasks at it. The new dual fan design also ensures things stay cool as the computer gets going, and even under load, the fans will keep it relatively quiet.
The new chips are not the only feature the new XPS 13 have up its sleeve. The display of the unit has been fully reworked. The new 2019 model offers a 13.4-inch 16:10 display that is truly stunning to use. While it may not seem like a bit change, but this gives around 7 percent more screen space and makes for a fantastic viewing experience. Dell has outdone themselves with the fidelity of the screen, making it one of the best I have seen in the ultrabook class.
If that were not enough, Dell has also given the option to upgrade up to a 4K infinity Edge touch LCD panel with a staggering 500 nits of brightness and HDR400 certification. If you can do without the 4K on such a small screen, there is also an option of a 500-nit Full HD display with Dolby Vision, along with Eyesafe tech that manages to reduce blue light, without distorting the colour profile.
With such a stunning display on offer, it is great to see that Intel has bestowed Coffelake with the new UHD 630 series GPU. While it will not compete against the likes of what Nvidia or AMD have at the ready, it manages to be a very capable processor should you want to run some light gaming. Fortnite, Civilization or even Rocket League should run without much trouble. And while you may have trouble running the best and brightest in gaming, it should be able to tackle some older games on medium setting without much trouble.
The Dell XPS 13 has always been a stunning machine, but Dell has managed to up its game this time around. The new Arctic white fiberglass joining the black carbon fiber, only adds to the appeal. While the new second-generation MagLev keyboard and well-crafted touchpad make the XPS 13 2019 a joy to use in all situations.
It is great to see Dell moving away from the bottom screen web-camera, with the new top-screen design, giving the screen a smaller bottom bezel while keeping the ability to video call as intended. While there is no Windows Hello camera, Dell has included a fingerprint sensor in the power button of the unit, making it easy to turn on and get to work.
As with all thin and light laptops, once you purchase the laptop you are stuck with configuration included since everything is soldered onto the motherboard. Thankfully Dell has a slew of options available through the various models that should fit most needs. From up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM to the potential of a 1TB SSD, whatever your needs in terms of this Ultrabook may be, the XPS 13 should meet them.
Only having tested the unit for a limited time at a trade show, it is hard to say how the XPS 13 2-in-1 will fair in real-world testing, but I am optimistic. Dell has made some smart moves with this unit, and the new 10th Generation i-Series processors are looking to be a great addition to the lineup. We will have a full review when the XPS 13 2-in-1 launches later this summer. As it sits now, I am excited to see how it holds up, and to finally getting to put it though its paces!
