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Dell XPS The 13 has led the way on high-end Windows productivity laptops for years, but that lead has been slowly waning as rivals like Asus, HP, and Lenovo close the gap with price and improved features. The MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends), along with Apple’s silicon, offers a shift in efficiency that the XPS 13 can’t match. Nevertheless, Dell’s device remains one of the best laptops around.
The field is strong, but the high-priced MacBook Air M2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) doesn’t live up to its predecessor—which means Dell has a chance. The XPS 13’s design is a key area where it fails early on, but that’s about to change. The new Plus model aims to reclaim the range’s crown in modern form—powered by Intel’s new 12th generation P-series processors.
In a glass of desire
The XPS 13 Plus is all about the design. Performance is up, but it’s the styling change that draws attention. When the look debuted earlier this year, it did just that. No visible trackpad, touch bar, and glass surface—it looks like a concept device. Dell may be trying out a few new ideas before releasing it into the standard XPS 13, but we do know that the XPS 13 2022 will only be available with lower-powered U-series Intel chips, while the XPS 13 Plus sports a more powerful processor. P-series processors. The Plus model isn’t just a vehicle for ideas—like Microsoft’s interesting but flawed Surface Pro X (5/10, WIRED Recommends)—but the XPS 13 is a real, genuine change.
For some, this fact can be disappointing. It is not a radical change. These new features feel seamless and carefully push the gimmickry to its limits. The new glass design is a welcome change from the old carbon fiber look the XPS 13 has worn for some time. I’m using the platinum model, which is in the clamshell, with white buttons that go with the glass. Glass elements house the trackpad and a row of capacitive touch functions—the Dell Touch Bar name.
It was surprising that this device didn’t have a visible trackpad when it first appeared, but it didn’t need much tweaking. I was using it just as quickly as anyone else, with muscle memory doing the trick and a powerful click to back it up. If you are a regular laptop user then you will have no problem.
Photography: Dell
Despite its eye-catching appearance, the touch bar isn’t trying to do too much; It just gets the job done. The keys are fixed, switching between function keys and media keys (brightness, volume, etc.) by pressing “fn” is more than necessary and much less compared to the Apple equivalent. The lack of functionality means it actually feels much less intrusive. Even if it’s only for a small style, it’s a worthy addition. The only quirk is that besides holding down “fn” entering a shortcut like “alt+f4” is a bit of a challenge, especially with small hands.
Surprisingly, it’s the keyboard that’s left instead of the invisible touchpad that takes some getting used to. There are no gaps, the keys are stretched from edge to edge. They may be a good size, but I find myself tapping other keys while typing, interrupting my flow but ending up with a sloppy key press. Fortunately, the focus wears off after a few days of use.
But the keyboard has a big problem. It’s not the travel or the feedback: the keystrokes are perfect for such a thin device and the response is satisfactory; This is a good tool for essay writing – the subject is the background light. The problem can be reduced on the dark graphite model, which provides more contrast between the white light and the rest of the laptop. However, the keyboard backlight on the Platinum model I’m testing, which is white in color, is dim. The cover is sticky on the keys and doesn’t get bright enough. It’s a strange observation, but it makes this laptop’s appeal dull to people working in less-than-optimal lighting conditions, such as students in lecture halls. The XPS 13 Plus has a refreshed style, but this detracts from its clean look.
Power, packaged
This machine eats up every productivity function you can throw at it—in our model, a top-of-the-range 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P, 32-GB RAM, and 1-TB SSD storage. Even with the lower specs, compared to other 12th Gen devices I’ve tested, the performance of the XPS 13 Plus and previous XPS 13 models, those looking for a good device for demanding productivity won’t be disappointed. The 12th Gen Intel chips also see a big boost in multi-core performance from the previous generation for photo editing and light video work (though dongle life for creators who want to use memory cards or headphone jacks). . Here you will find only two Thunderbolt 4 ports and nothing else. Although it is at least convenient to have one on both sides.
The XPS 13 Plus stays cool under low-demand workloads: think five to 10 tabs and multitasking. But when you turn things up a notch, most of the device heats up on the top and bottom. The power Dell was able to pack into this device is impressive, and so are the unique design choices it made to achieve it. But when it comes to competing with Apple’s M2 or M1 chips in terms of efficiency and durability, it still doesn’t exist. Throttling comes with the laptop’s heat when the XPS 13 Plus is pushed, and it starts stuttering. Low-performance power modes prevent this, as does Quiet, which works well, but limits capacity.
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