Review: Dell XPS 13 (2015)

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

It is the smallest 13-inch Ultrabook in the market and it features an innovative border-free Infinity Display with a miniscule 5.2mm border. Currently the thinnest frame on a notebook. With a slim bezel of less than 2% of the total display,

PC makers have been obsessed with contorting notebooks, creating strange and 'clever' new ways to meld tablets and laptops, as well as Frankensteining 2-in-1 or even 3-in-1 devices. With the XPS 13, Dell has done the exact opposite. It has resumed where the trajectory of subportable notebook design stagnated and pursued the quest to create the ideal Windows ultraportable.

The fundamental problem with many hybrid PCs is that very few have come close to offering the kind of structural reliability and ergonomics that even mediocre notebooks and laptops have to offer.

I’ve always been a fan of ultraportable notebooks in the 11-12-inch category. They’re the ultimate in portability and make sense for reporters, mobile workers and students. Small enough to carry anywhere, they have the battery life and functionality that meets or even surpasses that of larger, heavier notebooks.

The biggest limitation of these smaller notebooks has been the reduced size of the keyboard as well as the limited resolution and screen size and fewer ports given the thinner bodies.

Call me old fashioned, while I'm easily enthralled by new hardware that folds, detaches, flips over, or transforms; at the end of the day, a clamshell notebook is what I'm buying. I think many people still feel this way.

Dell’s new XPS 13 is the most exciting subportable notebook I’ve seen in a very long time. It is the smallest 13-inch Ultrabook in the market and it features an innovative border-free Infinity Display. It is surprisingly robust, and encased in a rock-solid aluminum and polycarbonate enclosure. Best of all, it looks and feels unlike anything else in the market today.

The Dell XPS 13 is an overachiever in the display department. Dell has managed to engineer a sleek andnear-borderless panel that rivals that of the latest HDTV or 4K displays. I believe this is where all high-end displays are headed and Dell's a few steps ahead of everyone.

This display's thinness, it's superb screen technology and the way the borders are nearly invisible, make every other notebook around look dated.

The super crisp QHD+ resolution has 3200x 1800 pixel resolution, features 5.7 million pixels at (276 pixels per inch). Having such a dense display makes images and text look so much better. Multi-touch gestures are a bit tricky but easy enough to get used to.

Videos feel more immersive and looking at high-resolution images taken by digital cameras allows you to see every detail, which is rare for a notebook of this size.

By engineering a 13-inch HD display in an 11-inch notebook chassis, Dell has managed to create an extremely portable laptop, that’s also surprisingly functional.

I was very impressed at the build quality and the character of the Dell XPS 13 and if I hadn’t already blown my notebook budget on a Surface Pro 3 late last year, I’d definitely be looking at this as my daily driver Windows PC.

The XPS 13 runs Windows 8.1 very well and will really shine once Windows 10 makes it to market. The top of the line model loaned to me by Dell Canada, featured the multi-touch display which was quick, responsive and ultra vivid. The Microsoft Store sells a non-touchscreen  Signature Edition version of the Dell XPS 13, that one retailed for around $999. Signature Edition means it has Windows software without any of the space hogging bloatware that OEM's like to include.

My preference is for non-touch displays, but those who want multi-touch can get it at a higher cost. Being a Dell product, the XPS 13 can be made to order in various configurations starting from Intel Core i3 processors up to an Intel Core i7.

There's also a variety of SSD sizes available although if this is going to be your main computing device, you should probably aim for the 256GB configuration.

On Dell's website, the XPS 13's pricing ranges from CAD $949.00 to CAD $1,700.00 depending on how it is configured.

 In terms of I/O, you get two USB 3.0 w/Powershare, one  mini DisplayPort, SD card reader, headset jack, Noble lock, 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC). WiFi is of the 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0 variety and is Dual Band 2.4 & 5 GHz.

All the XPS 13 variants have the 2 WHr, 4-Cell Battery installed. Dell says it is good for 15 hours but I seriously question that. My review unit squeaked by 7-hours of mixed use, this is still good performance and should fit into the all-day needs of most people, but it would be good if we could get 10-hours out of it at least. (note: there have since been some firmware updates, possibly to address the battery management).

Conclusion:

As a premium Ultrabook, Dell's XPS 13 is a decent choice at 2.6 lbs, what really makes this notebook shine is the remarkable Infinity Display that's they've managed to include a 13-inch qHD display with a 3200x 1800 pixel resolution in an 11-inch notebook and make it available in a variety of price points that aren't too insanely expensive. 

If you're looking for a small, powerful and well-built Windows subnotebook, the Dell XPS 13 with the Infinity Display offers a unique proposition with the portability of an 11-inch notebook but the display real estate of a proper 13-inch notebook. With the coming of Windows 10, the multi-touch display isn't a 'must-have' feature but a great convenience down the line.

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5