Say what you will about Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 convertible laptop, but the company’s original XPS 13 device remains one of the best — if not the best — Windows laptop currently available.
The XPS 13 is slim, it’s beautiful, it’s powerful, and, most importantly, it’s quite well-priced for the parts it packs.
Now, it looks like U.S.-based hardware manufacturer Dell is ready to introduce a welcome update to its XPS 13 computer. Dubbed the ‘New XPS 13,’ Dell’s latest laptop retains a familiar look and feel, while introducing a computer with brand new colour schemes, new materials, a refined InfinityEdge display, as well as Intel’s latest eighth-generation chips.
The base model New XPS 13 starts at $1,399.99 CAD. It comes with an eight-generation Intel i5 processor, Windows 10 Home, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of solid state storage and a 52WHr battery that Dell purports can deliver an insane 20 hours of battery life (which will absolutely need to be tested). The device’s 13.3-inch display is also a Full HD 1920 x 1080 panel.
Additionally, the laptop ships with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a DisplayPort, one USB-C 3.1 port, an SD card reader, a headphone jack and a Noble lock slot. Users can also log into the New XPS 13 using a fingerprint sensor embedded within the laptop’s power button
The latest Dell laptop comes in two new colour options — rose gold and white. However, Dell says that its white model New XPS 13 doesn’t simply introduce a new colour scheme — it’s almost a brand new computer entirely.
According to Dell, “when turning our XPS white, we strived to achieve elegance and invested more than a dozen people, 11,520 hours and 50 trials to create a new system that was as stunning inside and out.”
“The Dell design team didn’t want to simply paint a system white — they wanted to use authentic materials and make sure the system looked as beautiful on day 1,000 as it does on day one,” reads an excerpt from a Dell media release.
While the black New XPS 13 retains the original’s carbon fibre accoutrements, the white version introduced a new crystalline silica material “with the white colour literally woven in, like a fabric, in nine composite layers.”
The new white model is supposed to be as “durable as it is beautiful” and also features titanium oxide and UV and stain-resistant coatings in order to avoid staining.
“In fact, if you get a pen mark or other stain on the white interior, you can just wipe it off,” reads another excerpt. “And with a heat resistance superior to metal, woven glass fiber also stays cooler to facilitate longer performance.”
In addition to these new materials, Dell also boasts that the New XPS 13 features an InfinityEdge display that is 30 percent thinner than the previous model. The New XPS 13 is also a mere 2.7 pounds.
