Dell XPS 13 Plus Review: Living in the Future

As with any laptop, it isn’t perfect. As one of the few Intel Evo laptops without an upgraded FHD webcam, Dell stuck with 720p. In addition, the 28W CPU delivers more power under the hood, but it suffers from a mixed bag of results, ranging from performance issues to battery drain. Another thing that sets it apart from the competition is its 3.5K OLED display. The Dell XPS 13 Plus is another win for Dell. The Dell XPS laptop is one of the best laptops available on the market. With an immersive Infinity Edge display, you get a premium aluminum laptop. At the end of the day, you’re getting the best available from Dell. Dell’s XPS 13 Plus has that as well, but it’s getting a bit more experimental.

You will feel like you’re using a futuristic laptop since it comes with a borderless haptic touchpad. Atop the keyboard is light-up buttons covering the function keys, which are capacitive. In addition to the borderless touchpad, capacitive function keys, 28W processor, and other great features, Dell’s XPS 13 Plus includes the best of the best.

• A haptic touchpad is one of the modern features
• A 28W Intel CPU
• A lightweight aluminum chassis

Pros:

• While not island-based, the keyboard is very comfortable to type on
• Display of the highest quality, as always
• A futuristic experience

Cons:

• Webcam with 720p resolution
• Battery life is longer with a 28W processor
• In the little percentage of cases where you experience issues with the haptic touchpad border, it’s going to be a hassle

• There are a variety of channels where you can buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus, starting at $1,299.99
• Graphite and Platinum are available

You can purchase the Dell XPS 13 Plus right now at Dell.com, as well as at Best Buy and Amazon.com if you are interested in the OLED model. A Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and an FHD+ display are included with the base model for $1,299. In addition to graphite, it is also available in platinum.

As compared to the base model, Dell’s version has the Core i7-1280P, 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and a 3.5K OLED display. $1,949 is the price of this unit as configured.

• Processor: 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1280P (24 MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 14 cores)
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Body : 295.3×199.04×15.28 mm (11.63×7.84×0.6in), 1.26 kg (2.77lbs)
• Display: 4″, 3.5K 3456×2160, 60Hz, OLED, Touch, Anti-Reflect, 400 nits, Infinity Edge
• Memory: 16 GB, LPDDR5, 5200 MHz, integrated, dual-channel
• Storage: 512 GB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Solid State Drive
• Battery: 3 Cell, 55 Wh, integrated 60W AC Adapter Type-C
• Ports: Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C with Display Port and Power Delivery) x2 USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter (included in the box) USB-C to 3.5 mm headset adapter (included in the box)
• Keyboard: Platinum Backlit English Keyboard with Fingerprint Reader
• Webcam : 720p at 30 fps HD RGB camera, 400p at 30 fps IR camera, dual-array microphones
• Audio: Dual stereo speakers (tweeter + woofer), Realtek ALC1319D, 2 W x 2 = 4 W total
• Connectivity: Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 1675 (AX211) 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.2 Wireless Card
• Material: Aluminum
• Colors: Platinum
• OS: Windows 11 Home
• Price : $1,949

• The weight of the device is 2.77 pounds
• It is made of aluminum and comes in three colors: Platinum, Graphite, and Black
• There are only two Thunderbolt 4 ports

All Dell XPS laptops are made of CNC-machined aluminum, including the XPS 13 Plus 9320. In terms of weight, the OLED model weighs 2.77 pounds, which is quite light for an aluminum laptop. You can also look at magnesium alloys as an alternative, which tend to feel less premium.

Compared to the Dell XPS 13 Plus, the Dell XPS 13 Plus feels much more premium. Graphite or Platinum are the available colors with matte lid finishes. This model comes with a white interior, and it was sent to me for review by Dell. The accessories in the box are all black, which is unusual. Since there is no longer a white XPS 13 or 2-in-1 laptop, Dell apparently stopped including white accessories with white XPS laptops.

Dell’s XPS 13 Plus has a similar exterior design to previous generation XPS 13 laptops. Platinum models are especially notable for this. On the graphite model, we don’t see a color like that on XPS laptop lids before. Also, Umber and Sky, the two new colors for the XPS 13, are a match made in heaven.

There are only two ports on the device. Both sides have Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is very convenient. The charging cable will at some point get in the way of you with most Windows laptops I review that have both USB Type-C ports on one side. This can be solved by having one on each side. As a result, it is nice that Dell decided to do this, since OEMs often do this at a higher cost.

Although Thunderbolt 4 is primarily a charging port, it can also be used for other things. Up to 40Gbps of data transfer can be achieved, dual 4K displays can be connected to a single port, and 8K displays can be connected to a single port. If you want to pair the 28W CPU with a more powerful graphics card, you can even connect an external GPU to it.

There are a number of Thunderbolt docks that can be connected to your computer to add either USB ports, HDMI, or Display Ports. The design of the Dell XPS laptop is definitely premium, as with every Dell XPS laptop.

• The beautiful OLED display in 3.5K
• There are also some great non-OLED options

There are four display options available on the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320, as is common with XPS laptops these days. You can choose between non-touch 1,920×1,200, touch 1,920×1,200, 3.5K OLED, and 4K IPS displays. A 3.5K OLED model was sent to me by Dell, and I’m impressed once again.

But they’re all lovely, don’t get me wrong. All of these configurations are ones that I’ve experienced after reviewing so many XPS laptops. Their color gamut scores are around 90% on any color gamut test. Battery life will be better with FHD+, but pixels will be sacrificed. There are options in 3.5K and 4K, but they have an impact on the battery life.

As far as color gamut tests go, this laptop has excellent results with 100% sRGB, 94% NTSC, 96% Adobe RGB, and 100% P3. These kinds of numbers are also unheard of on other IPS displays, including Dell’s. In spite of the 400-nit promise, brightness only reached 386.2 nits. The OLED display maxed out at 12,920:1, so it’s not surprising that the contrast is so high.

Despite being Intel Evo-certified, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus lack FHD webcams, making them the only non-FHD Intel Evo-certified laptops on the market. As Dell is upfront in saying, narrow bezels and immersive experiences are its top priorities. Due to the fact that many people work from home these days, that webcam is essential. A nice thing about Windows Hello is that it has an infrared camera for facial recognition.

• The function keys are capacitive
• Rather than a border, there is a haptic touchpad
• Despite being big, the keys are not island-style

(Like me) you’re probably already familiar with the phrase futuristic laptop, and what we expect from a modern laptop. We’ll discuss that in this section.

Dell experimented with its keyboard a bit. No space is left between the keys since they are not islanded. Because the keys are bigger, you might find yourself making mistakes if you’re not a precise typist. Keys that were not islanded on any other product eventually became islanded. A good example of this phenomenon is Microsoft’s Type Cover for the Surface Pro 3, which became available the following year. MateBook E series from Huawei is no different.

I don’t like it, but I have to say it’s something to be aware of. Because the keys are so big and the keyboard goes edge-to-edge, I find the keyboard to be strangely accurate. Furthermore, I really enjoy typing on this keyboard. A good balance is achieved between the depth of the keys and the force required. I am seldom a fan of Dell laptops, but these laptops feel wonderfully comfortable to type on. They are rarely the best, but they’re usually good.

Aito makes the touchpad, which could have been transformed into a haptic one if Dell had wanted in the future. This would necessarily require a great deal of palm rejection technology. The laptop of the future should have this kind of smart technology. I would like to see that kind of smart technology in future laptops. As a first step, however, this is a good start. Generally, you shouldn’t need a border most of the time. The frustration of not being able to use it is understandable.

• Intel’s 28W processor is the only one used in this year’s Dell XPS 13 Plus

This year’s flagship laptops use a variety of processors, which makes them all interesting. The chips in Intel’s ultrabooks and convertibles are typically designed for use in ultrabooks and convertibles. With Intel’s 12th-generation processors, this isn’t the case.

With 12th-generation, there is a new hybrid architecture combining big and small cores. It’s something we have seen with Arm processors for years, which use big cores for tasks that you need a lot of power for, and smaller cores for tasks you don’t, so syncing notifications does not drain your battery. Efficiencies in power management are the goal.

Secondly, there’s battery life, since a CPU that consumes more power will use more power on a battery. There are many P-series laptops that have bigger batteries than Dell’s 55WHr, but I haven’t seen one yet. My average use time was four and a half hours, but it was not possible to go past five. During this experiment, the power slider was set to balance and the screen brightness to 50%. A regular XPS 13 with a processor that won’t drain the battery so much might be better for those who need great battery life.

There are several reasons why you should consider buying the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 if you’re considering one.

You should buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 if:

• A laptop with a futuristic feel is what you’re looking for
• A Dell XPS 13-inch laptop should provide the best performance
• A 13-inch laptop with the best display is what you need

You should not buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 if:

• Video calls require a good webcam if you make a lot of them
• Having island keys makes you more comfortable
• Dedicated graphics are required

This year’s Dell XPS 13 has been totally redesigned, so if you aren’t comfortable with island-style keys, you can consider the standard model. XPS 15 and XPS 17 are phenomenal computers that have dedicated graphics.