It works fine for basic navigating and tapping or clicking, but I found the all-important two-finger scroll to be less smooth than I'd like (or not as smooth as one would expect from a MacBook). The large clickpad-style touchpad is similar to what we've seen on recent high-end Dell systems. Media functions on the F-key row are reversed, which means you can adjust the volume and screen brightness without having to hold down the Fn key. While on the shallow side, the island-style keys are responsive and well-spaced for touch typing. The keys are backlit, which is a welcome bonus is a system this thin and small. While the outer surface is matte aluminum, the inside is basic black, with a subtle dark pattern over the wrist rest and black keys set into a black keyboard tray. The 11-inch MacBook Air, followed by the XPS 13 and 13-inch Air. This is much closer in physical footprint to the 11-inch version of the MacBook Air, and while most of the interesting new designs of late have involved hybrids that flip or fold into tablets, this is a rare case of a forward-looking design built firmly around the idea of a clamshell laptop. Dead space surrounds the MacBook's keyboard, at least compared to the tightly packed interior here. Side by side with a 13-inch MacBook Air, the difference is striking, the Air's thick bezel standing out like a sore thumb. We jokingly called the older XPS the DellBook Air, and the comparison is still apt, even if this version is closer to the 11-inch Air in overall footprint. The last version we looked at was in early 2014, and both that model and this one have a similar flat silver/aluminum top lid, with gently rounded corners and a circular logo stamped right in the center. So long as you invest in the worthwhile CPU, screen and storage upgrades - we'd recommend something close to our $1,400 review config - the Dell XPS 13 is the first great laptop of 2015.Īt first glance, this XPS 13 doesn't look all that much different than previous versions. You'll be looking at the new XPS 13 because it packs a big screen into a small body, and, operating system aside, is almost what most people would think of as their ideal MacBook Air redesign. If you gauge performance and battery expectations accordingly, there's little to nothing with which to be disappointed, and quite a lot to love. That one, designed for super-slim laptops and tablets, didn't live up to our performance or battery life expectations.
It's not the quantum leap you might be expecting from Intel's marketing hype - maybe it'll get better as Microsoft and software makers optimize for it - but it's a far sight better than the low-voltage Core M Broadwell chip we test drove late in 2014.
The latest Intel processor performs fine in its first time out, with decent battery life and speed, but it's not blowing any systems with last-gen CPUs out of the water. Premium territory to be sure, but the low starting price for the same excellent build quality and design makes it tempting for mid-price shoppers.
Just as notably, the 1080p non-touch display in the $799 model has been replaced with a 3,200x1,800 touchscreen one, all for a total price of $1,399 (£1,099 in the UK or AU$2,099 in Australia). Our review model trades up from the entry-level Core i3 CPU and 128GB SSD flash drive configuration to a Core i5 and 256GB SSD respectively.