Dell today released the 2022 revision of its XPS 13 to include Intel’s latest 12th-generation Alder Lake CPUs that add more cores and hybrid architecture, though it says the new version is its thinner 13-inch XPS. lighter than ever. The new laptop is 13.9 mm (0.55 inches) thick and weighs just 2.59 pounds, compared to 14.80 mm (0.58 inches) and its predecessor’s initial weight of 2. 64 lbs for a model without a touch screen. The new XPS 13 is available today in the United States and Canada, starting at $ 999 with Windows 11 or $ 949 for a developer edition equipped with Ubuntu 20.04.
The flagship XPS 13 has gone from previewing the future of laptops when Dell introduced the InfinityEdge design with thin bezels in 2015, a little outdated a few years later, and now good enough to earn us our review by calling it last iteration “a whole Windows”. the laptop should be on its way to the locations of various “Best Laptops” listings.
To avoid accusations that the line is becoming obsolete, Dell is splitting wilder options with the XPS 13 Plus that started the year with a touch bar, a built-in keyboard, and slightly more powerful P-Series CPU options. as well as a new 2022. Today the XPS 13 2 in 1 has been announced to replace the old slim, foldable design with a tablet keyboard + folio cover.
image: Dell
On the outside, the new 9315 model looks similar to the 11th-generation CPU-powered 9310 that debuted in 2020 before adding an OLED display option last year, but the differences should appear as as soon as you open it.
Dell says it “removed unnecessary steps, finishes and reduced materials” on the new laptop that pulls back the contrasted interior to highlight the “cured and premium” CNC machined aluminum that is now the star of the program both inside and out. out. It’s a familiar look, but pretty clean in both sky-stained (gray) and cast-iron (brown) finishes and, hopefully, it maintains the sturdy design, keyboard and solid trackpad we praised in 2020 Other touches such as the fingerprint sensor / Power button and Thunderbolt 4 ports on both sides remain unchanged, but this year there is no headphone jack on the laptop.
There are more noticeable changes inside and they fix some of the weaknesses we pointed out in the 9310, with a bad webcam, non-bass speakers, and a keyboard that could be warmed to the touch with a load. The interior design has been redesigned to include Dell’s smaller motherboard, which measures 1.8 times smaller than the previous model, leaving room for larger speakers and other technologies. The spec sheet mentions the use of this space for a larger battery, however, it lists the unit of the new model at 51 watts-hours, compared to the 52 of the 9310. It also has a unique fan design in double place.
We’ll have to review the new model to see what their new chipset does and the design of these changes, which could be an area for Alder Lake’s new CPUs to shine. As we explained earlier, this generation of Intel chips is better positioned to compete with AMD, Apple, and everyone else by adopting a configuration similar to many ARM-based CPUs, with more cores splitting each other. built for energy performance or efficiency.
At launch, Dell listed two 10-core CPU options, either Intel’s i5-1230U or i7-1250U with Iris Xe graphics, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB RAM options, and SSD sizes. 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. According to Dell, the most energy-efficient i5 model could stream Netflix continuously for up to 12 hours, or 11 hours with the most efficient i7 configuration, and up to 6 hours on a model equipped with the i7 chip, 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD . , and 4K display.
Image of Dell XPS 13 9315 in Umber: Dell
As for the screens, there is now no new version equipped with OLED, with options that include a 4K UHD + (3840×2400) or FHD + (1920 x 1200) touch screen in touch or non-touch settings. This year includes support for WiFi 6E, but the integrated 5G is reserved for the next version 2 in 1. The aluminum of the frame is low in carbon to reduce its carbon footprint, while this year’s model is ships in a new packaging made of “100 percent recycled or renewable content”.
The webcam is also updated, separating the infrared and RGB sensors in a way that, according to the company, will make you look better in low light, although Dell finally put the camera back in place a few years ago. , is still limited to 720p. True or false, this model also adds Dell ExpressSign-In technology that uses a proximity sensor in combination with the Windows Hello Face-Recognition-enabled webcam to detect when you’re in front of your laptop and log in automatically. as well as lock it when you move away or dim the screen to save battery while looking at something else.