Dell 2018 XPS 13 gives the biggest shock for years, but what's new?
Dell XPS 13 is the physical manifestation of "if" is not broken, do not fix "spell." Little has changed over the last few years and just like Apple MacBook Air, the faithful XPS has only seen occasional internal improvements in recent years.
Well, everything will change in 2018, announcing a significant redesign for the best Windows laptop you can buy in the week before CES officially launched, and it looks really good.
Dell XPS 13 reviews (2018): Key specifications and UK pricing
- 13.3in Full HD / 4K display
- 302 x 199 11.2mm (WDH closed), 1.2Kg
- Intel Core i5-8250U / i7-8550U processor
- 4GB RAM, 8GB or 16GB
- 128GB SSD Storage, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB
- Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro
- Price: From £ 1,269
- Release date: 4/1/2018
Dell XPS 13 reviews (2018): Key features and first impressions
Okay, so the design is still very similar to XPS. The now 3-year-old InfinityEdge 13.3in screen makes another appearance - though now a little less reflective - and the trademark wedge-shaped chassis still exists.
However, different, the new model is 30% thinner than last year's effort and also lighter. XPS 2018 13 is 11.1mm slim on the thickest edge and 7.8mm on its slimmest skin. It weighs 1.2kg, which is 6% lighter than the outgoing model.
Thanks to this skinny body, the battery is slightly smaller this time, though I've been convinced that stamina has not been hit. Dell claims a 20-hour battery with Full HD model, and up to 11 hours with a 4K variant.
Another area that sees cutting is connectivity. The New XPS no longer has a full-sized Type-A USB port at the edges, though it is appropriate for that by increasing the number of Type-C USB connections. Dell has three of them, with the ones ordered for charging and the other supports Thunderbolt 3, and there are also SD card readers and 3.5mm headphone jack.
This webcam is still awkwardly placed as usual, set to the bezel below the screen and not on it. This time, however, it is fully compatible with Windows Hello, so you can get into Windows 10 with your face. Likewise, the circular power button next to the keyboard now performs a double task as a fingerprint scanner.
As for the innards, Dell XPS 13 years is equipped with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 the latest eighth generation "Coffee Lake". Starting from £ 1,269, the configuration options include a choice of Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U, with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Storage options range from hard disks in the range of 128GB to 1TB and PCIe SSDs from 256GB up to 1TB.
There is also a new Rose Gold color this year, which has a white woven fabric like a palm rest. This is a selection of Marmite designs, but at least the lid is more of a smooth copper tone than a longish pink (hey, I like hot pink - Ed).
Dell XPS 13 review (2018): Early verdict
Dell's latest XPS 13 may not be a dramatic surprise, but the 2018 redesign is enough to reignite interest in that range, adding Coffee Lake CPU, Rose Gold model, weight and size reduction and more USB Type-C ports than you can . wiggle USB cable in.
I doubt I would recommend eBaying your old model for this one, but the new-looking XPS 13 Dell looks a good step forward. Be sure to look forward to my full review in the near future to find out if it's as good as the 2017 model, which for me is near the perfect laptop.