Today, Dell launches a 2022 revision of its XPS 13 to include Intel’s latest 12th-generation Alder Lake processors, which add more cores and hybrid architecture, while saying the new version is its thinnest. and the lightest 13-inch XPS to date. The new laptop is 13.9 mm (0.55 inches) thick and weighs just 2.59 pounds, compared to the initial weight of its predecessor 14.80 mm (0.58 inches) and 2.64 pounds 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 the Ubuntu 20.04 developer edition.
The flagship XPS 13 went from a preview of the future of laptops when Dell introduced the slim-frame InfinityEdge design in 2015, to something somewhat outdated a few years later and now good enough to win our review, calling the latest iteration “everything The Windows laptop should be “on its way to multiple Best Computer Laptops” lists.
To avoid accusations, the line is becoming obsolete again, Dell shares wilder options with the XPS 13 Plus, which kicks off the year, including touchscreen, a clearing keyboard and slightly more powerful P-series processor options, as well as a new 2022 The XPS 13 2-in-1 announced today that it is replacing the old slim and foldable design with a tablet case + keyboard foil.
Image: Dell
Externally, the new 9315 looks similar to the 9310, powered by an 11th-generation processor, which debuted in 2020 before adding an OLED display option last year, but the differences should appear as soon as you open it.
Dell says it has “removed unnecessary footprints, reduced coatings and materials” on the new laptop, which shifts away from contrasting interiors to highlight “select and premium” CNC machined aluminum, which is now the show’s star both inside and out. This is a species that is familiar but quite clean in both sky (gray) and dark (brown) colored aluminum coating and hopefully maintains a robust design plus a solid keyboard and trackpad that we praised in 2020. Other touches like the fingerprint sensor / power button and Thunderbolt 4 ports on both sides remain unchanged, but this year there is no laptop headphone jack.
More noticeable changes are inside and they deal with some of the weaknesses we pointed out on the 9310, with a bad webcam, speakers that lack bass and a keyboard that can get hot to the touch when loaded. The interior design has been redesigned to include Dell’s smallest motherboard to date, which is 1.8 times smaller than the previous model, making room for larger speakers and other technologies. The specs mention the use of this space for a larger battery, but it lists the new model’s 51-watt-hour module, compared to 52 by 9310. It also has a design with one fan instead of two.
We’ll have to review the new model to see what its new chipset and design do from these changes, which could be an area where Alder Lake’s new processors shine inside. As we explained before, this generation of Intel chips is better positioned to compete with AMD, Apple and everyone else, adopting a setup similar to many ARM-based processors, with more cores split between them designed for productivity or energy efficiency.
At launch, Dell lists two variants of a 10-core Intel i5-1230U or i7-1250U processor with Iris Xe graphics, a choice of 8GB, 16GB or 32GB RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSDs. According to Dell, the most energy-efficient i5 model can transmit Netflix continuously for up to 12 hours or 11 hours with the most efficient i7 setup and up to 6 hours on a model equipped with an i7 chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD and 4K display.
Dell XPS 13 9315 in Umber Image: Dell
As for the displays, there is currently no new version equipped with OLED with choices, including a 4K UHD + (3840×2400) touchscreen display or FHD + (1920 x 1200) in touch or non-touch configurations. This year includes support for WiFi 6E, but the built-in 5G is reserved for the upcoming 2-in-1 version. The aluminum in the frame is low in carbon to reduce the carbon footprint, while this year’s model comes in a new package made from “100 percent recycled or renewable”.
The webcam has also been updated, separating infrared and RGB sensors in ways the company says will make you look better in low light, and until Dell finally put the camera in the right place a few years ago, it’s still limited up to 720p. True or not, this model also adds Dell’s ExpressSign-In technology, which uses a proximity sensor in combination with a Windows Hello facial recognition webcam to detect when you’re in front of your laptop and automatically enter, as well as lock it when you move away, or darken the screen to save battery life while watching something else.
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