The XPS 13 ticks all the boxes. It looks great, the build quality is excellent, it’s nice and portable and has a wide range of specs to choose from. While not a massive upgrade from last year’s model, it’s had some solid refinement including getting the webcam back into the top bezel and also introduces a more affordable Core i3 edition.
The Dell XPS 13 has cemented itself as the laptop of choice for many professionals and consumers over the last few years and that is certainly no accident. It is one of the first laptop lines that comes to mind if you want a smart, portable and powerful companion on your trips around the world or even just around the home.
The 2018 XPS 13 was a real triumph but can Dell really improve on what has become the best laptop for many people? While last year’s model had some respectable steps forward, this year is much more about refinement and smoothing out the [very few] rougher edges of the device.
The prime focus for this year’s version is around the webcam which has been delicately reunited with the top bezel after vacationing down below the screen for a while. Although a welcome change, this being the flagship feature for a new device does perhaps suggest a broader lack of innovation across the laptop market that all manufacturers are feeling.
Check out our comparison between the new and old XPS 13 models to see how they compare.
Price & availability
The Dell XPS 13 for 2019 [the 9380 in model number] is available now from Dell and Microsoft. You’ll also be able to find it on Amazon and Currys too.
Pricing is cheaper this year with the XPS 13 starting at just £999 $899 due to the addition of a Core i3 model with a Full HD screen, making the entry-level option more accessible – though this cheap model is only on sale direct from Dell.
Moving up to the Core i5 [still with a Full HD screen], you’ll need to splash out £1,379/ $1,199 for the performance boost, while the top spec with an i7 and 4K touch display is £1,649/ $1,449.
We think the XPS 13 is the number one laptop on the market right now, but if you want to see some alternatives, check out the best laptops you can buy, all reviewed and ranked.
Design & build
The 2019 XPS 13 maintains the same design language that we’ve come to expect from the series – sleek, professional and understated. This particular line of laptops focuses on remaining as portable as possible without sacrificing build quality or performance – which of course will come at a price.
The colours on offer are a Black/Silver, Rose Gold/White and Frost White. The latter has a white lid which was on the model we tested which made the laptop stand out pleasantly, but still in a refined and classy way.
The dimensions remain the same as the 2018 version while being ever so slightly heavier:
- Height: 0.3-0.46in [7.8-11.6mm]
- Width: 11.9in [302mm]
- Depth: 7.8in [199mm]
- Weight: 2.7lbs [1.23kg]
The woven fibreglass that is built into the body around the keyboard gives some pleasant premium detail and the aesthetics of the device, in general, make it look and feel very tight and seamlessly designed. This is more prominent on the white model this year.
One of the more noticeable changes from the 2018 version will be the webcam location, which is now back in the much-preferred position of being above the screen. This has made the top bezel ever so slightly larger on this year’s model [5.975- vs 4mm] but you’d really struggle to notice that unless you picked up a tape measure.
The power-button contains a fingerprint scanner for swift unlocking, and the keyboard provides comfortable typing feedback while the trackpad remains nice and responsive. These all remain the same from last year’s model.
A new feature added this year is a varied torque hinge, which does a much better job of keeping the screen in place when the laptop is open, helping to reduce wobble at any angle.
This does make the laptop difficult to open with one hand however, as the strength of the hinge outperforms the weight of the laptop. It’s easy at first but quickly offers resistance so before long you’ll need a second hand to get it fully open.
Keyboard & trackpad
The look of it is particularly impressive with the tasteful backlighting striking a pleasant balance, feeling minimal and clean but still catching the eye. The keys are also a pleasure to type on, and as someone who isn’t a massive fan of laptop keyboards generally, I was pleasantly surprised by the responsiveness of the board.
The travel on the XPS is only 1mm but it gives off the impression of being much deeper as I didn’t get the sense the keys were being pushed all the way down into the board when I typed quickly, thanks to them popping back into place responsively – this is another example of the general sleek, well-engineered design you can find all across the laptop.
I always find a trackpad is best when you almost forget you’re using it and this one did a great job of allowing me to interface with the pointer on the screen without having to think about it – the pinch and two-finger controls were flawless. What more can you ask for?
Display
This year’s XPS will feature your choice of a 13.3in UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD [3840×2160] InfinityEdge touch display or a lower resolution Full HD [1920 x 1080] InfinityEdge touch or non-touch display.
The screens feature Dolby Vision with a 1500:1 contrast ratio and a 178 degree wide viewing angle. All of this leads to an extremely impressive viewing experience. The screen looks incredible, as you would expect, and the touch feature is beautifully responsive too.