Dell XPS 13 (2024) review: An elegant stumble

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Dell has refreshed its line of XPS laptops, introducing a new XPS 16 and XPS 14 and changing up the sizes we’re used to. But we still get the Dell XPS 13, which keeps the diminutive, portability-minded dimensions of its predecessors. For the sharp-eyed XPS fans, this model will look strikingly similar to the earlier XPS 13 Plus, as the entirety of this new lineup has adopted the design language introduced with the Plus models.

What this means for elegance is one thing, but for utility, it’s another thing entirely. And with performance leaving something to be desired next to cheaper competitors, the best days for the XPS 13 may be well and truly behind us.

Dell XPS 13: Specs and features

The Dell XPS 13 comes in a handful of configuration options. Ours is near the bottom, with only a memory downgrade to 8GB available for a $100 savings. However, 8GB on a machine that has a base price over $1,000 feels incredibly unwise, especially as it’s non-upgradeable LPDDR5. At the time of writing, all configurations come with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor. Storage can be upgraded to 1TB or 2TB, and memory comes at 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB.

Dell offers three display options. The most basic is a 1920×1200 panel tested here that offers a 30- to 120Hz refresh rate and 500-nit peak brightness. For an additional $300, the display can be upgraded to a 2560×1600 touchscreen with otherwise similar specs, or to a 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen with a lower, 400-nit peak brightness and 60Hz refresh rate.

The XPS 13 comes in either a light Platinum color or a dark Graphite.

• CPU: Intel Core 7 Ultra 155H
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc Graphics
• Display: 13.4-inch 1200p WVA
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint, facial recognition
• Battery capacity: 55 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 11.62 x 7.84 x 0.6 inches
• Weight: 2.7 pounds
• MSRP: $1,399 ($1,299 base)

Looking for more laptop options? Be sure to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.

Dell XPS 13: Design and build quality

Like the rest of the lineup, the Dell XPS 13 is lavishly designed. In fact, with the compact canvas Dell had to work with, it might even be the better looking of the bunch. It’s a sandwich of aluminum and glass with a meticulous assembly that readily rivals Apple. Because the XPS 13 has an extra-small footprint, there’s no space on the sides of the keyboard for speakers — instead they’re downward-firing speakers on the edges of the base — which actually lends it a better appearance than its larger siblings whose speakers that don’t quite meld with the rest of the design.

Just like its siblings, the XPS 13 suffers from the same functional faults that come hand-in-hand with the aesthetic choices. The keyboard has its keys spread so their edges run tight next to one another. The function row is replaced by capacitive touch buttons that need constant illumination, and the trackpad is gloriously covered in a single panel for glass that stretches the width of the laptop but also completely obscures where the trackpad begins and ends.

Mark Knapp / Foundry

Mark Knapp / Foundry

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Mark Knapp / Foundry</p></div>

The polished design of the XPS 13 almost highlights the one point where it could still use work. Dell opted for curved corners, but by sticking with a hard-cornered display, the screen looks a little off where its 90-degree angles meet the curved corners of the lid. That’s only further accentuated by the two different bezel widths. This is minor, and I’d personally never huff over it, but Dell is staking a lot on design here, and that choice is exactly the kind we see Apple and Samsung avoiding in their laptop designs.

At least Dell’s build is solid. Quality materials add up, and while I wouldn’t say this is a machine that’ll tolerate real abuse, it feels like it will hold up quite well to the battering laptops take every day.

Dell XPS 13 (2024): Keyboard, trackpad

I’ve had issues with Dell’s XPS keyboards since the shift introduced with the Plus models. They may be mechanically sound, but they present some issues for comfort and consistency. And where I made do on the larger models, the XPS 13 presents some unique challenges of its own.

Typing, I was able to reach a brisk 117 words-per-minute at 99 percent accuracy in one run through Monkeytype’s test, but this felt like an exception, as more often I was stuck closer to 100 words per minute with below 95 percent accuracy. Monkeytype’s default test also doesn’t entail punctuation or modifiers. Most of the discomfort with the keyboard comes from shifting back and forth between hand positions and resetting to the home row. Since the narrow gaps and flatter keys don’t provide as much tactility for finding home by touch, every shift away results in a slightly slower reset. My confidence on repeated presses of the same key was also low. And reaching away to the backspace or, even worse, the capacitive delete key, could introduce more trouble. The arrow keys also require me to shift my hand off of the laptop entirely, which further makes navigating a hassle.

Mark Knapp / Foundry

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