At CES in Las Vegas in January 2022, Dell introduced a new kind of XPS series laptop. This Dell XPS 13 Plus breaks the codes of the XPS we are used to and all the aesthetics of the chassis has been redesigned. The result is resolutely modern, almost futuristic even, but frankly successful. The anodized aluminum, the ultra-thin borders of the screen and its 16:10 aspect ratio also contribute to its “premium” appearance, dear to the XPS series.
A hidden trackpad
At first glance, if you find something wrong, it’s normal. The PC doesn’t have a trackpad! In reality, it is hidden under a glass plate embedded in the palm rest. If some were doubtful – especially because of the lack of a real click – haptic feedback is perfectly effective, and we finally find very naturally the area that covers the “touchpad”.
The keyboard with flat keys, which do not protrude a millimeter from the chassis, could also be scary when it came to efficiency and typing quality. In fact, the keys are very responsive and pleasant, but the space between the keys having been reduced to a minimum, we can expect regular typos by overflowing on the next key. These have been enlarged compared to those of the previous XPS 13; this may compensate for the problem, but we will check this during our test over several days of use.
The function and multimedia keys above the keyboard are now tactile, nothing embarrassing a priori for these shortcuts that are used only occasionally. The up and down arrow keys are, for their part, really small, which could inconvenience some office suite users or developers, for example.
Limited connectivity
On the components side, the Dell XPS 13 Plus embedded an Intel Core i7-1280 P, but a Core i5 configuration will be available as well as 8 to 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2 TB of SSD. Unfortunately, there is a connection limited to 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and nothing more! Fortunately, a USB-C/mini-jack adapter will be present in the box. For the rest (USB-A, HDMI, etc.), it will probably be necessary to get a hub on your own.
When it comes to screens, Dell rarely disappoints, but of course we will have to wait for our full test to learn more about these different aspects, including the performance delivered by 12th generation Intel processors. We do not yet know the release date or the price of the Dell XPS 13 Plus, but the PC should not be long in coming to the market.
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