Dell launches all-new XPS 13

published 4 January 2018

Dell has unveiled its all-new XPS 13, the latest in its line of premium business ultrabooks.

Debuting ahead of this month's CES technology expo in Las Vegas, the new laptop features Intel's latest processors, with Dell claiming improved battery life and performance up to twice as fast as the previous generation.

"We developed Dell Power Manager to let you customise your balance of battery life, charging, thermals and acoustics and Dynamic Power Mode that intuitively delivers maximum power as needed, for such tasks as video rendering applications and advanced spreadsheets, while intelligently monitoring and managing system temperatures," said Dell's vice president and general manager of XPS, Frank Azor.

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"This means the XPS 13 has sustained high performance while competitors' performance declines with continued use, making the XPS 13 the most powerful 13-inch in its class".

The XPS 13 has received its first significant redesign since the range was launched in 2015 - it's now 3.4mm thinner and even lighter than the previous generation, with the already razor-thin screen bezels having been shaved down even further.

The downside of this new design is that, in order to squeeze the XPS down to this compact size, Dell has had to lose the device's full-sized USB Type-A ports. It's not wanting for connections - it includes two Thunderbolt 3-compatible USB C ports, a USB 3.1 port and a microSD card reader - but if you want to plug in a USB drive or other accessory, you'll need an adaptor.

The XPS 13 is unsurprisingly impressive in the specs department, and is fitted with an 8th-generation Intel processor (with vPro options available) and up to 16GB of RAM. It's available with a 1080p or 4K display, both of which are matte-coated to reduce glare, and Dell is claiming a battery life of 19 hours and 11 hours for the two versions respectively.

The new laptop launches today, with a starting retail price of 1,269 inc. VAT. Dell is also launching a new variant with a rose gold and white colour scheme, which will be available in February, starting from 1,669.

Adam Shepherd has been a technology journalist since 2015, covering everything from cloud storage and security, to smartphones and servers. Over the course of his career, he’s seen the spread of 5G, the growing ubiquity of wireless devices, and the start of the connected revolution. He’s also been to more trade shows and technology conferences than he cares to count.

Adam is an avid follower of the latest hardware innovations, and he is never happier than when tinkering with complex network configurations, or exploring a new Linux distro. He was also previously a co-host on the ITPro Podcast, where he was often found ranting about his love of strange gadgets, his disdain for Windows Mobile, and everything in between.

You can find Adam tweeting about enterprise technology (or more often bad jokes) @AdamShepherUK.