{"id":6278,"date":"2017-07-25T11:13:58","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T01:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reckoner.com.au\/?p=6278"},"modified":"2017-07-25T11:13:58","modified_gmt":"2017-07-25T01:13:58","slug":"review-dell-xps-13-2-in-1-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reckoner.com.au\/reviews\/review-dell-xps-13-2-in-1-laptop\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Laptop"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new XPS 13 2-in-1 is Dell\u2019s latest offering in what is still a relatively small hybrid laptop\/tablet market. It\u2019s not that hybrids haven\u2019t been around for years now, quite the opposite in fact, the first hybrids hit the market a decade ago. The problem they’ve had is that most of them\u00a0(up until recently) have just been complete shite, but Dell have taken the bull by the horns, embracing the convertible to create what I believe is one of the most satisfying laptops I\u2019ve used in the past few years.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/youtu.be\/Gxk5woOLdmE<\/p>\n

The big change, that has spurred somewhat of a resurgence in the hybrid market, is quite simply power. Convertible machines of the past have relied on underpowered CPUs and GPUs so as to not deplete their batteries, adhering to what the market deemed an acceptable battery life for a tablet device. In doing so the majority of them were left in one of two camps, a laptop with a lower battery life and a poor touch screen or an underpowered tablet that just happened to have a keyboard somehow attached but was too gutless to do any real heavy lifting beyond loading a single webpage. Even booting Windows seemed a task almost too difficult for some I remember testing years ago.<\/p>\n

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The XPS 13 2-in-1 in laptop mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thankfully with the general advancements in technology and the innovative push from larger companies such as Microsoft with their own hardware line, hybrids are no longer the ugly step-child and have come into their own. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a testament to this, its base model contains Intel\u2019s Y series i5 CPU configureable up to an i7 with 16GB of RAM & a 512GB SSD, all whilst staying below A$3k. In fact at the time I\u2019m writing, Dell had reduced it even further, down to under A$2.5k.<\/p>\n

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The now ever-important headphone jack, battery indicator & USB-C with Thunderbolt are on the left side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to its high specs at a very attractive price point the XPS 13 comes standard with two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 3), a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card reader, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth, and a Microsoft Hello compatible finger print scanner built into the laptop\u2019s carbon weaved surface, to the right of the trackpad. All this in an enclosure that\u2019s lighter and thinner than Apple\u2019s 13\u201d MacBook Air (at their thinnest point), and we haven\u2019t even gotten to the best part yet!<\/p>\n

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The power button, SD slot, a USB-C port & locking mechanism along the hybrid’s right hand side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The display on the XPS 13 2-in-1 is nothing short of amazing. Multi-touch enabled and secured beneath edge to edge Gorilla Glass are 5.7 million pixels in a stunning 3200×1800 QHD+ display. At 13 inches that equates to a pixel density of 276 PPI, that\u2019s higher than the brand new 10.5\u201d iPad Pro. It really does look amazing and something that you just can\u2019t do justice in words or even pictures, you just have to see it in person. The screen also has an anti-glare coating, which when added to its 400-nit rating makes it quite usable outdoors too but still doesn\u2019t compare to e-ink\u2019s grasp on that title.<\/p>\n

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The XPS 13 2-in-1 works perfectly as a laptop, which may sound like an idiotic statement but it\u2019s something that a lot of its competitors can\u2019t say. Ignoring other true hybrids such as Lenovo\u2019s Yoga or HP\u2019s x360 Spectre so called \u201claptop replacements\u201d like Microsoft\u2019s Surface Pro or Apple\u2019s iPad Pro require a keyboard to be attached in order to function in a laptop style. That\u2019s fine if you\u2019re using their material based keyboard covers on a solid surface but should you actually want to use it on your lap<\/i> you\u2019ll find out very quickly how incapable both are at being a laptop. Third party manufacturers such as Logitech are making more rigid versions for the iPad Pro but they add a significant bulkiness to the product and they instantly lose their slimness and aesthetic beauty.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A full size and full depth keyboard is really nice to type on after recent slimed trends for laptops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The keyboard on the Dell is also quite nice to type on too. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever find a laptop keyboard as good as my faithful 11\u201d MacBook Air but this one at least offers a little competition. Backlit and with a full depression of movement to the keys it feels \u201cnice\u201d to type on. A welcome relief after the half taps of my regular workhorse a new \u201cTouch Bar\u201d equipped MacBook Pro.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of Touch Bars with the addition of an actual touch screen there is zero need for whatever Apple think they’re doing with their latest gimmick. I\u2019ve found myself quite regularly reaching up from the keyboard to tap on the Dell\u2019s screen to do similar tasks Apple would have you believe belong in their keyboard, adjusting volume, launching an app, etc. In fact I\u2019d say the touch screen, purely when thought of in competition to Apple\u2019s Touch Bar, is a million times better and gives me access to Window\u2019s pinned apps (think macOS\u2019s dock), search and more all whilst providing a full keyboard that doesn\u2019t have me accidently pressing function keys as I brush my fingers across their virtual surfaces.<\/p>\n

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The XPS 13 2-in-1 in tablet mode (with my doodling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a tablet the XPS 13 doesn\u2019t shine as brightly but that\u2019s not entirely Dell\u2019s fault. For a start just holding the machine whilst in tablet mode is kind of awkward. Instead of the normal smooth surface on the back of an iPad you have a keyboard, fully exposed. Of course pressing the keys whilst folded back on itself doesn\u2019t actually do anything but it does feel strange. Then when you set the \u201ctablet\u201d down on a table or counter you\u2019re resting it again on its keyboard, which despite however robustly it\u2019s built can\u2019t do much for its long term wear and tear.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also significantly heavier than a standard tablet at almost double the weight of a 12\u201d iPad Pro. You can feel it too, as soon as you flip it around into tablet mode your brain expects it to be lighter but your arms relay the reality and you hold it more as a large text book than you would an iPad.<\/p>\n

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The XPS 13, just like the MacBook Air slims to a point at one end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The added weight can sometimes be a good thing, especially when combined with the machine\u2019s steel reinforced hinges. It can quickly and easily be positioned to provide any viewing angle you desire. On a plane? Angle the screen up slightly to not break your neck, using it in the kitchen? Flip it into tent mode and have it stand up all buy itself, touch screen at the ready. It\u2019s positioning as a tablet, without any case or third party tool is incredibly versatile.<\/p>\n

But the hybrid\u2019s biggest downfall as a tablet isn\u2019t the machine at all, it\u2019s Windows. Yeah, yeah call me an Apple fan-boy if you like but Windows still has a very<\/i> hard time cutting it as an \u201call-in-one\u201d operating system. I think what they\u2019re trying to achieve is quite noble. Regardless of how poorly Windows 8 was it did start them down a path to create a single development platform, something that Apple continue to move further away from – at this point.<\/p>\n

Dell have taken the bull by the horns, embracing the convertible to create what I believe is one of the most satisfying laptops I\u2019ve used in the past few years.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not included but almost an instant added purchase is Dell\u2019s stylus the \u201cDell Active Pen\u201d. At A$79 it\u2019s not quite as ludicrous as Apple\u2019s $149 \u201cPencil\u201d but it would\u2019ve been nice to have seen it included with the device as standard. The Pen is powered by one AAAA battery (yes, that\u2019s 4 A\u2019s there) and two 319 Type Co\u00edn Cell batteries, neither of which I\u2019d ever seen or heard of before and seem annoyingly difficult to find in a store to replace once dead. Thankfully that doesn\u2019t happen very often, or so I\u2019m told, as they remained almost fully charged for the few weeks I had the review unit.<\/p>\n

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Using the stylus is quite responsive and whilst the Apple Pencil boasts an ever so slightly faster response rate I didn\u2019t notice any significant lag or issue with the Active Pen. For 90% of us out there wanting to use it to circle things on a document or jot down something on a virtual sticky note it\u2019s more than adequate. Designers and artists may still prefer their more accurate and responsive equipment but for the minor Photoshop airbrushing I did the Pen was fantastic and could easily replace the Wacom stylus I use for similar work now.<\/p>\n

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In the past Dell\u2019s reputation for battery life has been inconsistent to say the least. Thankfully, for this model at least, things seem to be on the right track. The XPS 13 2-in-1 ran for just over seven hours of consistent, or what I would consider regular use – browsing, streaming, typing on WiFi, etc. It\u2019s not as great as some of Apple\u2019s latest MacBook\u2019s that can (on a stretch) get you ten hours, nor will it compete on the same level as some high end tablet\u2019s but its a solid effort none the less.<\/p>\n

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The USB-C charger is very small and compact, just like the hybrid itself<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As nice as the XPS 13 2-in-1 is, it isn\u2019t without it\u2019s faults either. Getting it open for a start is far harder than it should be. Where most laptop have some sort of lip or recess to allow you to get your thumb in and pry the lid from its base this particular model is completely flush. Constantly I\u2019d find myself having to wedge a finger nail between the plastic and almost twist it open like a 5 cent coin on a battery groove.<\/p>\n

It also has the typical Dell trackpad, which after using an Apple trackpad (even one from five plus years ago), makes this thing feel like crap. I have no idea why it\u2019s so hard for PC manufacturers to make a trackpad that\u2019s as responsive and smooth as Apple\u2019s? It\u2019s not terrible by any means and if you have no idea what I\u2019m talking about because you\u2019ve never used a MacBook, you\u2019ll be totally fine with it, but for me it wasn\u2019t the best.<\/p>\n

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Core i7 but sadly the mobile Y series version<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then there\u2019s the CPU. Using Intel\u2019s Y series (similar to their former \u201cM\u201d series) means that it\u2019s not quite up to snuff with competitor\u2019s like Microsoft\u2019s Surface lineup which use the full flavoured versions of the i5 and i7 range. The Y chips of course are there for a reason, longer battery life, smaller enclosure, it makes perfect sense as to why Dell would use them. As a result it means that more CPU intensive applications cause it to ramp up – forcing it out of its more comatose like state that powers it while you watch Netflix or browse the web. That\u2019s fine, but it can\u2019t perform at the same higher levels as its bigger brother. Most people wont need it, or even notice it for that matter, but it could be a turn off for some.<\/p>\n

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Fingerprint sensor comes standard across all models<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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So who is the 2-in-1 for? Road warriors? Couch surfers? Office drones? Code monkies? How about all of the above? Dell\u2019s hybrid truly could be applied to any of those scenarios and then quickly & easily transition to another. All while, and this is the important part, doing so at a reasonable cost.<\/p>\n

Where other hybrids sacrifice on componentry or build quality the XPS 13 2-in-1 excels. It’s gorgeous Infinity Screen that I will continue to gush about I feel for quite sometime is a perfect example of this. I would strongly suggest anyone considering a hybrid to take a close look at the Dell and for those considering its non-hybrid XPS 13 cousin, to entertain the added possibilities it might offer.<\/p>\n[P_REVIEW post_id=6278 visual=’full’]\n