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Dell’s six-core XPS 13 laptop goes on sale October 1st
The latest version of Dell's XPS 13 -- which is available with 10th-generation Intel Core processors -- will go on sale October 1st in North America. It's the first six-core configuration for the system, which will come with Windows 10 or Ubuntu 18.04.
Dell's XPS 13 now comes with the latest Intel 10th-gen processors
Intel has unveiled its 10th-gen Core processors for ultraportable laptops, so naturally, there are some new laptop announcements, too. Probably the best known ultraportable is Dell's XPS 13, and that model can now be purchased with Intel's 10th-generation, six-core U-series Core i7 CPUs, Dell announced. While these aren't the 10-nanometer chips you might have been waiting for, Intel has promised overall speed gains in the realm of 16 percent compared to 9th-gen CPUs.
Is the Dell XPS 13 the best Windows laptop around?
Very little sums up Devindra Hardawar's feelings about the Dell XPS 13 better than the first sentence of his review: It's "pretty much the best Windows ultraportable around, and you should buy it." That's a bold statement. However, the combination of thin bezels, a compact design and speedy performance helped to earn the laptop a phenomenal score of 93. The only drawbacks were the lack of a full-size SD slot and a reliance on integrated (instead of dedicated) graphics.
The best laptops for students in 2019
Each year, laptops are one of the most well-represented categories in our back-to-school gear guide. And for good reason! With the exception of the relative few who prefer desktops, for almost every other student setting foot on campus this fall, a notebook is going to be the most important tool at their disposal. And it's no minor purchase either. Our favorite ultraportables cost north of $1,000, and even a decent budget model will set you back at least $500. And once you do make the investment, it's something you're not likely to replace for three, four, who knows how many years. For the purposes of this guide, we're going to focus on what Engadget considers the best of the best. Our philosophy is: A laptop is one of the most critical pieces of gear a student needs, and it's worth investing in build quality, performance and battery life that will stand the test of time. Oh, and don't worry, we have lots of picks for gaming laptops specifically -- you'll want to check out the gaming section of our back-to-school guide for that. Right now, we're just thinking about the best all-around laptops; the best for most people, in most use cases. Here's what we would buy if we were spending our own money.
Surface Pro 6 vs. the competition: More than just portability
Last year's Surface Pro was a satisfying, if unambitious entry to Microsoft's brand of hybrid laptops. With its sixth iteration, the line is offering a load of refinements like a higher contrast ratio for the screen. However, in a crowded marketplace full of lightweight hybrids and convertibles, what helps the Surface Pro stand apart? We've taken leading machines from Dell, HP and even last year's MacBook Air and laid their key specs out to see exactly what each offers under the hood.
Dell breaks down its new XPS laptops and jewelry debut
Dell's new XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops are promising additions to a popular series, but the company has continued to place the system's webcams below the screen, making for awkwardly angled Skype calls. The company's marketing director of the XPS products, Donnie Oliphant, explained that it's because the display bezel is too thin to accommodate a camera on top. Hopefully that will change in the future, as Oliphant said the goal is to ultimately place a camera inside the display. Check out the video above to see what else he had to say about the new XPS laptops, Dell's future plans and its new e-waste recycling initiative with actor Nikki Reed. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
Dell XPS 13 hands-on: A makeover inside and out
Dell's XPS 13 has long been one of our favorite laptops, and for good reason: Its compact design, brilliant display, comfortable keyboard and long battery life make it a well-rounded device. Dell wasn't content to simply offer an incremental upgrade this year, though. It has given the XPS 13 a makeover, with narrower bezels, a new cooling system and a white color option with a stain-resistant coating.
Surface Laptop vs. the competition: Back to basics
Microsoft finally built a real laptop -- not a tablet with a keyboard, or a machine with a detachable display. Just a solid traditional laptop, though one with an incredibly slim build, smooth touch and the stripped down Windows 10 S along for the ride. But, as a more straightforward machine, the Surface Laptop goes directly against competing devices from the likes of HP, Dell and Apple. With the Surface and the current MacBook Air both starting at $999, we've lined up the specs of some leading 13-inch machines to see what they can offer you for a grand and more.
The best tech for college freshmen
Starting college is expensive. In addition to, you know, the tuition, you and the parentals will probably be making a large shopping trip to buy all manner of sweaters, snacks and extra-long twin sheets to round out your dorm room. And that's not counting all the gear you'll need to actually get work done. In addition to a few laptop recommendations (the XPS 13 is our reigning favorite), we have suggestions on things like cloud storage, backpacks and peripherals like travel mice and backup batteries. Check out the gallery below for all our first-year picks (think of it as a college starter kit), and be sure to read the rest of Engadget's back-to-school guide here.
Dell's redesigned XPS 15 is a bigger version of our favorite Windows laptop
Whenever people ask what my favorite Windows laptop is, I'm always quick to say the Dell XPS 13. It has very few flaws to speak of, with a stylish design, comfy keyboard, vibrant screen and fast performance. It's no surprise, then, that when Dell got to work redesigning the bigger XPS 15, it rebuilt it in the 13's image. The updated notebook, which goes on sale today, inherits many of the features we loved in its smaller sibling, including a carbon fiber weave and a nearly bezel-less display that allows the notebook to have a compact footprint. All told, the 15's weight starts at 3.9 pounds, with Dell claiming that it's the world's smallest 15-inch laptop and the lightest "performance-class" machine of this size.
Dell has a Linux version of its sleek XPS 13 laptop
The nearly bezel-less Dell XPS 13 is one of our highest rated laptops, thanks namely to its compact size, attractive design and fast performance. But if Windows just isn't your preferred operating system, now there's another option to choose from: Linux. As part of its commitment to the platform, which took off with the introduction of Project Sputnik, Dell's announced a Ubuntu-based developer edition of its sleek 13-inch laptop. Naturally, you'll have a myriad of configurations to choose from, with prices ranging from $949 all the way to $1,849, depending on how specced out you want your Linux machine to be.
Engadget's new buyer's guide picks: the Dell XPS 13, HP Stream 11 and more!
It's been a while since we updated our buyer's guide -- nothing like a bunch of winter holidays and then CES to slow us down. Fortunately, we haven't stopped reviewing stuff in the meantime and indeed, there are several top-notch gadgets we'd like to induct into our gear guides. Starting with the laptop category, we're adding HP's Stream 11 "Chromebook killer" -- a great deal for just $199. Meanwhile, at the high-end, MSI's GT72 Dominator gaming notebook replaces the older GT70. Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook, which recently earned a near-perfect score of 90, was also a no-brainer.
Dell XPS 13 review (2015): Meet the world's smallest 13-inch laptop
CES has come and gone; the holidays are long past; and now all we're left with are a few months of dreary weather. No fun, right? Right. Except if you're a tech writer. Now that most major companies have revealed their new lineups, we have the exciting job of testing all this stuff; seeing how it holds up in real life. The first product of the year to cross my desk: none other than the Dell XPS 13, a compact 13-inch laptop that ranked as a finalist for our annual Best of CES awards. In addition to being the first system we've tested with Intel's new fifth-generation Core processor, the redesigned XPS is notable for its nearly bezel-less display -- a design feat that allows it to have the footprint of an 11-inch machine. Particularly with a starting price of $800 (pretty reasonable for a flagship laptop), it seemed poised to become one of our new favorite Ultrabooks. And you know what? It actually is.
Here's a closer look at Dell's super thin tablet and nearly bezel-less XPS 13
When I invited Sam Burd, the general manager of Dell's personal computer group, to do an interview with me at CES about the state of the PC industry, I did so mostly because, well, Dell knows a lot about computers. I had no idea at the time that Dell would be showing off some amazing stuff at the show, with not one, but two products making the finalists' list for our Best of CES Awards. So, before Mr. Burd and I got to talking about wireless charging and Intel's RealSense technology, he gave me a closer look at both the skinny Venue 8 7000 tablet and the nearly bezel-less XPS 13 Ultrabook. Check out our interview in full below.
Dell's nearly bezel-less XPS 13 is about as small as an 11-inch laptop
Nope, sorry, Dell: You do not have the lightest 13-inch laptop. That distinction belongs to Lenovo. But could you have the smallest 13-inch notebook? Maybe. The company just announced a redesigned version of its XPS 13 Ultrabook, and thanks to a nearly bezel-less display, it's about as compact as an 11- or 12-inch laptop. So how small is that, exactly? Let's put it this way: If you were to set it down on top of a MacBook Air, you'd have lots of room left over, both length-wise and width-wise. That's because the Air, and other machines like it, have relatively thick bezels surrounding the display; on the XPS 13, that buffer space measures just 5mm wide.
Dell refreshes the XPS 13 and 15 with Haswell, the 15 has a 3,200 x 1,800 display
Dell's XPS 11 might be all new and foldable, but the company hasn't forgotten its old workhorses, the XPS 13 and 15, both of which are receiving refreshes. Having already received a sharper display option earlier this year, the XPS 13 is now getting a 1080p touchscreen covered in Gorilla Glass NBT. And -- surprise, surprise -- Intel's Haswell processors (Core i3 / i5 / i7) are now part of the package, with battery life rated at up to 10 hours. As you'd expect too, the graphics have also received a bump: moving to Haswell also means stepping up to Intel's HD 4400 chipset. The XPS 15 (pictured above) has received an even more dramatic upgrade: it now sports a seriously pixel-dense 3,200 x 1,800 touch display "based on IGZO technology." You have the option of either Core i5 or i7 Haswell chips, "next-gen" NVIDIA graphics and up to 1TB of hard drive space, along with a 32GB SSD. You could just opt for a single 512GB solid-state drive instead, budget permitting, and you'll also have a choice of "voice and NFC options" (not that Dell was very specific about the voice part). The XPS 15 will arrive first, on October 15th, with a starting price of $1,500 (hey, 3,200 x 1,800 displays don't come cheap). If it's the XPS 13 you're after, that will go on sale sometime in November, starting at $1,000. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Dell XPS 13 with 1080p now stocked for $1,400 and up
If you're into the "more pixels" ultrabook mantra and suitably flush, the 3 pound Dell XPS 13 with a 13.3-inch 1080p display, now on Dell's shelves, may be your machine. The soon-to-be-private outfit flaunted it at CES 2013, saying it also had a much wider 72 percent color gamut (instead of 45 percent for the 720p models), which definitely jibed with the more brilliant display we saw. The barrier for entry will be a little dearer than Dell first said, though, as a 3rd-gen Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics, Windows 8 and a 256GB SSD will run $1,400, $100 more than it first promised. A 3rd-gen Core i7 model will start at $1,600 with the same specs. You'll be able to grab the latter model by February 14th, while the Core i5 (and lower-priced 720p) versions are in stock and shipping by next day. Considering similar models and the imminent arrival of a certain Mr. Haswell, we hope it won't be a hard sell at that price -- even with the 1080p screen.
Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook getting a 1080p screen option later this month (updated)
Dell's had a fairly minimal presence here at CES 2013 but it does have this bit of news to share: its XPS 13 Ultrabook is getting a 1080p screen later this month, according to a company spokesperson. In general, it's encouraging to see PC makers step it up on the resolution front, but it's particularly good news here, as the XPS 13's mediocre 1,366 x 768 screen was one of the few things we criticized in our review. Now that the weak display is getting taken care of and the trackpad drivers have been fine-tuned, that leaves just one lingering flaw: no SD card reader. Perhaps we can't have it all, but it does sound like this will be a stronger choice than it had been. No word yet on how much that upgrade will cost or when, exactly, it will become available, but we'll keep you posted. Update: Dell says the XPS 13 with a 1080p screen will start at $1,299, compared with $999 for the standard-res version. Further, Dell added that the 1,920 x 1,080 screen being used here also has an improved color gamut: 72 percent, up from 45 percent on the standard version. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Dell's $1,549 Ubuntu-based XPS 13 goes on sale, $50 more than Windows variant (update: $100 price drop)
What once was just an internal skunkworks project, Dell's Project Sputnik has taken off with the release of the XPS 13 Developer Edition. The thin and light darling of the Ultrabook crowd is now shipping with a Precise Pangolin Ubuntu build pre-installed, along with feature-complete drivers that ensure maximum peripheral compatibility right out of the box. Also bundled in the XPS 13 are a couple of Project Sputnik's open source tools -- Profile Tool and Cloud Launcher -- that are designed to help developers install and deploy their projects quickly and efficiently. The hardware packs quite a punch, with either an Intel i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256 GB SATA III SSD. All that Linux goodness comes at a cost, however -- the Developer Edition retails for $1,549, which is around $50 more than the Windows equivalent. Still, it might be well worth it for one of the best specced pre-assembled open-source laptops we've seen to date. Update: It looks like Dell just dropped the price of the Ubuntu XPS 13 to a slightly more reasonable $1,449, making it $50 less than the Windows variant. [Thanks Michel for the update]
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook gets updated with Ivy Bridge (updated)
File this under things we could've sworn happened already: Dell is updating its nine-month-old XPS 13 Ultrabook with third-generation Core (read: Ivy Bridge) processors. While the rest of the company's Win 8 lineup isn't shipping until October 26th now, the refreshed XPS 13 should already be live on Dell's site, with the same starting price of $1,000. Update: A previous version of this article reported that the XPS 13 would be available with a touchscreen. In fact, it will still be offered with non-touch-enabled panels only.
