Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Review: The Laptop of the Future
I’ve been using the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 for over a month now, and it might just be the best 2-in-1 out there.
Last year, Dell released an updated version of the Dell XPS 13, and later that year, they somehow managed to top this computer with the XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop. I’ve been using the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 for over a month, and frankly, I think this is the laptop of the future and easily the best 2-in-1 on the market. Here’s why.
Pros
- Very thin bezels
- Extremely portable and modern design
- The keyboard feels nice to type on
- Great battery life
- Beautiful display
- Up-to-date internals that packs a punch
Cons
- Lack of I/O ports
- Uncooperative fingerprint reader
Sleek Design and Beautiful Display
The XPS 13 2-in-1 has a sleek aluminum chassis that gives this laptop a premium feel. The laptop is very portable thanks to its thin design (only 7–11mm thick) and weight (only 2.9 pounds even with a 360-degree hinge).
The laptop comes in two color variants: arctic white, which contains a white glass fiber interior, and black, which has a black carbon fiber interior. Also, one great improvement from its predecessor is that it now has its 720p webcam above the display rather than below, making the viewing experience more pleasant for people on the other end of your webcam. Unfortunately, the bezels are so thin that you can’t attach a camera shutter.
As for the keyboard, I think it’s great. Some people may not like the short key travel, but after using the laptop for a couple of days, you get used to it, and typing quickly becomes much easier. The glass fiber/carbon fiber interior feels luxurious and it feels very nice to put your wrists on it while typing. However, the trackpad in my opinion is not as great, but it is good enough for the average user.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of this laptop is the gorgeous display, with extremely small bezels that complement a high-resolution LCD display. The laptop offers two display options, an FHD+ (1920 x 1200 resolution) panel and a UHD+ 4K (3840 x 2400 resolution) panel. If you need the 4K panel for tasks like video editing, you should buy that version, but otherwise, I recommend sticking to the 1200p display because the shorter battery life and higher price aren’t worth it for most people.
Both displays are touchscreen, have a 16:10 aspect ratio, are HDR 400 and Dolby Vision certified, making colors more vivid and darks darker, and can display over 16 million different colors, according to Dell. Additionally, if you like drawing, you can purchase the Dell Premium Active Pen and use that with this laptop. Whatever display you get, I am positive you will have an amazing viewing experience.
Powerful Internals
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is very slim, but don’t let that fool you, because the hardware inside of the laptop packs a lot of power. As for the processor, this computer can come with either an i5–1035G1 or an i7–1065G7, both from Intel’s latest lineup of CPUs, Ice Lake. The amount of RAM also varies, as you can equip the laptop with either 8, 16, or a whopping 32 GB of RAM! If you need a lot of storage, Dell has got you covered, as you can get either 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of SSD storage. Be careful with how you spec your device, though, because the most powerful hardware is also the most demanding, meaning that your device could heat up more quickly.
If you want to game, you may need to look somewhere else or purchase an external GPU because the XPS 13 2-in-1 does not come with a dedicated graphics card. It will come with either Intel UHD graphics or Intel Iris Plus graphics depending on whether you get the i5 or i7 CPU, respectively. My XPS 13 2-in-1 has the i7 CPU with Intel Iris Plus graphics, and it’s enough to play games like Fortnite at 60 fps with all settings at High.
Great Battery Life
The XPS 13 2-in-1 has a great battery life that should be sufficient for a multitude of users, from the power users to those who just surf the web using Chrome. I can easily get over 12 hours of usage on a regular day (for me, it usually consists of lots of Chrome browsing, some programming, and some gaming), and I almost always make it through the day on one charge.
As I said earlier, I have the 1200p screen, so my battery life is great, but many reviews online say that the XPS 13 2-in-1 with the 4K screen has significantly worse battery life, so if battery life is really important to you, I suggest getting the 1200p screen (it’s still a gorgeous panel).
Where It Falls Short
The XPS 13 2-in-1 is an amazing laptop, but like any computer out there, it has its flaws. My biggest complaint about this device is the lack of ports. This laptop only has 4 ports: 2 USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. The USB-C ports are great because they have Thunderbolt 3 capabilities and they are used for charging, but the lack of any other ports makes it a hard buy for many.
The device is extremely thin, so it makes sense that it only has small ports, but a full SD card slot would have been appreciated. If you want to have access to ports like USB-A, HDMI, or an SD card slot, you will have to buy an adapter/dongle (this is the one I bought).
Another flaw with this device is the fingerprint scanner, which is awkwardly placed in the top-right corner of the keyboard. The sensor is placed horizontally rather than vertically, so it is a bit inconsistent at accurately scanning your finger. Usually, it takes me 1–3 tries to get my finger scanned, but once it scans it, it’s pretty quick. Also, the fingerprint sensor doubles as the power button, so make sure you don’t accidentally press it and turn the computer off (I’ve done this a couple of times).
Other than these two flaws, the computer is great, and as you can see, the pros severely outweigh the cons.
How It Compares
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (7390)
- CPU: i5–1035G1 or i7–1065G7
- RAM: 8, 16, or 32 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics or Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Screen: FHD+ (1080p LCD) or UHD+ (4K LCD)
- Price: Starting at $1,299
Dell XPS 13 (9300)
- CPU: i5–1035G1 or i7–1065G7
- RAM: 8 or 16 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics or Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Screen: FHD+ (1080p LCD) or UHD+ (4K LCD)
- Price: Starting at $980
HP Spectre x360 13 (2019)
- CPU: i7–1065G7
- RAM: 8 or 16 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB SSD
- GPU: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Screen: FHD (1080p IPS panel) or 4K AMOLED
- Price: Starting at $1,130
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5)
- CPU: i5–10210U, i5–10310U, i7–10510U, or i7–10610U
- RAM: 8 or 16 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB SSD
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- Screen: FHD (1080p LCD), WQHD (1440p LCD), or UHD (4K LCD)
- Price: Starting at $1,440
Should You Buy It?
If you have the money, absolutely. Currently, on Dell’s website, there is a sale on all Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 models, with the cheapest one being $1,229 (which is still very expensive) and the most expensive one being well over $2,000! Many people won’t be able to afford this laptop, but if you can, I 100% recommend purchasing it.
I believe the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is the 2-in-1 laptop of the future. With its modern design, powerful specs, and great battery life, it surpasses any other 2-in-1 device on the market. If you are looking for a laptop that can do everything you would ever want to do, from gaming to video editing to using CAD software, I highly recommend this device.
Do you want to purchase the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1? Check out these websites and see if there are any sales:
