A few days back, I received a message on Linkedin from a senior executive who wanted my advice on a premium laptop. I must have suggested one or two options but he kept telling me how he is averse to change when it comes to laptops. That conversation made me realize one thing: not every consumer is ready to trade comfort and familiarity for a notebook with experimental design and features. When I reviewed the XPS 13 Plus, I got the impression that Dell manages to strike a balance between the aesthetic of thin-and-light laptops while somehow modernizing it with their own flair that will in turn resonate with their most loyal high-flying executives . The XPS 13 Plus is a fusion of sleek looks and fantasy but still builds on the formula of top-of-the-line compact laptops the XPS line is known for.
Here’s my review of the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Dell XPS 13 Plus review price in India (as reviewed): Rs 1,84,989
Not just beautiful, lightweight too
At first glance, the XPS 13 Plus looks familiar, keeping the same compact footprint as the 13-inch XPS model. I am a big fan of computers that are small(ish) in size and can be easy to travel with. Every time I pick up the XPS 13 Plus, it gives the impression of a notebook that is an extension of a smartphone – I do not mean that literally, but more philosophically. In fact, it is lighter than the M1 MacBook Air that had been my go-to laptop for a long time.
Having been using it constantly for weeks, I can tell you how the XPS 13 Plus is beautiful to hold and look at. The chassis is made of CNC-machined aluminum and the Dell logo is stainless steel. Here is a notebook that manages to marry a traditional form factor and utilitarian design in an interesting way.
Of all the XPS models I’ve reviewed in recent years, the XPS 13 Plus has been my favorite computer in terms of looks and design. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
But it’s a shame that Dell decided to achieve this ridiculously compact and thin notebook design by forgoing important connectivity ports. To set the record straight, there’s one Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port on each side of the notebook. After a while, I didn’t even notice that the XPS 13 Plus didn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack or a USB-A port, nor did I care there were only two USB-C ports.
The XPS 13 Plus is a premium, ultra-compact Windows notebook. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I understand that some people want a ton of ports on their laptops but as a journalist, I was less concerned about the port situation on the XPS 13 Plus. I am not defending Dell’s decision to put just two ports on the XPS 13 Plus, just underlining that this is a notebook designed to be mobile. I assume someone buying the XPS 13 Plus might already own a pair of wireless headphones and the person stores all the data on the cloud.
Stunning display, excellent speakers
I reviewed the XPS 13 Plus with the 3840x2400p OLED touchscreen display. It’s a 13.4-inch nearly borderless touch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio that gives you more space to work and generally looks nicer than the MacBook’s screen. The XPS 13 Plus’ display has accurate-enough colors and sharpness for most uses, especially for those making presentations, watching Netflix shows, writing and editing copies, and doing other office work. A bit of a glossy display otherwise looks great.
The notebook has a touchscreen, and the thinner bezels around the display are nicer. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The sound quality is great, too. The four speakers were pretty loud when I did video interviews, watched the last season of Grace & Frankie on Netflix, and listened to music on YouTube. Most laptop speakers, even premium ones, sound ordinary, so it was a bit of a surprise to see the XPS 13 Plus shine with internal speakers. Although they are not that great when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Invisible touchpad, touch bar-esque function row
The XPS 13 Plus’ real engineering feat is its invisible touchpad. The XPS 13 Plus shuns convention and switches to a haptic touchpad. Yes, the MacBook Pro also has a haptic touchpad but with a dedicated space. In contrast, on the XPS 13 Plus, the space below the space bar is an “invisible” touchpad, giving the notebook a distinct identity of its own without compromising on standard functions. Scrolling through webpages and pinch-to-zoom felt natural and while there’s no real physical click, it captures all the movement well and converts them into clicks. I’m hoping this starts a trend of invisible touchpads that blend into the chassis.
Another feature that distinguishes the XPS 13 Plus from other premium laptops is the Function bar with capacitive touch. Dell isn’t trying to revive the Touch Bar-like function row seen on the MacBook Pro years back with its own spin. The Function bar which now consists of touch-sensitive LED buttons displays functions like the Esc key, screen brightness controls and volume. Essentially, Dell has not gone with traditional physical function keys and instead opted for touch-sensitive Fn rows. The design approach will divide some people, but I think the capacitive touch row blends perfectly with the true gapless keyboard.
It’s not perfect, though. First, the Function bar is not programmable, meaning I cannot change the context like what Apple did with the Touch Bar. Second, there is no haptic feedback that tells you if you have hit the key. So although it is functional and not gimmicky, there is room for improvement.
The edge-to-edge keyboard, touch-sensitive Function Row and invisible touchpad make the XPS 13 Plus futuristic. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I might be a part of the minority that actually likes the “zero lattice” keyboard for what it is. The XPS 13 Plus introduces a new type of keyboard design where the keys are slightly larger than usual with no gaps – and goes all the way to the edges. It’s different from the island or chiclet keyboard found in most other laptops. I loved typing on this keyboard (some may prefer chunky mechanical keyboards) as the keys produce a satisfying click when pressed and they also have a good amount of resistance. Then again, keyboards can feel different to each other and they distort things in different ways.
Performance is ok, but battery life could have been better
I used the XPS 13 Plus as an “everyday” computer – using it for writing and editing copies, working on Google Docs and sheets, messaging on WhatsApp, attending virtual briefings, and editing photos. The XPS 13 Plus handled all the tasks that I threw at it. I never once faced slowdowns or delays, even when multiple Chrome tabs were open in the background. I should mention that Dell loaned me the top-end version of the XPS 13 Plus for review, which came with a 12th-gen Intel i7-1260P processor, 1TB of solid-state drive and 16GB of RAM. The processor is designed for ultrabooks and the performance matched my expectations. But the laptop does get warm, especially if you are doing more intensive tasks like editing photos. The XPS 13 Plus is not made for heavy processing tasks like running triple AAA games but suits perfectly for business executives or frequent travelers.
The XPS 13 Plus is not a perfect machine and has its fair share of flaws. For instance, the battery lasted roughly 5 hours and 30 minutes. OLED, technically, should have helped save the battery but it didn’t. It’s a surprise that my M1 MacBook Air’s battery lasts me longer than the XPS 13 Plus but costs way less. Another complaint I have with the XPS 13 Plus is the 720p webcam which worked fine for my daily video calls but fell short on the quality compared expected at this price.
It is thinner and lighter than Apple’s MacBook Air, and is closer in form factor to the 12-inch MacBook. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Final words
There is a certain amount of mysticism to the XPS 13 Plus, a laptop that wants to give the vibe of a traditional form factor but with futuristic features and feel. I think the gamble that Dell bet on seems to have paid off. It’s a powerful machine enough to handle everyday computing tasks, has a futuristic invisible touchpad and a gap-less keyboard. It is lightweight enough to comfortably take wherever you go. But I must say it is expensive as expected with the XPS brand of high-end ultrabooks.
.