The Dell XPS 13 has been the go-to ultraportable, even more so than anything Apple has come up with. It’s literally a powerhouse 13-inch laptop (higher-end versions) in an 11-inch shell. Since there isn’t much of a bezel, Dell had to put the webcam at the bottom of the screen — this is definitely bad for people who use Skype a lot. For everyone else, the XPS 13 is a technological marvel.
On Monday morning, Dell announced the convertible version of the XPS 13, (called XPS 13 2-in-1) that can also be used as a tablet. There is some disappointment for those who thought they were getting the full XPS 13 in tablet form. According to Engadget, Dell’s laptop runs fanless Intel Core i5-7Y54 or i7-7Y75 processors (otherwise known as Intel Core M) , which are noticeably slower than the regular processors that run the latest Dell XPS 13. That will be certainly be a turnoff for some buyers.
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In order to make the convertible tablet thinner and lighter (2.7 lbs), Dell had to take away the legacy ports, leaving only two USB-C ports. Some may be upset, but it’s very obvious that the tech world is converting to USB-C. If you can’t live with it now, you’ll have to in just a few years. It’s quite impressive that Dell was able to still fit in a microSD card slot.
The XPS 13 will come with either 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM, and is available in Full HD, or QHD+ display versions. If you don’t mind battery life being an hour or two less with a full charge, you should definitely get the QHD+ version, which looks absolutely stunning.
Laptop Magazine is the first to provide a full review (four stars), and the only thing they don’t seem to like is the battery life, which others say lasts longer than the regular XPS 13. Before selling my high-end mid-2016 version of the XPS 13, I was able to get about six hours of battery life doing some heavy tasks with brightness set at 80 percent. I found that satisfying, even knowing I was getting less than the Intel Core i5 version of the same computer.
Dell had to make some compromises on the XPS 13 2-in-1.
But a lot of people seem to believe that Dell has “butchered” the XPS 13 tablet.
“Honestly, I hate the direction Dell taken with this, No full size USB, slower processor, smaller battery, and they charge a $100 more, $100 MORE?????” screams Reddit user Squat_cobler.
“No USB-A port? Seriously? Don’t tell me that it did not fit. Since when fashion and 10 grams less are more important than convenience? This laptop looked very exciting – I now suddenly lost any and all interest in it,” says Vapor Eidolon.
The good news is that the XPS 13 convertible has a digitizer so you can write with an optional stylus that costs $45. However, it’s too early to even attempt to predict if the XPS 13 2-in-1 will become a hit.
