Dell XPS 13 Plus Is Unusual 🤔 (Full Review)

The new design of the Dell XPS 13 Plus stands up visually, but it also makes for an unconventional experience.

0:00 Intro
0:18 Invisible Touchpad
1:35 Keyboard & Backlit Touch Strip
3:28 Size/Thickness
3:46 Configurations, Price, Displays (including OLED & Touchscreen)
4:50 Processor (i7), Thermals/Fans
5:31 Webcam (720p) compared to MacBook Air M2, Look Away Detect Feature
7:12 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports
7:57 Battery Life
8:45 Conclusion

[defnotatroll]

Why are dell still persisting with Intel on a super thin and light like this 🤦‍♂️ at least have an AMD option

[MikeThomasDrumss]

Just for context. I've been using the Dell XPS 13 PLUS daily as I work remotely in cybersecurity. I have the laptop display exteneded to two 27" monitors via 1 usb-c port (which macbooks can't do) and with that single port I can charge the laptop along with sending data to my external monitors! AMAZING! Love the small compact workstation that this laptop provides. Yes I do keep it plugged in so the battery issue isn't a big deal for me. Other than that I love this machine!

[Randymanrockssocks]

Just a PSA BEST BUY no longer sells this laptop, as over time it has worsening overheating and battery issues. Check their site, it is no longer there, nor is it in stores. The salesperson told me Dell issued a recall.

[DA-qepy]

Thanks Dan! Great review! I tend to agree that it looks more like change for change sake instead of change for improvement sake. IMHO - The XPS 13 Plus is an engineering marvel that looks more like a "proof of concept" device than a next gen premium PC. I'm sure Dell will listen to customer feedback and make the correct decision for future models. Remember how fast they got rid of their nostril cam and corrected the more recent defective track pads? 🙂

[roibenmoshe]

It is time that dell replace intel process with AMD process !!
Great review !

[mitch]

If the Dell xps 13 plus had better battery life and thermals, then I would have bought one as well as recommended it to numerous people that I've instead been steering towards Apple silicon products or AMD based machines. If Intel cannot put out a competitive product, Dell needs to offer other options. Hopefully ARM based windows laptops see some improvements in the near future. Otherwise, the xps 13 plus is the most modern looking laptop I've seen and I would love to have that form factor with a more energy efficient processor!

[shaiaxelrud]

This notebook could come without a battery, with no ports, would have to be used with an ice tray underneath, and I would still buy it, and I did, now I have to learn to use Windows! It is simply the most beautiful notebook ever!

[killify]

Also going for fhd will extend the battery life significantly

[speed_racer]

I prefer the Lenovo Z13 with AMD Ryzen 7. Faster, longer battery, low operating temp, better camera with f/2.0, actual function keys, Dolby Atmos, and is eco friendly all the way around.

[romantoporkov]

Battery life on these really suffers when you get an high-res OLED screen. So I guess if autonomous work is important and you want an XPS - you'll have to make do with FullHD (which, in my opinion, is totally fine for a tiny 13inch laptop)

[MajorBreakfast]

3:08 Yep, that ESC key is annoying. I never got used to the lack of haptic feedback on the Apple touchbar. It felt really great getting the physical ESC key back on the MacBook. Not sure why Dell is now doing a repeat of the situation in Windows-land. Haptic feedback for whether one has hit the right key is just one of those things that is essential why typing blind.

[JinayDeliwala]

recently bought Dell XPS 13+ UHD+, i5, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and I returned it after 5 days. My total usage in those 5 days was not more than 1-1:30 hours. Reason being extremely pathetic (poor would still be better) battery life, my usage didn’t even include consuming media content yet. It included web browsing and some work on word and battery drained a lot like 1%-1.5% every minute.

If you think UHD resolution is the reason then think again because I had kept it at 720p and around 30% or 30 points of brightness and as per “experts” resolution doesn’t matter to battery life apparently but still battery was in no mood to co-operate. I took it to the vendor and he tried updating it and doing all sorts of magic stuff but could only extract 2-2.5 of battery life. So if you’re planning to buy this laptop then please don’t. It’s not even for a person who uses it for everyday work and for mild entertainment forget about creators. Pro: Design is beautiful Con: The whole above mentioned review which outweighs the pros.

Please Don’t go straight for the expert reviewers opinion because they receive complementary review models (which might be good) and have got nothing to lose whereas you do. Extremely disappointed with Dell.

[Jezee]

The function row is nothing like the Touch Bar on MacBook. I keep seeing people refer to it and treat it like it's the same. The MacBook bar was an actual touch sensitive screen, the Dells are just capacitive zones with lit up icons.

[elementneon]

* Battery increase in exchange for thinness/weight: YES, always, please.
* 1080p front webcam: NAH, I do not care what quality camera my electrical tape is blocking, get rid of the front-facing camera all together! At least as an option, there is always external cameras as options, and very soon, our much higher quality phone cameras.
* Keyboard layout: I was worried, but typed on it in person and the key spacing was surprisingly well-placed, honestly very surprised.
* Capacitive Function Row: I was not a fan of the capacitive touch concept initially, then I realized one absolutely KEY takeaway for my use cases... It allows the user to LOCK the F1-F12 keys in place instead of the stupid laptop feature keys! This is an absolutely incredible feature for someone such as myself who prefers to have easy access to the F1-F12 keys for keyboard shortcuts while working in apps and doing light scripting/development. A God-send ... But that said, making the Delete and Escape keys capacitive seems very short-sighted, in my opinion.
* Ports: 2 USB-C, 1 for powering the device, is not nearly enough. Carrying a portable hub however does not add much weight or take much space in my bag, so it is not the biggest issue.

All in all I found this laptop to be one of the most well engineered laptop currently on the market, so I went and ahead and purchased it for myself as I was in need of a working mobile workstation.

[alesterpadua]

They should make a 15" version of these

[BoRerunn]

Why can't Dell make a thin and light 15" XPS

[alvzcizzler]

Makes the latest MacBooks look outdated but it's not quite as efficient.

[famaterial]

It would be perfect if they added a 3.5 and a micro SD

[augustusdavid]

lol "I'm a tapper, not a clicker"

[AndroidCovenant]

How do I find a laptop sleeve that fits snugly to this laptop - 15.6"
Laptop Dimensions: W x D x H
356 mm x 228.9 mm x 17.99 mm
35.6 cm x 22.89 cm x 1.79 cm
14.02 in x 9.01 in x 0.71 in