Dell XPS 13 (2019) Hands-On

Just recently, Dell launched a refreshed version of the XPS 13. It’s pretty identical to what the company released last year, but of course, Dell threw in a couple of improvements into it. Here’s our hands-on take of the new XPS 13.

The 2019 Dell XPS 13 doesn’t look that much different from last year’s model. The aluminum construction and its silver-gray colorway give the Dell XPS 13 a polished, premium feel. Embossed at the center of the laptop’s lid is the Dell logo. Due to its small size, the laptop also feels pretty light — with Dell stating its official weight at 1.22 kilograms; we can carry it around with just a hand.

Lifting the lid, the colorway inside the laptop is somewhat different from its outside appearance. The XPS 13’s body is black, with its palm rest designed with micro patterns. You don’t get to feel the pattern’s lines and strokes though, as it has a smooth matte finish to it.

The 13.3-inch display has very slim bezels surrounding it. The chin is an exception though, as a silver Dell logo is in the center of it. Despite the slender bezel up top, Dell has managed to equip the XPS 13 with a webcam. It’s an improvement from the last model of the XPS 13 that had its webcam at the lower bezel. Another thing about this particular model of the XPS 13 is that its display is touch-enabled as well; you can use a stylus or your very own fingers to navigate the screen.

As with the color of the palm rest, the XPS 13’s keyboard also adopts the same color. The keys are a delight to type on, with it having a little bounce and being pretty responsive. The touchpad is glass-coated and is pretty vast in size. Swiping my fingers on it was a smooth experience.

Right next to the delete button at the upper right of the keyboard, one can find the power button.

On the left, the XPS 13 has a Noble lock slot, two Thunderbolt 3 with Powershare ports, and the battery gauge indicator.

Sitting on the right is a 3.5mm audio port, a USB-C port, and a micro SD slot.

The speakers are on either side of the laptop, a couple of paces below the ports mentioned above.

Compared to the older model, the refreshed Dell XPS 13 is now powered by up to 8th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7 processor. It also has up to 16GB RAM, up to 512GB storage, and runs on Windows 10. There’s also a version of the XPS 13 that doesn’t have touchscreen support. Equipped with the latest powerful processors and what Dell claims as 19-hour battery life, we’re pretty excited to take this laptop for a full spin. Stay tuned for that.

Dell XPS 13 (2019) specs

13.3-inch UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) InfinityEdge touch display, 100% sRGB
13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge display
Up to 8th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7-8550U processor
Intel UHD Graphics 620
Windows 10 Home / Pro
Up to 16GB RAM
Up to 512GB PCIe SSD
Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Full-size backlit chiclet keyboard
Glass-coated touchpad
720p Widescreen HD webcam with 4 array digital microphones; Windows Hello compliant infrared camera
1W x 2 Stereo speakers with Waves MaxxAudio
2x Thunderbolt 3 with Power Delivery & DisplayPort
1x USB-C 3.1 with Power Delivery & DisplayPort
1x microSD card reader
1x headset jack
1x Noble lock slot
WiFi
Bluetooth
Fingerprint reader in power button
7.8mm-11.6mm x 302mm x 199mm
Starts at 1.21kg