The Dell XPS 13, A Microsoft Surface Pro Killer, Is Getting Yet Another Upgrade

The Dell XPS 13 is, perhaps, the most-loved new laptop to come out over the past year. The early 2015 version won rave reviews and the late 2015 version earned more praise. The Verge recently produced a review that said the best windows laptop just got better.

“It’s extremely rare for me to be excited by a laptop, but the Dell XPS 13 has made me switch back to using Windows full time. Lenovo and Microsoft make some great hardware, but Dell has managed to focus on what laptop users actually care about: the basics. There are no gimmicks here: no wobbly hinges, no tablets, not even a touchscreen.”

Laptop gave the latest version of the Dell XPS 13 the “Editor’s Choice” award.

“With its gorgeous Infinity display, rock-solid carbon-fiber body and improved performance, the XPS 13 is the best premium ultraportable laptop,” claims author Sam Rutherford.

The review is especially impressed with how well Dell’s laptop could multitask, even with powerful programs running. Rutherford also noted that the battery lasted over eight hours, which is quite impressive for a machine with an Intel Core i7 processor.

There are some compromises that Dell had to make with the XPS 13, and the biggest one is that the keyboard feels cramped with the keys not having that much travel. However, once the owner becomes accustomed to typing on the XPS 13, the keyboard is fine. Like the Surface Pro 4, the XPS 13 uses a 6th-generation Intel Skylake processor. Many see the XPS 13 as a great alternative to the MacBook Air and even the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Now, the Dell XPS 13 has just received a graphics upgrade and a new color. TechRadar has the news.

“A year after announcing what is arguably the best, and certainly one of the best, Windows notebooks on the market, Dell is still making tweaks to the wildly popular XPS 13. Dell’s aluminum-clad XPS 13 with its Infinity Display will be getting a graphics bump.”

TechRadar adds that that the new variant of the XPS 13 will come with Intel’s Iris graphics chip, one that Dell claims will deliver a 40 percent bump in graphics performance over the non-Iris version, which is still pretty powerful. Dell will also release a gold version of its laptop. The updated Dell XPS 13 should be available by the end of January.

There is a lot of love for the XPS 13 on Twitter.

Macbook Air vs Dell XPS 13: Clash of the tiny titans… I have the Dell XPS and love it!!! https://t.co/soWEUX1j7M pic.twitter.com/w7veopxACm

— Patrick Flanagan (@pflan09) January 18, 2016

The Dell XPS 13 is a touchscreen laptop, but it’s not a laptop/tablet hybrid like the Surface Pro 4. Microsoft’s device has also earned rave reviews, but it has had issues with battery life. Many power users report barely getting past four hours and some have reported being unable to get past two hours. The Surface Pro with the Intel Core i7 processor is at least $200 more expensive than the XPS 13 with the same processor. If you don’t care about having a tablet and just want an ultra-portable laptop that works and lasts all day, the Dell XPS 13 may be the best laptop currently available.

[Photo via Daryl Deino]