At the mad product launch fest that is CES 2022, Dell unveiled the XPS 13 Plus, arguably the most beautiful laptop out there, albeit with some controversial design elements. The Dell XPS series laptops have been consistently ranked as some of the best ultraportable machines available, thanks to their terrific design and the right mix of performance and portability.
One look at the core XPS lineup and it becomes crystal clear that Dell is going after the MacBook Air. Of course, the machines don’t come cheap, and Dell has made no attempts to convey otherwise over the years. With the addition of flashy elements like an OLED panel and carbon fiber palm rests, the price has only gone up — all in the name of further refining the MacBook Air killer experience. Dell is now taking things up a notch with the biggest redesign in the acclaimed lineup’s history.
Meet the Dell XPS 13 Plus, a laptop that very much looks like the minimalist design nirvana many have only dreamed of. The keyboard is edge to edge, the bezels are enviably slim, the chassis is an all-metal affair with sharp lines, and the weight is still on the lighter side at just 2.73 pounds. Upon closer inspection, there's a thin strip of illuminated icons right above the number row buttons. This capacitive strip is the function key array, which also doubles as media keys. It is somewhat like the doomed MacBook Pro Touch Bar, but Dell will likely never admit that.
Peak Design Evolution For The XPS
There are purists out there who will swear by a row of physical function keys they can tap with great satisfaction, rather than touching some finicky capacitive button that can give up randomly. However, not many were a fan of the touch-only iPhone when it arrived in an era that was obsessed with the QWERTY keyboard on BlackBerry phones. Now, BlackBerry phones are dead, iPhones are in ever-increasing demand, and innovation continues to move forward in the face of detractors. Put simply, the Dell XPS 13 Plus’ touch bar that's not a touch bar is what helps achieve its gorgeous design that screams peak minimalism.
Below the keyboard is another surprise, an invisible trackpad. Technically the trackpad is there, but it hasn’t been demarcated in a recessed rectangle. Dell is banking on muscle memory for getting used to the hidden trackpad, which also relies on haptic force feedback like Apple’s laptops. Underneath are a series of actuators that replicate the sensation of actually pressing the left or right-click button. The keyboard deck now sits flush and the spacing between keycaps has narrowed to achieve the new design language. However, gunning for aesthetic fulfillment has led to another compromise — the departure of a 3.5mm headphone port.
Intel’s 12th gen processors take care of business inside, paired with 8 gigs of RAM and up to 1TB SSD. The all-important screen offers a full-HD resolution, but folks who appreciate the finer things in life can pick up the 4K touch display version. Market arrival is slated for Spring 2022 in both Windows 11 and Ubuntu variants. Of course, how responsive the capacitive function keys are, how good the invisible trackpad is, and how one copes without a 3.5mm headphone jack are certainly questions that many might ask before or after spending a minimum of $1,199 on the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Source: Dell