Dell reinvents the XPS 13 with minimalism in mind

Dell has unveiled its latest iteration of the XPS 13, this time called the XPS 13 Plus. It’s a striking redesign that we’re sure will prove divisive.

Immediately, we were struck by the minimalist design, thanks largely to the device’s seamless trackpad that allows for cleaner lines than we have ever seen on a laptop.

The trackpad is glass and provides haptic feedback, we aren’t sure exactly how much of the area can be used as a touchpad, but we’re looking forward to finding out.

The other immediately noticeable change is the capacitive touch function row, which can be easily switched to media keys when desired. We can see the benefits here, especially when it comes to aesthetics, but we imagine the lack of a physical function row will be a major turn off for some.

The new laptop is designed around Intel’s relatively power-hungry 28W 12th gen processors, to accommodate this, Dell has beefed up the fans and says the new design provides “55 per cent better airflow without increasing noise or temperature”.

Express Charge 2.0 means that the laptop can be charged up to 80% in less than an hour.

The redesign features larger keycaps that Dell claims make the keyboard feel “comfortable, smooth and efficient with every keystroke.”

The usual thin-bezels and OLED options are present on the new model and are accompanied by a new quad speaker design. Two speakers fire upwards from beneath the keyboard and two fire downward from the base, promising big sound from a tiny chassis.

The XPS 13 Plus comes in either Platinum or Graphite finishes and will be available worldwide from Spring 2022. Pricing is yet to be announced.