Dell XPS 13 Plus assessment: Magnificence vs. usability

The XPS 13 Plus is likely one of the boldest laptops I’ve ever seen. It is like Dell despatched a pc again in time from the long run, Terminator-model. It has a keyboard that stretches from edge to edge, with no gaps between the keys. The haptic trackpad is hidden beneath the wrist relaxation, and the capacitive perform key row retains issues trying clear, with out the annoying shape-shifting keys from Apple’s Contact Bar.

With all of these options, and probably the most computing energy ever in a 13-inch Dell ultraportable, the XPS 13 Plus must be excellent, proper? Effectively, not fairly. It is an admirable achievement, but it surely additionally seems like Dell’s designers emphasised model over usability.

Take that haptic trackpad, for one. Once I first obtained my fingers on the XPS 13 Plus final December, I used to be each floored by its unconventional touchpad design and apprehensive that it may result in complications. It is undoubtedly intriguing: When the pc is on, the piezo motors within the trackpad space ship the feeling of clicking with out transferring in any respect. However when it is off, the wrist relaxation is only a silent slab of Gorilla Glass.

After all, haptic trackpads aren’t new. Apple’s been utilizing them for years, they usually’ve lastly began popping up in different Home windows laptops just like the Floor Laptop computer Studio. Technically, they’ll make laptops extra dependable since they cannot entice gunk like regular trackpads. However on the XPS 13 Plus, that know-how feels even stranger. There isn’t any simple technique to inform while you’re within the trackpad zone with out urgent down or on the lookout for a transferring mouse cursor. With different notebooks, you may really feel a transparent distinction between the trackpad and wrist relaxation. That is not one thing we take into consideration typically, but it surely goes a good distance towards making us really feel assured as we browse the net or scroll via paperwork.

On the XPS 13 Plus, simply right-clicking typically seems like trial and error. Is my finger too far to the left? An excessive amount of towards the best? Doing one thing so easy should not be irritating, particularly not with a laptop computer that is meant to signify the way forward for computing design. The invisible trackpad mainly seems like a celebration trick: one thing that may impress your pals however will largely make your life tougher. Even after utilizing the XPS 13 Plus for per week, I nonetheless discover myself lacking the trackpad typically, particularly if I attempt to do any difficult finger gestures.

The XPS 13 Plus’s keyboard is way extra profitable. It spans the whole width of the pc, and it has virtually no gaps between the keys. We noticed one thing related on HP’s 2019 Spectre x360, however Dell’s machine goes even farther to the sting. The result’s one thing that feels luxurious to kind on — lastly, my giant fingers can unfold out like they do on a desktop keyboard. It will be good to have greater than only a millimeter of key journey, however the general typing expertise nonetheless feels responsive.

After seeing the trackpad’s haptic performance in motion, it is not exhausting to think about future keyboards utilizing related mechanisms to ship a deeper typing sensation. That know-how may additionally assist the XPS 13 Plus’s perform row really feel a bit extra like conventional keys whereas nonetheless being lined beneath Gorilla Glass. I did not thoughts the capacitive perform row — not less than the keys stayed in place, in contrast to the Contact Bar — however I want it was extra seen outside. It tends to get washed out in direct daylight, or for those who’re carrying sun shades. (One Engadget staffer has additionally needed to exchange the capacitive perform keys on his ThinkPad Carbon X1 a number of instances. That could possibly be an indication of Lenovo’s construct high quality, or it may level to capacitive buttons not being very sturdy.)

Except for these options, the XPS 13 Plus largely seems like a typical XPS 13 when it is closed. There’s the machined aluminum case, which seems as premium as ever and feels a lot sturdy. In case you look intently, you may discover there isn’t any headphone jack, simply two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections on both facet. That is one thing Dell additionally faraway from this yr’s XPS 13, and it stays a baffling resolution. And no, I don’t suppose the brand new quad-speaker array makes up for that (it sounds tremendous, but it surely’s nothing miraculous).

Whereas Dell features a USB-C to headphone adapter within the field, together with a Sort-A adapter, there isn’t any technique to cost the pc when you’ve got these each plugged in. If Apple can squeeze a 3.5 millimeter jack within the new MacBook Air, which weighs the identical 2.7 kilos because the LCD-equipped XPS 13 Plus, Dell actually has no excuse. (The OLED mannequin is a tad heavier at 2.8 kilos.)

Whereas we’re speaking about screens, if you wish to get a 4K or OLED display in an XPS this yr, the 13 Plus is your solely choice. The usual XPS 13 solely has 1080p LCD choices. Our assessment unit is supplied with the three.5K OLED touchscreen mannequin, which gives a good 400 nits of brightness. It seems as nice as all the opposite XPS screens we have seen, with glorious colour and deep black ranges, however I am extra curious to see how the 500-nit 4K OLED variant performs. Our assessment mannequin’s show was simply tremendous outside, however a bit extra brightness would make it look higher in direct daylight.