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Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) Review: The Best Dell Laptop
Introduction
The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) represents the pinnacle of Dell's laptop offerings, blending cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and robust performance into a sleek and compact form factor. As the flagship model in the XPS lineup, the XPS 13 Plus aims to cater to professionals, creatives, and power users who demand the best in a portable computing device. In this review, we will delve into the various aspects of the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023), including its design, display, performance, thermals, battery life, and overall value.
Design and Build Quality
The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is a marvel of modern laptop design. It features a sleek, aluminum chassis with diamond-cut edges, giving it a premium and sophisticated appearance. The build quality is impeccable, with a solid, rigid structure that exhibits no flex, ensuring durability and longevity. The minimalist design, characterized by clean lines and an edge-to-edge keyboard, enhances its aesthetic appeal.
Weighing in at just 2.73 pounds and measuring a mere 0.58 inches in thickness, the XPS 13 Plus is incredibly portable, making it an excellent choice for on-the-go professionals. The laptop is available in two stunning finishes: Platinum and Graphite, both of which exude elegance and sophistication.
Display
The display is one of the standout features of the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023). It sports a 13.4-inch 4K Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) OLED panel, delivering stunning visuals with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast. The screen supports HDR content, enhancing the viewing experience for movies, creative work, and more.
The display covers 100% of the Adobe RGB and 94% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts, ensuring accurate color reproduction, crucial for photographers, designers, and video editors. The peak brightness of 500 nits makes it suitable for use in various lighting conditions, including bright outdoor environments. The anti-reflective coating further enhances visibility by reducing glare.
The near-borderless design with a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio provides an immersive viewing experience, whether you're working, watching movies, or editing photos. The touch functionality is smooth and responsive, adding another layer of interactivity and convenience.
Performance
Under the hood, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is powered by the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H processor, coupled with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. This configuration ensures blazing-fast performance, capable of handling intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and software development.
In benchmark tests, the XPS 13 Plus scored impressively. In Cinebench R23, it achieved a multi-core score of over 14,000 points, indicating strong performance for multi-threaded applications. The SSD provides rapid data access and transfer speeds, contributing to overall system responsiveness and quick boot times.
The laptop also features the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, offering decent performance for creative applications and casual gaming. While not a gaming powerhouse, it can handle popular titles at medium settings and supports creative software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender with ease.
Thermals and Cooling
Efficient thermal management is crucial for maintaining performance and longevity, and the Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in this regard. It features an advanced cooling system with dual fans, heat pipes, and vapor chamber technology, ensuring efficient heat dissipation even during extended workloads.
During stress tests, the laptop maintained reasonable temperatures, with the CPU and GPU staying within safe limits. The fan noise is minimal during regular use and only becomes noticeable under heavy load. The thermal design ensures that the palm rest and keyboard areas remain cool, providing a comfortable user experience.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Dell XPS 13 Plus features an innovative edge-to-edge keyboard with large keycaps and 1.3mm key travel, providing a comfortable and satisfying typing experience. The keys have a soft, tactile feel, making them suitable for long typing sessions. The keyboard is backlit, allowing for easy use in low-light conditions.
The laptop introduces a capacitive touch function row, replacing the traditional function keys with a customizable touch-sensitive strip. This innovative design allows users to access frequently used functions and shortcuts with ease, enhancing productivity.
The trackpad is seamlessly integrated into the palm rest, offering a spacious and responsive surface. It supports Windows Precision drivers for accurate and smooth tracking. The glass surface of the trackpad adds to the premium feel, and multi-touch gestures are smooth and reliable. The integrated fingerprint reader within the power button provides quick and secure login via Windows Hello.
Audio
The audio experience on the Dell XPS 13 Plus is handled by a set of quad speakers, featuring Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Dolby Atmos technology. The speakers deliver clear, rich sound with a decent amount of bass, making it suitable for media consumption and casual listening.
The laptop also includes an advanced microphone array with noise reduction technology, ensuring clear and crisp audio during video calls and recordings. This is particularly useful for professionals who rely on video conferencing for remote work.
Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial factor for users who need to work on the go, and the Dell XPS 13 Plus performs admirably in this aspect. Equipped with a 55Wh battery, the laptop provides up to 10-12 hours of mixed-use battery life, depending on usage scenarios such as web browsing, video streaming, and office applications. During more demanding workloads, such as video editing or 3D rendering, battery life drops to around 6-7 hours.
The laptop supports fast charging, allowing the battery to reach 80% capacity in just an hour. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to quickly top up their battery during breaks.
Connectivity and Ports
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a comprehensive selection of ports to accommodate various peripherals and accessories. The laptop includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 is a significant advantage, allowing for high-speed data transfer, external GPU support, and multiple 4K display connectivity.
The laptop also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, ensuring fast and reliable wireless connectivity. These features are essential for users who rely on cloud services and wireless peripherals.
Software and Features
Dell includes several useful software tools with the XPS 13 Plus, enhancing the overall user experience. Dell Power Manager allows users to optimize battery settings and performance profiles, while Dell Mobile Connect provides seamless integration with smartphones, enabling calls, texts, and file transfers directly from the laptop.
The laptop also features an integrated HD webcam with an IR sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello, providing quick and secure login. The webcam's quality is adequate for video calls and streaming, though it might not meet the standards of professional content creators who require higher-resolution cameras.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) stands out as the best overall laptop from Dell, offering a perfect balance of design, performance, and features. Its sleek and durable build, stunning 4K OLED display, and powerful hardware make it an excellent choice for professionals, creatives, and power users.
While it may not be the most affordable option, its premium price is justified by the exceptional quality, robust performance, and extensive feature set. The main drawbacks include the limited port selection and lack of a higher-end GPU option for intensive gaming. However, these are minor trade-offs considering the overall capabilities and premium experience the XPS 13 Plus provides.
With its competitive performance, premium design, and comprehensive feature set, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is a top-tier laptop that sets the standard for what a modern ultrabook should be. Whether you need a laptop for work, creative projects, or everyday use, the XPS 13 Plus is a reliable and stylish option that is sure to meet and exceed your expectations.
