Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs XPS 13 vs XPS 13 Plus | Digital trends

Dell’s 13-inch XPS laptop lineup got a revamp in 2022, with the clamshell splitting into the lower-cost XPS 13 9315 and the more powerful XPS 13 Plus. Meanwhile, the old 360-degree convertible XPS 13 2-in-1 has transformed into a detachable tablet.

That’s a challenge if you’re looking for a 13-inch machine and leaning towards an XPS. Every machine has its place, but which one is right for you? Keep reading to find out.

Specifications and configurations

The XPS 13 9315 is the more budget-friendly sibling, starting at $749 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a Full HD+ IPS non-touch display. Max out the machine and it costs $1,299 for a Core i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD and touchscreen.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is the second most affordable, with an entry-level price of $1,000 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and without the keyboard or stylus ( which adds $100 to the price). At the high end, the 2-in-1 costs $1,699 for a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and the included keyboard and stylus.

The most expensive XPS laptop is the XPS 13 Plus. Its lowest configuration is $1,299 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a Full HD+ non-touch IPS display. The maximum you’ll spend is $2,399 for a Core i7, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and a 4K+ IPS or 3.5K OLED panel.

Design

The XPS 13 9315 and the XPS 13 Plus went in different design directions, both from each other and from the previous XPS 13 generation. They look very similar with the lid closed, ditching the older model’s mix of aluminum and carbon fiber or glass for an all-aluminum chassis. Open the lid, though, and the XPS 13 Plus is a truly modern design with a glass-covered palm rest hiding an integrated haptic touchpad, an edge-to-edge keyboard with large keys and minimal space between keys and buttons. of LED function. The XPS 13 9315 is much simpler, with a standard island keyboard and mechanical touchpad. Both laptops feature tiny bezels and the XPS 13 9315 comes in Sky and Umber colors, while the XPS 13 Plus comes in Granite and Platinum.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is a standard detachable tablet with rounded edges and moderately large bezels. It’s a rather nondescript slate that comes in Sky and Slate (the latter being the only color available with the 5G version). Add the Dell Folio Keyboard and it takes on a very similar profile to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9.

Every XPS laptop is as rigid as ever, representing the best in contemporary laptop construction. The hinge on each clamshell laptop is excellent, while the tablet doesn’t have a built-in kickstand and instead relies on the three magnetic corners of the keyboard.

Speaking of keyboards, each is very good, with plenty of space and fast, precise switches. Of the three, the XPS 13 Plus’ keyboard is the best. Additionally, while the mechanical trackpads on the XPS 13 9315 and XPS 13 2-in-1 folio keyboard are fine, the XPS 13 Plus sports a haptic touchpad that offers precise control over its entire surface and clicks. virtual buttons that feel natural. Whether this laptop’s LED function buttons are a good thing is purely a matter of preference, but they work well.

Connectivity is almost exactly the same on every laptop, which is to say it’s quite limited. The 2-in-1 has a nano SIM slot for its optional 5G WWAN support, and neither laptop has audio jacks. All include USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to 3.5mm audio dongles in the box. Wireless connectivity is identical too, although as mentioned the XPS 13 2-in-1 has optional always-on internet support.

Finally, the XPS 13 2-in-1 has a superior 1080p webcam compared to the 720p versions on the cases. Each laptop has an infrared camera for facial recognition login via Windows Hello.

Performance

Both the XPS 13 2-in-1 and the XPS 13 9315 use 9-watt 12th Gen Intel U-series processors with 10 cores (two performance and eight efficient) and 12 threads. As such, they both offer lower performance than the XPS 13 Plus with 28-watt P-series processors with 12 cores (four performance and eight efficient) and 16 threads. Dell deliberately differentiated the XPS 13 Plus and XPS 13 9315 in several important ways, and performance was one of them.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 was faster than the XPS 13 9315 Geekbench 5 and our Handbrake video encoding test, while the latter was faster in Cinebench R23. The tablet was also surprisingly faster in the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark than both cases. But in our CPU-intensive benchmarks, the XPS 13 Plus was the clear leader. None of the machines make particularly good gaming laptops.

Display

If you want the best display possible, then the XPS 13 Plus is the obvious choice. It offers higher resolution OLED and IPS options with superior colors and, with the former, intense contrast with inky blacks. The XPS 13 2-in-1’s screen was sharper than the XPS 13 9315’s Full HD+ panel, and it offers slightly better colors with much better contrast. The XPS 13 Plus’ OLED display is the best option for anyone who wants to do (limited) creative work on the laptop, and it’s also the best option for dedicated media consumers.

Portability

The laptops are similarly sized in width and depth, while the XPS 13 2-in-1 is understandably the thinnest and lightest without its keyboard attached. All XPS machines are highly portable laptops that you’ll barely notice in your backpack.

Battery life was best in the XPS 13 9315, with the XPS 13 Plus coming second and the XPS 13 2-in-1 offering the least longevity. Both shells are more likely to tackle a full day’s work without plugging in, and each benefits from small power bricks that are fairly easy to carry around.

Different, but all solid 13-inch machines

If you want an XPS tablet, you have only one choice: the XPS 13 2-in-1. That’s not to say it can’t compete with the other two as a laptop, although it’s not as good in a trick as the clamshell machines. Cases do not support tablet mode with inking.

Apart from that major consideration, the question then becomes: do you want a faster, more modern, and more expensive laptop with a superior display, or do you want to save some cash and take a less capable route? We think the XPS 13 9315 is a great “budget” option among premium laptops, while the XPS 13 Plus is the better laptop at a higher price. Choosing between them all comes down to which form factor you prefer and how much importance you place on state-of-the-art performance and features.

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