How do you improve one of the best Ultrabooks around? If you're Dell, you take the fantastic XPS 13 and slim it down even further for 2015, making it the world's smallest 13in laptop. By virtually eliminating the bezel around the screen, the redesigned model is an instant head turner, and if that wasn't enough it has an optional 3,200x1,800 resolution touchscreen too. We scoured CES for Dell's booth in order to bring you some first impressions.
Built from a combination of machined aluminum and carbon fibre, the XPS 13 is a stunning machine, which is only emphasied when you place it on top of a 13in MacBook Pro. Dell has managed to squeeze a 13in display into a chassis smaller than most 11in models, meaning the Apple machine is larger in all three dimensions. It weighs less than 1.2kg if you opt for the standard model, or 1.3kg if you choose the touchscreen version, meaning it's one of the most portable 13in machines we've ever seen. The premium materials ooze quality, with the aluminium lid giving the screen plenty of rigid protection.
The slim dimensions do take a toll on connectivity; although Dell has still managed to squeeze in two full-size USB3 ports, an SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack and a mini DisplayPort video output, there's no room for an HDMI port. That means you'll have to carry an adapter with you to connect to displays that don't support DP, but it also means you'll be able to connect panels with greater than Full HD resolutions that would typically not work at 60Hz over HDMI.
Naturally Dell will be launching a range of different configurations, but every XPS 13 will use one of Intel's recently announced 5th Generation Core processors, otherwise known as broadwell. The more energy efficient chips, combined with an IGZO display from Sharp, sould mean the laptop is able to last up to 15 hours on a single charge. Battery life was one of our concerns with the original XPS 13, so we can't wait to see how the 2015 edition performs in our rundown tests. Performance should be perfectly suited to office work, web browsing and multimedia playback too, with a choice of 4GB or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.
It's the screen that takes all the glory, however. The 5mm bezels on three sides seem to disappear when you're sat in front of the machine, as the stunning 3,200x1,800 resolution display demands your attention. Images and text looked absolutely pin-sharp, colours were brilliantly vibrant and the screen was easily bright enough to use outdoors or in direct sunlight. Viewing angles were excellent too, and there's a huge amount of tilt in the display hinge to find a comfortable working angle.
We were impressed with the keyboard, which managed to squeeze in a set of full-size QWERTY keys despite the 11in chassis. The entire keyboard is backlit for working in low-light conditions and each key had a surprising amount of bounce and tactile feedback. We don't normally like writing on compact laptops for long periods, but could comfortably spend a day working on the XPS 13. It helps that the touchpad is a major improvement over the outgoing model too. Windows laptops often pale in comparison to Apple's MacBook touchpad, but the precision touchpad used here is controlled directly by Windows 8.1 With no drivers to get in the way, movement, scrolling and multiple finger gestures all worked flawlessly.
The Dell XPS 13 should be going on sale in the UK from the 20th of January, with prices starting at £1,099. There will also be a Developer Edition, which will ship with Linux rather than Windows 8.1, arriving by the end of the month for £1,199. When most manufacturers are focusing their efforts on wacky hybrids and 2-in-1 tablets, it's great to see Dell concentrate on making its laptops some of the best around; the XPS 13 is gorgeous, and we can't wait to get one into the lab to give it a full review.