The slim and light ultrabook is the traveling digital nomad’s answer to the samurai sword – razor sharp, elegant and extremely efficient.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 is the ultrabook of ultrabooks. I’ve been writing about technology, including computers, for over 30 years. I’ve also seen several generations of 13-inch Dell XPS computers. The oldest, which is from 2007, is still elegant after 15 years. And I turn mine on from time to time. But I have never look at a laptop with such a sharp design as the new XPS 13 Plus! The case is so sharp and thin that it makes a MacBook Air look awkward. The razor-sharp 4K screen is largely borderless, but framed by a narrow aluminum frame. This also applies to the keyboard, which works rather at the edges of the wardrobe. The stylish impression is reinforced by the touchpad, which is actually not present.
Where is the trackpad?
The machine naturally has a trackpad; it is simply invisible. The same goes for the top row of function keys, which are touch fields that light up when the PC is turned on. However, the touchpad always remains invisible. It looks extraordinarily smart and unique! In practice, however, it’s not that smart, as it literally gropes blindly while trying to hit the touchpad, which is no bigger than other laptops. Right-clicking becomes especially difficult, as unlike left-clicking, it can only occur in the lower right corner of the touch field, the extent of which is not visible!
Smarter than practical
The accuracy of the shot will obviously improve over time, as the muscles of the fingers get used to finding the “magic” point. But Dell has managed to make a simple operation much more difficult. What is the opposite of the idea of good design?
The stylish impression is reinforced by the touchpad, which is actually not present.
The same is unfortunately true for the ports of the Dell XPS 13 Plus. Which are numerous enough to be mentioned in the plural. Two USB-C ports are all openings found in the razor-sharp enclosure. In the name of justice it would have been almost impossible to find room for other gates. But an included adapter for USB-A, HDMI, and DisplayPort would have been a plaster on the wound. It is not so. However, you do get a USB-C to USB-A adapter and a headphone adapter.
Perfect screen
On the other hand, you can’t complain about the screen – a sharp, color-true UHD screen in 16:10 format. As mentioned, it almost fills the entire frame. And the touch function is the icing on the cake. You can’t do much better. And no Cupertino laptop has half as good a screen. Apple fans are advised to refute my claim by pointing to 13-inch Mac laptops with 4K resolution and touchscreen. Or at least with just one of the parties.
Adult bowels in a small PC
The Dell XPX 13 Plus is among the thinnest laptops you can find. The machine is only 1.6 centimeters thick. And because the solid aluminum lid measures just under half an inch thick, there’s only about an inch left for the electronics themselves. And it is impressive what Dell engineers have managed to put into the ultra-thin case.
The processor is a 12th generation Intel Core i7. There are 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB SSD. The graphics card is – of course – Intel Iris Xe, which is integrated into the processor. Which is a perfectly acceptable solution in an ultrabook machine.
Touchpad and function buttons are invisible. And the keyboard reaches all the way to the edges. (Photo: Dell)
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Proof of performance
The processor is an Intel Core i7-1260P with a working speed of 2.1 GHz and up to 4.7 GHz in turbo mode. It has 12 cores, but “only” 16 threads, as modern processors not only have cores, but are divided into “performance cores” and “efficient cores”, which do not automatically lead to twice as many threads as cores. However, that’s a technicality, as the processor is fast anyway.
The GeekBench 5 processor test ends with a result of 7032 in multi-core and 1426 in single-core, respectively. It is absolutely respectable for a processor intended for ultrabooks, and where the thermal output should be as little as possible. It is slightly slower than the 2022 edition of Apple MacBook Air med M2 processor. But just a little. The same picture applies to the Cinebench R23 test, which ends with 1608 in single-core and 6702 in multi-core. The simulation of the PCMark 10 office program ends up with a result of 4935. This is a very good score for such a light laptop. And you have to get into much heavier machines like Acer Predator Helios 300 to see significantly higher processor performance. And then it costs the scales.
True to tradition, we also tried 3D graphics tests on the Dell XPS 13 Plus. And, as usual, they prove that ultrabooks aren’t made for this. Compared to other machines with Intel Iris Xe graphics, however, the Dell is pretty much up to standard.
For an ultrabook, the battery test result was a bit disappointing. The Dell XPS 13 Plus only managed about two and a half hours of intense office simulation and full on-screen glow before the battery ran out. However, it should be enough for a normal working day. And if the worst happens, most of the newer USB-C chargers can do the job.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is an extreme computer. It’s thinner and lighter than most, and in terms of design, no one can match it with pedestals. At the same time, it’s as fast as the biggest and heaviest laptops, and the 4K touchscreen is nice and sharp. When generous amounts of SSD and DDR5 RAM are added at the same time, it is inevitable that the price will be fattened. If you can afford it (or if you can get it paid for by the company – which deducts it from your taxes), you get a machine that will get long stares at the conference table. The invisible trackpad is a crazy idea, which in my eyes makes the operation unnecessarily difficult. At least until you get used to hitting the right spot with your finger.
Comparison with the Apple MacBook Air is inevitable. Performance is on par with this one. And if you reduce the requirements for the amount of RAM and storage, as well as the screen resolution, you can slowly find an edition of the Dell XPS 13 Plus that matches the MacBook in terms of price and specs. But it is in this super edition that it is more interesting.
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