Dell rethinks the XPS 13 2 in 1, adds the OLED display panel to the XPS 15

Dell is reorganizing the appearance of most of its high-end laptops and convertibles this year. The latest to receive a new coat of paint is the XPS 13 2 in 1. At Computex 2019, the company unveiled the redesigned convertible, which has more external changes than its updated XPS 13 laptop: the hinge is different, the keyboard is different and, yes, it now has a webcam located at the top of its screen.

The frame of the XPS 13 2-in-1 remains a mixture of metal, carbon fiber and, on the white model, fiberglass in its wrist rests. Dell has updated the hinges of the device so that newer models allow you to switch more quickly from one laptop to another. The new sequential hinge also slightly lifts the device into laptop mode and the rubber feet located under the hinge should prevent any risk of slipping. Like other XPS laptops, it is a variable torque hinge that slowly lowers the lid when closing the machine and should also facilitate its opening.

I first noticed the new MagLev keyboard on the convertible XPS 13: the keys are larger, closer to the bottom of the chassis and only have 0.7 mm of travel. Overall, the keyboard and touchpad area has a sleek, streamlined look that resembles Apple's MacBook Pro. Since I regularly use a butterfly keyboard, the new superficiality of the keys of the XPS 13 convertible did not bother me. However, it will not be the most comfortable for users who hate shallow keyboards. A new rectangular power button and a fingerprint module are located in the upper right corner of the keyboard, providing users with a form of biometric authenticity of Windows Hello.

As expected, the tiny webcam developed by Dell in-house went from the XPS 13 laptop to its convertible cousin. The chin of the device is always wider than that of its upper and lateral borders, but it has been slightly reduced and the screen has more space to shine. Users can choose between a 13-inch FHD panel and a 500-layer 4K HDR 400 panel with Dolby Vision. Both panels are tactile and support inking, but the XPS 13 2-in-1 does not come with a stylus. Instead, Dell offers an optional active stylus that can be magnetically attached to the side of the chassis.

Dell is also partnering with Eye Safe to incorporate its optional blue light reduction technology to the XPS 13 convertible displays. This technology incorporates new LEDs in the panel that produce less blue light than other displays. Before using blue light-limiting software, the convertible XPS 13 display should be more enjoyable for the eyes than other machines.

With the new 10th generation Intel processors, the new XPS 13 2 in 1 will be 2.5 times more powerful than the previous model. It will also support up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of PCIe SSD storage. To address this performance improvement, Dell redesigned the internal thermal system to support active cooling with two fans, carbon blades, and a new steam chamber. Like previous models, it also has GORE thermal insulation. Dell estimated that the machine would have a battery life of up to 16 hours with a single charge. Its two Thunderbolt 3 ports support charging capabilities as well as DisplayPort. It has a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Fortunately or unfortunately, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is too thin to support other larger ports.

Elsewhere in the XPS family, Dell has updated the XPS 15 to include a high-rise webcam, ninth-generation Intel octa-core processors, Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics, and a stunning OLED display. The largest XPS laptops has always been a powerful tool for professions, especially the creative ones. But these improvements strengthen its position in this category.

Continuity in Alienware

Dell's new design language for its Alienware gaming products also began to emerge from the 51m zone, which debuted at CES. The Alienware m15 and m17 laptops have been completely redesigned to suit the new slate gray and white color scheme as well as the oval back edges first appeared on high end gaming laptops from Dell.

The Area-51m is a massive machine (and extremely powerful). The m15 and m17 models are designed to be easier to handle. They are among the thinnest and lightest gaming laptops available from Alienware with such powerful in-house hardware: these notebooks support the latest generation Intel H and K series processors up to 8 GB Nvidia RTX 2080 Graphics Cards up to 16 GB RAM and dual storage for RAID0 up to 4 TB (2x 2 TB PCIe SSD).

In addition, users can benefit from optional key illumination on both laptops, and they can choose between 60Hz, 144Hz or 240Hz FHD panels or an OLED display panel. Both laptops will also have optional monitoring of Tobii eyes.

It is encouraging to see Dell's execution of the new Alienware design language across the entire portfolio. The Area-51m is a machine designed for specific types of players, ie those who do not make any expense to meet their needs for mobile PC gaming. The m15 and m17 laptops are within reach of more users in terms of specifications and pricing, and these users now have more to wait to get the latest look and internal architecture proposed by Alienware.

The new XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available soon starting at $ 999. The new XPS 15 is available today starting at $ 999 (the model with OLED display will cost you at least $ 1,899). Dell's updated Alienware m15 and m17 laptops will be available July 1 from $ 1,499.

Announcement image of Valentina Palladino