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Microsoft has released an updated version of its traditional laptop, the Surface Laptop, with 8th generation Intel processors and a new black color palette. The Surface Laptop 2 is also very similar to its predecessor, asking whether internal improvements are enough to compete with today's powerful group of 13-inch competitors.
Enter the Dell XPS 13, which received its own update earlier this year and remains one of our favorite laptops. The Laptop Surface 2 looks good, but is it enough to face the king of the hill? Keep reading to find out.
Design
The Microsoft Laptop 2 looks a lot like its predecessor, that is, it's a relatively thin notebook with excellent all-aluminum construction. It maintains the Alcantara fabric covering on the keyboard deck, giving the computer a solid color that harmonizes with its metal frame, while providing a soft, luxurious feel. Overall, the Laptop Surface 2 is an attractive laptop that will not be confused with any other.
The Dell XPS 13 has undergone a larger design update in its latest release, with a few millimeters shaved from both the chassis and panels. The result is virtually the smallest 13.3-inch notebook available, and Dell's use of new materials, such as Gore insulation, allows it to maintain its performance without melting. It is also a high-end machine, and its new color palette of white gold and rose gold adds a touch of panache to an otherwise conservative aesthetic. The woven textured material in the palm rest and keyboard cover of the new color option offers a lush feel even better than the carbon fiber covering the black and silver deck.
Regarding the input options, the Surface Laptop 2 offers a lot to like. First, there is the keyboard, which offers more than enough movement and a satisfying click that provides a very accurate feel. Then there's the Microsoft Precision touchpad and its smooth support for the full suite of Windows 10 gestures. Thanks to Microsoft's Pixelsense screen technology, the touch screen is one of the best laptops in the world. valve. It is also compatible with the Surface Pen. This is a dubious distinction for a traditional laptop, but it's there if you want it. Finally, the Surface Laptop 2 supports the Windows 10 password-free Hello login feature with an infrared camera for face recognition.
Dell's keyboard has a relatively shallow keyboard yet offers a sharp and accurate typing experience, as well as its own Microsoft Precision touchpad that works just as well as the one you'll find on a Windows laptop. The XPS 13 allows its user to log in with Windows 10 Hello via a fingerprint reader or facial recognition.
Both notebooks have a distinctive and elegant look, and they are both well built. The Dell XPS 13 is smaller, however, and seems to us the most consistent of the two.
Performance
The XPS 13 and Surface Laptop 2 can both be equipped with 8th generation Intel processors, which are fast and efficient. They are both likely to provide more than acceptable performance for any productivity user. We have not tested the Surface Laptop 2 yet, but the XPS 13 has been very successful in our tests and has managed to keep its heat under control. We expect the same thing with Microsoft Notepad. We'll note that the original Laptop Surface used SATA SSDs that were slower than the PCIe versions used in the XPS 13. Therefore, unless Microsoft also upgrades the storage, Dell will access and log more quickly Data.
Regarding its display, the Surface Laptop 2 differs from laptops of similar size. It uses a 13.5-inch IPS display with a sharp resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 (267 PPI) in the productivity-friendly 3: 2 format that Microsoft defends. If it matches its predecessor, it should offer the usual high contrast of surface devices, as well as an average (but nevertheless satisfactory) color and precision range. The brightness should also be very high. This compares to the choice of the XPS 13 to display Full HD (1920 x 1080 or 165 DPI) or 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 or 331 PPI) resolutions that offer good but not excellent contrast, a range of slightly higher colors and a correct brightness.
These two laptops should be very powerful, but we will wink at the Laptop Surface Laptop 2 for its advanced screen.
Portability
The Surface Laptop 2 is not the finest and lightest machine on the market, but it is competitive with a thickness of only 0.57 inches and a mass of about 2.76 pounds (depending on the processor). It's certainly not difficult to transport. It has a battery life of 47 watt hours, which is not really impressive, but the original Surface laptop still worked well in our battery life test suite. The test video was wrapped up for 12½ hours and lasted more than eight hours of web surfing. These results place the Surface Laptop among the best laptops we've tested and we expect better results with the Surface Laptop 2 thanks to its more efficient 8th generation processors.
The Dell XPS 13 is an even thinner, 0.45-inch notebook, and it exploits the ultra-thin edges to be as small as possible in its other dimensions. In fact, it's the smallest 13.3-inch notebook on the market, although it's also a bit dense at 2.68 pounds. It's not heavy, and it beats the Surface Laptop 2, but it's not the lightest machine either. The battery of the XPS 13 is also very powerful: the Full HD version lasted more than 13 hours and a half in video playback and more than 10 hours in web browsing. The 4K version lasted less than about 10 hours on our video test, but survived the Surface Laptop 2 by surfing the Web at about nine o'clock.
These two laptops are quite easy to carry, but the Dell is smaller and lasts longer or longer with a single charge.
Dell's XPS 13 Seduces With Its Ability to Store Much Power in a Smaller Chassis
Both computers are high-quality laptops valued at $ 1,000 or more. The Surface Laptop 2 starts at $ 1,000 for a Core i5, at 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD in its Platinum color scheme, and at $ 2,700 for a Core i7, at 16GB of RAM. to a 1TB SSD. The XPS 13 also starts at $ 1,000 for a Core i5 and a 128GB SSD, but the RAM fails to impress at 4GB. The screen is the Full HD version at lower resolution. You will spend $ 2,100 for a Core i7-8550U, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 4K display.
These two laptops are good representatives in the premium market 13 inches or so. But the Dell XPS 13 is smaller and integrates all its energy – and battery – into a smaller chassis, making it the winner of this shootout.
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