Dell’s new XPS 13 2-in-1 is fancier than ever

During Computex, when basically every major PC manufacturer is launching new laptops, Dell isn’t one to be left behind. 

On Tuesday, the company announced a freshly redesigned Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop, as well as a new version of its Dell XPS 15 laptop. 

Dell’s 13-inch laptop/tablet hybrid has several important upgrades over its predecessor, the most important of them being camera placement — instead of being lodged in the device’s “chin” beneath the screen, the camera is now located in the (far more convenient) top bezel. 

The XPS 13 2-in-1’s screen hasn’t suffered for this. It’s a 16:10 touchscreen with a 7% larger viewing experience, Dell says, and it can be configured to have up to UHD+ resolution as well as HDR400 certification with Dolby Vision. Other things have been improved as well, including a 19% larger touchpad, and a new hinge design. Still, Dell has managed to make the device 8% thinner than the previous generation. 

The new XPS 13 2-in1 comes with Intel’s 10th-generation Core processors. It’s no longer fanless, but overall, it offers 2.5 times more performance than the previous generation (according to Dell), so a little bit of fan noise might be a worthwhile tradeoff. 

Generally, it appears that Dell has perfected a machine that was already pretty nice, and while there’s still room for improvement (for example, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, coupled with a headphone jack and a microSD slot, may not be enough for some users), it’s probably going to be among the top choices for a thin, capable laptop/tablet hybrid. 

The new Dell XPS 15 isn’t a huge change from the last generation, with nearly identical look, but — very important — its webcam is now also located above the screen. 

Inside, the Dell XPS 15 now supports Intel’s 9th-generation processors. It can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB SSD, as well as up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics. And if you need those perfect blacks, you can get the XPS 15 with an OLED screen.

The new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available in July, while the Dell XPS 15 will arrive “in the coming weeks,” both starting at $999.99.