Verdict
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) could have an attention grabbing transportable design and an important display screen, however important efficiency points make this a irritating laptop computer to make use of, even for easy day-to-day duties. You’re higher off spending somewhat additional for higher high quality, or settling for an older iteration of the XPS vary that isn’t compromised by thermal points.
Professionals
- Trendy and slender design
- Vivid and vibrant show
- Comparatively inexpensive value
Cons
- Abysmal efficiency
- Thermal points
- Brief battery life
- Poor port choices
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Extraordinarily skinny designAt simply 13.99mm, this is likely one of the thinnest Home windows laptops yow will discover. -
InfinityEdge display screen designDell has squashed down the display screen bezel to end in an attention grabbing design. -
Elective touchscreen:Paying an additional $100/£100 will bag you a touchscreen, permitting for simpler navigation.
Introduction
The Dell XPS 13 sequence has lengthy been thought to be one of many very best 13-inch laptop computer ranges exterior the MacBook Air, however the newest entry within the sequence is a backwards step for the model.
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) nonetheless options the illustrious, ultra-portable design that made its predecessors so beloved, however the likes of the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023), MSI Status 13 Evo (2023) and the MacBook Air M2 have all closed the hole.
What’s extra, Dell has been so centered on slimming down the transportable that it’s triggered main points in efficiency. Throttled speeds and fixed overheating result in a compromised expertise, the place the laptop computer can wrestle with probably the most fundamental duties.
The one silver lining of the 2022 XPS 13 is that it’s comparatively low-cost, with the bottom value coming in at $849/£849 and my assessment mannequin (with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and touchscreen) priced at $949/£1099. However, with the arrival of the future-gazing Dell XPS 13 Plus, the usual Dell XPS 13 instantly feels just like the forgotten little one.
Design and Keyboard
- Nonetheless as trendy as its predecessors
- Solely USB-C for ports
- Lacks the flamboyant options of XPS 13 Plus
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) is a handsome laptop computer. Its famend InfinityEdge display screen ensures the display screen bezel is hardly seen, with a slender black line framing the display screen.
Dell has additionally opted for a splash of color quite than staying protected with dreadfully boring silvers and blacks. With the XPS 13, you get the selection of a purplish Umber (photoed right here) or a stunning vivid Sky blue.
There’s not a lot occurring with the lid, with the Dell brand slapped proper within the centre, however the metallic design glistens within the daylight for a blinding impact.
It is a remarkably slender laptop computer, with a top of simply 13.99mm. That’s not fairly the thinnest 13-inch laptop computer obtainable although, with the MacBook M2 measuring in at 11.3mm and the ZenBook 13 S OLED at 11.88mm.
Dell can not less than brag that the XPS 13 (2022) is marginally lighter, hitting the scales at simply 1.17 kg. That’s mild sufficient to simply maintain in a single hand, or tuck below my arm as I cost concerning the workplace. It ought to match into the overwhelming majority of baggage too for seamless commutes.
Dell XPS 13 (2022) left edge
Dell XPS 13 (2022) proper edge
I’m a giant fan of slender laptops, however I’m not so eager on Dell utilizing it as an excuse to be stingy on ports. The XPS 13 solely has 2x USB-C ports (with Thunderbolt 4 help) with no headphone jack, USB-A or HDMI connection in sight. Dell instructed me it may not match legacy ports onto its laptops with out compromising on the ultra-thin design, however that excuse doesn’t stack up when Asus has been capable of cram all the above onto the even thinner ZenBook S 13 OLED.
At the least Dell bundles USB-C to USB-A 3.0 and USB-C to three.5mm adaptors within the field, however it should nonetheless seemingly be a ache for many who nonetheless use USB drives and wired mice on the common.
The webcam is a 720p affair, capturing grainy video, which is completely positive for Zoom conferences and the like – simply don’t anticipate to launch a YouTube profession with it.
The keyboard doesn’t have an enormous quantity of journey, because of the laptop computer’s slender body, however it’s nonetheless pleasurable to kind on. There’s an audible click on to every press, which isn’t loud sufficient to disturb close by colleagues. The white backlight additionally helps the letters to face out, particularly when you’re working after hours.
In contrast to the dearer Plus mannequin and its haptic providing, the XPS 13 incorporates a bodily trackpad. It really works simply in addition to you’d hope, with responsive swipes and clicks.
Show and Sound
- No choice for an OLED show
- Show is splendidly vivid and vibrant
- Elective touchscreen
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) incorporates a 13.4-inch display screen, with a 1920 x 1200 decision. For an additional £270/$300, you may improve to a 4K show for sharper picture high quality, however there’s no choice to improve to an OLED or Mini LED panel.
That’s an odd choice by Dell after its Dell XPS 13 OLED (2021) mannequin from the previous era was acquired so effectively. The one logical clarification for that is that Dell is reserving the highest tier specs for the dearer Dell XPS 13 Plus laptop computer this time round.
To provide Dell credit score, the value of the XPS 13 is mirrored by the absence of an OLED display screen. The bottom value of the most recent XPS 13 is simply $849/£849, whereas the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED is available in at a extra pricey $1399.99/£1599.99.
By sticking to a standard LCD panel, the Dell XPS 13 struggles to current inky darkish blacks, which ends up in a lack of element for darkish scenes equivalent to Recreation of Thrones’ Battle for Winterfell. However Dell has nonetheless managed to suit this laptop computer with a wonderful panel regardless of the restrictions of LCD.
I recorded a max brightness of 509 nits with the XPS 13, which is likely one of the brightest panels I’ve seen on a laptop computer, and is effectively above the goal 300 nits that the majority producers goal for. Such a excessive brightness not solely ensures nice visibility outdoor, but additionally drives up the distinction for a extra pleasing image. The Dell XPS 13 laptop computer’s distinction is available in at 1840:1, which once more is likely one of the highest scores I’ve seen from a laptop computer exterior of OLED and Mini LED screens.
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) passes the bare eye check. The punchy, vibrant type of an Throughout the Spider-Verse trailer appears to be like remarkably vibrant on the Dell XPS 13. I’ve loved watching TV exhibits and films on this laptop computer, though the small display screen dimension and 16:10 facet ratio do end in a squashed view.
Color protection is nice, with 100% of the sRGB gamut lined right here to make sure nice accuracy for leisure functions. The broader Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 gamuts aren’t fairly as effectively lined, each coming in at 80% on the Dell XPS 13. This implies you might discover inaccurate color when working with images or video, however the protection remains to be excessive sufficient for entry-level creators who don’t demand perfection.
Dell additionally presents up the touchscreen, including an additional $100/£100 to the associated fee. I personally discover it helpful to swipe on the display screen to scroll down or pinch to zoom in, however I’m happy to see that it’s an choice quite than an enforced function.
The audio system are located on the underside of the laptop computer, so music is blasted into the floor of your desk in an unlucky trend, making for a muffled sound. Regardless of this, I used to be nonetheless happy with the efficiency of the audio system, able to room-filling sound. Dialogue is introduced clearly, making the audio system comfortably competent for motion pictures and TV exhibits.
Efficiency
- Poor efficiency
- Main thermal points
- Beneath-par SSD speeds
I’ve been fairly constructive concerning the Dell XPS 13 (2022) up to now, and that shouldn’t come as a shock since Dell has excelled at design and display screen high quality in recent times. However I really had a torrid time with this laptop computer, and that’s all right down to the efficiency.
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) struggled to finish easy duties with out freezing or encountering irritating slowdowns. Each time I encountered any web site with auto-playing movies and adverts (which is most these days) the Dell XPS 13 would throw a tantrum and turn into unresponsive. Wait a couple of seconds, the laptop computer would ultimately begin operating usually once more, however one other slowdown at all times felt proper across the nook.
The Intel Core i5-1230U processor that powers the Dell XPS 13 (2022) is admittedly a era outdated now we’re in 2023, however it ought to nonetheless be highly effective sufficient to keep away from such points. My Geekbench 5 outcomes point out as a lot, displaying the XPS 13 to be considerably slower than the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) and MacBook Air M2, however nonetheless quicker than the Dell XPS 13 OLED which was thought of to be speedy again in 2021.
Nevertheless, the Dell XPS 13 (2022) posted an abnormally poor consequence within the PCMark 10 benchmark, which is a significantly extra demanding check. Out of all the Home windows laptops that Trusted Evaluations has reviewed over the previous few years, solely the Floor Go 3 – which is taken into account to be a Home windows pill quite than a laptop computer – posted a worse PCMark 10 rating.
This leads me to conclude that Dell’s selection of processor isn’t the issue, however quite the laptop computer’s potential to maintain the chip cool. Any sustained use or demanding workload will trigger the laptop computer to warmth as much as such an extent that the processor turns into throttled, leading to these irritating slowdowns and freezes.
This holds as much as my real-world expertise, as the underside of the laptop computer grew to become scorching scorching, and I typically heard the followers whirring up into motion even once I was simply shopping the net. I grew to become so irritated by these points, that I typically discovered myself switching to different laptops simply to finish fundamental work.
Dell presents as much as 16GB of RAM, which is the quantity of reminiscence put in inside my assessment unit, so don’t anticipate that to offset the efficiency points. The graphics efficiency of the Iris Xe Graphics is underwhelming too, attaining a worse 3DMark Time Spy consequence than any Home windows laptop computer we’ve reviewed in 2023, and due to this fact just isn’t a sensible choice for gaming and content material creation.
Even the SSD speeds have been effectively beneath common, forcing me to attend longer for boot-up and any installations to the onerous drive.
Battery Life
- Struggles to final over 7 hours
- Takes 2 hours to totally recharge
For a 13-inch productiveness laptop computer, I usually anticipate a battery lifetime of not less than 10 hours. Sadly, the Dell XPS 13 (2023) didn’t hit that concentrate on, managing simply 6 hours and 45 minutes throughout our go-to PCMark 10 battery simulation check with the display screen brightness dimmed right down to 150 nits.
As compared, the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) lasted 11 hours and 53 minutes in the identical check, whereas the MSI Status 13 Evo lasted for a outstanding 14 hours and 53 minutes.
So why is the Dell XPS 13 (2022) so poor on this respect? It appears to be like like Dell has opted for a small battery to realize the slender kind, with a 51Wh cell, in comparison with the 63Wh capability of the aforementioned Zenbook. The effectivity of the processor will even have a huge impact, with the XPS 13 (2022) powered by a barely outdated chip.
Topping up the battery with the bundled 45W energy adaptor is a gradual course of too, taking 2 hours to hit 100%. It takes half of that point for the MSI Status 13 Evo battery to be totally replenished.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
You need an inexpensive laptop computer with a top-notch design
It’s tough to discover a laptop computer that appears and feels pretty much as good because the Dell XPS 13 with out spending extra. However I nonetheless suppose you’re higher off going for a reduced Dell XPS 13 OLED as an alternative.
You desire a good efficiency
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) flounders below stress, even for easy day-to-day workloads. If you need a stress-free efficiency, you’re higher off spending somewhat extra for the likes of a MacBook Air or Asus Zenbook.
Remaining Ideas
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) represents a disappointing decline for the laptop computer sequence that solely not too long ago dominated our Greatest Laptop computer chart. The design remains to be terrific, and the show is great regardless of lacking out on an OLED panel, however the XPS is let down by a really terrible efficiency.
The Intel chip that powers the laptop computer is affected by thermal points, with irritating slowdowns and freezes occuring throughout fundamental day-to-day duties. And even when efficiency is operating easily, it’s nonetheless lagging far behind trendy rivals. Dell appears to have acknowledged this laptop computer’s limitations by knocking the beginning value right down to a surprisingly inexpensive £848.99/$849. However the efficiency woes are important sufficient for me to suggest you look elsewhere.
The Zenbook S 13 OLED, MacBook Air and Acer Swift Go 14 are all vastly superior choices. And when you’re searching for one thing extra inexpensive try the Floor Laptop computer Go 2 as an alternative, or go to our Greatest Funds Laptop computer listing.
How we check
Each laptop computer we assessment goes by a sequence of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with construct high quality, efficiency, display screen high quality and battery life.
These embrace formal artificial benchmarks, scripted assessments and a sequence of real-world checks.
We used as our foremost laptop computer for not less than every week.
Examined the efficiency through each benchmark assessments and real-world use.
We examined the display screen with a colorimeter and real-world use.
We examined the battery with a benchmark check and real-world use.
FAQs
Dell hasn’t confirmed the existence of a regular Dell XPS 13 laptop computer for 2023 but, however it might be ready till September when Intel is anticipated to launch its subsequent batch of processors. However curiously, Dell has confirmed there can be a refresh of the Dell XPS 13 Plus for 2023.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is similar to the usual model, however presents a couple of additional options equivalent to a bigger keyboard, digital contact bar and haptic trackpad. Proper now, the Plus choice can also be obtainable with extra up-to-date specs.
Trusted Evaluations check knowledge
PCMark 10
Geekbench 5 single core
Geekbench 5 multi core
Geekbench 6 single core
Geekbench 6 multi core
3DMark Time Spy
CrystalDiskMark Learn pace
CrystalDiskMark Write Pace
Brightness (SDR)
Black degree
Distinction
White Visible Color Temperature
sRGB
Adobe RGB
DCI-P3
PCMark Battery (workplace)
Battery recharge time
UK RRP
USA RRP
CPU
Producer
Display screen Measurement
Storage Capability
Entrance Digicam
Battery
Measurement (Dimensions)
Weight
Working System
Launch Date
Decision
Refresh Charge
Ports
Audio (Energy output)
GPU
RAM
Connectivity
Colors
Show Expertise
Display screen Expertise
Contact Display screen
Convertible?
