Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) review: a minor update but an ultraportable with a design that stands out
Dell struck a big blow last year by introducing the XPS 13 Plus with a radically different design with its touchpad, its keyboard and its row of atypical functions.
Dell is now presenting a second version which retains the same chassis, but has a new processor and faster RAM. This update to the XPS 13 Plus features the same invisible touchpad, the same flat keyboard with little to no space between keys, and the same row of function keys made up of tactile icons instead of physical keys. The excellent 13.4-inch, 3.5K OLED screen is also back, as is the obsolete 720p webcam.
This year's model offers an improvement in one key area: battery life. Range was poor on last year's model. Many ultraportables offer very good battery life, and the XPS 13 Plus 2023 is close to average in this area. Battery life is essential for a laptop, but it's even more so for an ultraportable that will likely spend a lot of its time on the move. We're not totally sold on the XPS 13 Plus, especially its haptic touchpad.
Configuration tested
| Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) | |
|---|---|
| Screen size/resolution | 13.4 inches, 3456 x 2160 pixels, 60Hz, OLED |
| CPU | 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-1360P |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5 6,400 MHz RAM |
| Graphics cards | 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Operating system | Windows Home 11 22H2 |
The XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) is priced from €1,599 in France. It is equipped with an Intel Core i7-1360P processor, 16 GB of RAM, an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics card, a 512 GB SSD hard drive and an IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Two screen upgrades are available, and they all bring the benefit of an OLED display. One offers a resolution of 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160 pixels) and 400 nits, the other offers a resolution of 4K (3,840 x 2,400 pixels) and 500 nits. Our test setup is equipped with the former. We tested the XPS 13 Plus in white (platinum), but there is also a black (graphite) option.
Under the hood, the XPS 13 Plus has a Core i7-1360P CPU (compared to a Core i7-1280P CPU for the 2022 model) and DDR5-6000 RAM, which is slightly faster compared to the Last year. Despite the narrowness of the XPS 13 Plus's body, Dell has kept an Intel Core P-series chip. Many thin and compact ultraportables are equipped with a lower-power U-series chip. The 28 watt P series is halfway between the 15 watt U series (more efficient) and the 45 watt P series (more powerful). The first and second generation models are so similar that Dell kept the same model number: XPS 13 Plus 9320.
We didn't see a big difference in performance between last year's model's Core i7-1280P and this year's Core i7-1360P, which isn't surprising since the two processors are very similar. The Core i7-1360P has a slightly higher frequency, but has two fewer performance cores and four fewer processing threads.
As you can see in the benchmark charts below, this year's XPS 13 Plus finished behind the previous model in most of our tests. It only surpassed last year's model on PCMark 10. Its performance generally falls between that of the Acer Swift Go 14, equipped with a powerful Core i7-13700H processor, and that of the Asus ZenBook S 13 , which uses a more efficient Core i7-1355U processor. Furthermore, two HP Pavilions equipped with AMD Ryzen U-series processors overall outperformed the XPS 13 Plus, which is not good news for Dell's ultraportable.
This year's XPS 13 Plus offers better battery life, even though it's equipped with the same three-cell, 51-watt-hour battery as the previous model. It lasted just over seven hours in our online streaming battery drain test, while last year's model barely reached four hours. However, competing ultraportables have longer battery life than the XPS 13 Plus.
Overall, the XPS 13 Plus was responsive for general Windows use. We multitasked without experiencing the slightest slowdown. However, like last year's model, the laptop heats up when using multimedia applications or even playing a video for extended periods of time. The fans aren't too loud, but they might need to spin faster, as the bottom tray is often hot when placed on you. This is a laptop best used on a desk or table rather than on your lap or stomach.
Wait, where's the touchpad?
The XPS 13 Plus features a bold design, starting with its borderless touchpad. The touchpad extends from the left edge of the spacebar to the right edge of the right Alt key. Combined with the keyboard that stretches from edge to edge with flat keys separated by a wafer-thin gap, the XPS 13 Plus presents a stunning design when you open it.
We were initially skeptical of the keyboard layout, but quickly felt comfortable with typing. The keys have a short travel, but offer enough responsiveness not to give an unpleasant sensation. Additionally, they are very quiet when you press them. We would have liked the fingerprint reader next to the backspace key to be moved, but we were generally happy with the keyboard.
On the other hand, our opinion on the touchpad is not as positive. We don't mind the borderless design, as the touchpad is wide enough to keep tapping and clicking out of its area. What bothered us was rather its haptic feedback. Like MacBook touchpads, the one on the XPS 13 Plus does not offer a physical clicking mechanism, but haptic feedback. We also encountered some problems with it.
The first time the haptic feedback stopped working, we were concerned and thought a system reboot would be necessary to resolve the issue. After 10 seconds, the haptic feedback returned and we resumed our activities as if nothing had happened. Our concern turned to annoyance when the haptic feedback froze several times. Each time, they came back within seconds, restoring full touchpad functionality, but it disrupted our work. We also found it difficult to perform drag-and-drop maneuvers with the touchpad. All these haptic problems mean that we would have preferred a classic touchpad with a physical and reliable response.
The row of touch icons contributes to the XPS 13 Plus's clean aesthetic, but it lacks haptic feedback. Without a physical or haptic response, it's not possible to turn down the volume or increase the screen brightness by blindly tapping like you would with a row of physical buttons.
Before you can access the laptop's keyboard, touchpad, and function row, you need to open it first. This simple act is a little more difficult than it should be. Because of its sleek design, the XPS 13 Plus doesn't have a cutout on its front edge that would help you lift the screen with your fingertips. The firm hinge of the screen also works to the user's disadvantage. More often than not, our finger slipped. We found the best method was to grab each side of the lid and lift it with both hands.
Another downside to the XPS 13 Plus's sleek design: it only has two ports. There's a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port on each side of the laptop, and that's it. Additionally, one of the two will be busy when you recharge the battery. There's not even a headphone jack. However, Dell includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter and a USB-C to micro jack adapter in the box.
Whatever our opinion on the overall design, we have to admit that the XPS 13 Plus benefits from exceptional build quality. Its construction is really solid. The all-metal chassis is very rigid, without any of the flex you can often experience with a thin ultraportable. The 13.4-inch XPS 13 Plus weighs 1.27 kg, which is slightly heavier than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2 which weighs 1.22 kg. For a more portable OLED ultraportable, the 13.3-inch Asus Zenbook S 13 weighs just 1kg.
High-resolution OLED display, low-resolution IR webcam
The 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160 pixels) OLED display in our test setup is excellent. It delivers the exceptional contrast expected from an OLED, with brilliant whites and absolute black levels. It also features an extended color gamut. When tested with a Spyder X Elite colorimeter, it covered 100% of sRGB and DCI-P3 colors and 97% of AdobeRGB colors.
Images and text are so sharp with the 3.5K resolution that we wouldn't recommend the 4K display option unless you need a brighter screen for outdoor use. Higher resolution isn't necessary on such a compact screen and the extra pixels will only reduce battery life. The 3.5K display has a rated brightness of 400 nits, but our testing showed it to be a bit dimmer than that, with a peak brightness of 369 nits. Each display option is touch sensitive, which can be useful when the touchpad no longer works.
The 720p webcam was already obsolete on last year's model, and it's even more so with this year's. Virtually all laptops (except the lowest end) today offer sharper 1080p cameras, and some higher-end models even offer 1440p cameras. The XPS 13 Plus's webcam produces a grainy image with reddish skin tones. This can be a barrier to purchasing if Zoom calls are part of your daily life.
The good thing about the webcam is that it is an infrared camera, which allows you to log in to the system securely without having to enter a password. Using the MyDell app, you can use the presence detection feature to lock the system when you move away from the laptop and wake it when you approach it. Another feature is to dim the display to protect your privacy and extend battery life when you're still sitting in front of the laptop but looking away. These three detection functions work well.
Dell XPS 13 Plus: our opinion
So, should you buy the XPS 13 Plus? We'd say yes if you're looking for a product that stands out, but benefits from solid construction. The XPS 13 Plus looks and feels like a premium ultraportable, but its very average performance and battery life prevent us from recommending it unconditionally. We'd also like the touchpad to be more responsive. The HP Pavilion Plus 14 offers a well-balanced package and a comfortable OLED panel. As an alternative, we can consider the Asus Zenbook S 13 , an OLED ultraportable even more suitable for mobile tasks with long battery life.
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