Dell XPS 13 (2015) Laptop Review - 'Now If It Only Ran OS X'

When Dell unveiled their new XPS 13 for 2015, I brazenly wrote that I regretted my MacBook Air purchase, largely on the merits of a gorgeous edge-to-edge display and specs that should honestly force Apple to issue a price drop or accelerate their own Macbook Air redesign. But how does it hold up in the real world? I've had a couple weeks with Dell's new ultrabook and the verdict is largely enthusiastic.

Dell's XPS 13 for 2015 packs a 13.3-inch display, but does so in an 11-inch laptop body. The baseline model starts at $799 and includes Intel's new Broadwell-based CPU (specifically the Core-i5 5010U clocked at 2.10 GHz), 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid state drive.

My initial goal was to pit the $999 XPS 13 directly against a comparatively priced MacBook Air, but one wasn't available at the time Dell was seeding review samples. I ended up with their $1399 SKU, which boasts 8GB of RAM, a 256GB Solid State Drive, and a dazzling 3200 x 1800 touch display. Unfortunately this puts a direct Air comparison out of range, but it should be noted that on paper the XPS 13 blows Apple's ultrabook out of the water on pricing and performance.

This means an apples-to-apples comparison isn't possible, so I'll review the XPS 13 based solely on its build quality, user experience, and performance. Besides, it could be argued that without the ability to run OS X, said comparison would be impossible even with the corresponding hardware.

The Infinity Display

The "infinity display" on the XPS 13 is a rather genius feat of engineering. By nearly eliminating the bezel (now a mere 5.2mm on top and on the sides), Dell has crammed a 13.3-inch display into what we traditionally associate as an 11-inch laptop body. Dell claims it's the world's smallest 13-inch laptop, and it is. In fact it's 23% smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air.

The 3200 x 1800 resolution display itself is a showstopper, with wide viewing angles, rich and accurate color reproduction, and a 400-nit screen (bright enough for use in sunlight). I can't emphasize enough how stunning it is to gaze at this panel on a daily basis. As a selling point, it's a compelling one.

It should be noted here that Apple is prepping a rather dramatic revision of the MacBook Air, and there's an established precedent for Apple trailblazing new feature and quality standards in that space (in fact no single laptop manufacturer ever replicated the Air's marathon battery life). That being said, the visual gateway to the XPS 13's computing experience is an IGZO display from Sharp , and Dell recently told Forbes it has exclusivity on these panels until the end of 2015. It's always fun to speculate, but I'll predict that Dell maintains this particular edge over Apple for the near future.

Build Quality And Design

The XPS 13 adheres to Dell's established design language, with machined aluminum and carbon fiber for a premium look and feel. The silver and black theme is unmistakably Dell, but this time a bit more angular and exuding all kinds of sleekness. I did notice that its frame audibly creaks under pressure, but I doubt anyone will be trying to bend the poor laptop under normal use.

The thin-and-light laptop space is super competitive, which means the little things hold more weight in the purchase decision-making process. And although I'm enamored with Dell's overall design for their XPS 13, they overlooked something small but significant: the one-finger opening. With a MacBook Air you can open the lid with a single finger. This is enabled by a small indentation on the base underneath the trackpad, and the perfectly balanced amount of resistance, meaning the base of the laptop doesn't lift as you're opening the lid.

This is one minor flourish I wish Dell would have addressed. The XPS 13 isn't difficult to open by any means, but it's not ridiculously effortless like the MacBook Air or even the 2012 Samsung Series 9. And when you're deliberately targeting Apple in your ad campaigns, these small touches matter.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Finally, a trackpad that can challenge Apple's! The glass-integrated trackpad on the XPS 13 improves upon the excellent XPS 12 (the nifty hybrid they launched with Windows 8). It's smooth, precise, multi-touch capable and accurately recognizes Windows 8 gestures. If you've historically been a Windows trackpad hater (I don't blame you), Dell's out to change your mind. It's not as large as my Air trackpad, but it's just as enjoyable.

Keyboards can be one of the dreaded deal breakers (alongside battery life and display technology). If you've used a Dell laptop recently, the chiclet keyboard will feel familiar. Though not much travel is required to register a keystroke, the keys themselves feel springy and you'll become acclimated with them almost instantly. The only company with a better keyboard in this class (and all classes) is Lenovo, but I'm content using it as my content production machine on a daily basis.

Performance & Gaming

I won't bore you with graphs, but the XPS 13 won't leave you wanting in the performance department. With near-instantaneous resume from sleep and about 10 seconds to cold boot to the desktop, those with little patience will be satisfied. Operation is whisper quiet unless you're gaming, and everything from web browsing to photo editing to HD playback is ultra responsive.

What about gaming? You won't be playing anything of weight on the XPS 13's demanding native resolution, but certain titles with less graphical demands can run perfectly well at 1080p. League of Legends -- a game that relies heavily on the CPU -- turned in a surprising 60fps with quality settings on High. Diablo III cranked out 30fps with settings downscaled to Low quality, and World of Warcraft manages 33fps.

So while Intel's HD 5500 integrated graphics are an improvement over HD 5000, you still won't be enjoying graphically intensive games like Far Cry 4, Dying Light, or Grand Theft Auto V, although the XPS 13 is a perfectly capable client machine for streaming your Steam games to -- especially with its gorgeous edge-to-edge display. And to be fair, it's not designed with the intention of being a gaming laptop. For that, turn to products like the Alienware 13, ASUS G750, or Lenovo Y50.

Battery Life [UPDATED]

Welcome to Dealbreaker Town, population far too many. Battery life is the achilles heel of so many aspiring laptops. Fortunately the new XPS 13 doesn't reside here.

That being said, even with a new generation of mobile CPUs from Intel, Dell hasn't managed to snatch away the holy grail of battery life from Cupertino's clutches. They may eek out a win in every other category, but not here (and this is why you constantly see an almost comical majority of Airs at press conferences and conventions -- even Microsoft's).

Dell claims 11 hours of juice on this QHD, touchscreen model. If I'm not mistaken these claims were based on a variety of tests conducted at Dell's labs in November 2014 using MobileMark and a variety of web browsing and HD video playback rundown procedures. But the maximum amount of battery life I managed was 7.5 hours, and that was with Airplane Mode activated and screen brightness turned all the way down, idling at the desktop. With Wifi and Bluetooth on and screen brightness at a comfortable 50%, I clocked 5.5 hours streaming an HD movie.

UPDATE: Based on a reader's suggestion who owns the $999 XPS 13, I decided to disable Windows Indexing and re-run the Airplane Mode/Screen Brightness minimum battery test. To my surprise I gained a whopping 2 hours of life, raising the maximum from 7.5 hours to 9.5 hours. I'll be investigating this further. 

When all's said and done, Dell's battery life claims miss the mark by a not-insignificant amount, and the XPS 13 still can't match or exceed the Air in that department. I was desperately hoping it would. But is it poor battery life? Absolutely not. I do look forward to testing this machine's battery capabilities with Windows 10, and normally firmware updates and optimizations can slightly improve the situation. If things change I'll let you know.

The Bottom Line

Yep, I still regret buying my MacBook Air.

If Dell's XPS 13 ran OS X (I can't live without Garageband) and squeezed out a couple more hours of battery life it would be perfect. But if you're not married to Apple's ecosystem or OS, this is one hell of a sexy upgrade. I urge you to see this display in person. It practically sells itself.

Bottom line: The 2015 XPS 13 is well worth the asking price, and aside from a couple minor detractors it establishes itself as the new leader in the thin and light laptop category.

Seriously, that screen though...