Dell - XPS 13 13.4” LCD FHD+ Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 7 Copilot+ PC with 16GB Memory – 512GB SSD - Graphite

Loving this new computer- it is light-weight, has a long battery life, a small screen and lots of memory. I like Dell computers in general, and I really recommend this one!

The Dell - X{S 13 -- Copilot+ PC came very well packaged with the laptop itself in it's own pouch. Other than the battery info and the specs, there was no other information, if you want the manual, you have to go to the Dell website. I would much prefer that there is something else, a quick-start guide, for example, to highlight any changes for those who may be using this for the first time. As an example, a picture of the keyboard pointing out the Copilot+ key for people whose brain automatically may see it and think Windows key (yes, that happened when setting this up but by a 24 year old so this wasn't an old lady problem). The set-up was easy, just as I've come to expect from Dell. I found that the specs are pretty spot on when describing the level each element takes on, yes, the graphics are good for beginning game play but wouldn't be great for some of the more graphic intense games. On the other hand, the downloading of a more graphic intense game was quick with no issues. There was also no issue with lag while playing the games. The sound quality is solid and the microphone worked well. Copilot was tried by a few people who have never used AI before and came away with a "I want this" rating. It is easy to use and easy to learn. We tested it against another info source and found the summation of articles to be accurate and written with understanding of the meaning of the articles. I didn't have it write anything as that's not what I want it for - I want a helper, not a creator. Even though I'm just getting started on it, It appears it will be able to be that helper, especially when I get those overly long emails which can be summarized in two sentences. I have two issues with this model. One, no headphone jack, though it does have bluetooth so can be paired. The second is what I'm beginning to see may be standard for laptops now - only 2 USB-C ports. It's easily fixed with adapters but it would be nice not to have to use them. I went and got an adapter so I can use all my old tech with it as well. As these are my own preferences, no stars were lost in the writing of this review. Overall, I would recommend this laptop across the board.

The Dell XPS 13 is a staple for the Dell Brand and continues to redefine portability and performance in a minimal design that's also powerful and that is geared towards work and productivity. This new model comes with an 8 core Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 2.20 GHz, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD, delivering performance in a compact and lightweight laptop. That being said, this laptop might not be for everyone, and I’ll go over what's great and what's not to love. The Dell XPS 13 offers a respectable 13.4-inch FHD+ matte screen display at resolution of 1920 x 1200 resolution, providing sharp, vibrant visuals for any work task or media consumption, along with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which ensures smoother motion, especially noticeable when scrolling pages or moving apps around your desktop, while offering a visually seamless experience without sacrificing battery life. The 500-nit brightness rating is about standard for a laptop in this price range. The screen’s aspect ratio is 16:10 and provides a bit more vertical space, which is particularly good for productivity tasks, like working on documents or browsing large spreadsheets. While not a 1440p or 4K display, the resolution is decent enough for most users. Dell has equipped this XPS 13 model with Windows AI Copilot+, an AI-powered assistant integrated into the operating system. It provides intelligent recommendations, personalized suggestions, and optimization tips that can adapt to your usage patterns, which can improve productivity and efficiency in your daily tasks. For instance, the AI can help by suggesting shortcuts, automating workflows, and assisting with task organization, making it ideal for those who want assistance in streamlining their work. If you are having issues or can’t figure something out with your computer, you can ask it a question like “how do I change the disk partition on my SSD” and it will give you a step by step guide on how to do that and where the apps you need are located. durable and visually appealing. The aluminum finish gives it a nice premium feel. This blend of materials makes it not only durable but also lightweight, making it easy to carry around a huge advantage for the professionals or students on the go. That being said, this design is not for everyone. The aluminum of this laptop is a fingerprint magnet and I recommend having a microfiber cloth to wipe it down if you plan on bringing this laptop into meetings. When it comes to upgradability there is not much you can do with this laptop, in that the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and there are no DIMM slots for adding more RAM if you want to down the road. The SSD can be upgraded but there is only one slot on the motherboard, so you will have to back everything up on the cloud or an external drive if you plan on increasing the storage. The keys on this laptop are very nice and have a good travel distance and are not too loud when typing. That being said, I found the keyboard to be a bit on the smaller size for a 13in laptop than what I’ve used from other brands in this size. I have slightly bigger hands than the average person and I found it very uncomfortable and somewhat difficult at times typing on the keyboard. In order for my index fingers to be on the “F" and “J” keys, my palms hang over the edge of the laptop, which due to the edges on this laptop make it uncomfortable for long periods of typing. The function keys row are touch-sensitive, which might feel odd to those who are used to physical buttons, but as someone who doesn't use those keys too often is not a deal breaker. Having the media controls, audio controls and brightness being the default is appreciated and if you need to use a function key, just hold the “Fn” key and it will switch to F1-F12. The down side of these keys being touch sensitive is that there is no feedback when pressing them and I wish there was some sort of haptic feedback (like the trackpad) with the touch-sensitive keys to get that tactile response when pressing it. The haptic glass touchpad is kind of hit or miss, offering responsive haptic feedback when clicked, but because it's one piece of glass. It's initially hard to tell where the trackpad starts and stops and it takes some muscle memory to get used to it. The trackpad starts on the left end of the spacebar and goes to about the end of the right “alt” key. I personally wish they just sectioned it off as just one dedicated piece of glass for the track pad. I found it annoying trying to right-click things, in that you have to click the lower right corner of the trackpad and multiple times I would just miss the trackpad all together, forcing myself to just do the 2-finger click to bring the right-click drop down up. If you have big hands or long fingers, I would probably recommend sizing up to the XPS 14 for a more comfortable typing experience. One area of potential contention with XPS 13 is in its port selection. Since Dell decided to go with the minimalistic approach that is the trade off you are willing to accept, with it only having 2x USB-C ports and forgoing a HDMI port, USB-A or a headphone jack. While this does align with the slim and sleek design, it may not meet the needs for those who rely on options with their connectivity without wanting to use a dongle. I was able to use this laptop in my office setup where I have 2x 4K monitors but because of my dock limitations, I was not able to get the 120Hz refresh rate out of my monitors and could only get 60Hz. You could potentially run into this situation as there are only a handful of 4K HDMI 2.1 docks on the market currently. If you want to attach a 4k 120 Hz monitor to this laptop, you will need to get a cable adapter that is a USB-C to HDMI 2.1 or USB-C to Display Port to get those high refresh rates. Pros: Portability and Size: Lightweight and compact, making it ideal for on-the-go. Windows AI Copilot+: Enhanced productivity and optimization through intelligent AI assistance. Display Quality: Bright, sharp screen with a high refresh rate that enhances experience. Premium Build Quality: Durable materials and a high-end finish give the laptop a sophisticated feel. Cons: Limited IO: Lack of traditional ports, including HDMI, USB-A and headphone jack could be a turnoff for some users. Keyboard Layout: On the Smaller size and might be uncomfortable for those bigger hands. Function Keys: Touch sensitive function keys Overall the Dell XPS 13 is a good laptop for those who want a compact design, and portability in their laptops. It has a great screen, powerful performance, and quality build for professionals or students. But those who are on the bigger size might find this laptop to be uncomfortable with its typing experience, and cumbersome when navigating with the trackpad. The Dell XPS 13 does everything it advertises it should do but its design makes it so that it's not made for everyone, so I would recommend trying it out for yourself in person and see if it's right for you before buying it.