Which XPS laptop is best for you?

The Dell XPS brand has been around since the 1990s, and it’s seen a few identity changes throughout the years. What started as a line of business PCs turned into high-end gaming laptop in the mid-2000s, and today, the XPS line is focused on premium consumer, or “prosumer” laptops. It’s one of the most recognizable brands when it comes to Windows laptops, not just because it has a long legacy, but also because Dell XPS laptops are consistently among the best laptops you can buy each and every year.

In 2022, the Dell XPS family is bigger than it has been in a while. For a few years, it mostly consisted of the XPS 13 (including a 2-in-1 model), XPS 15, and XPS 17, but now, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a completely different beast from the clamshell version, and we have the brand-new Dell XPS 13 Plus, too

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  Dell XPS 13 9315

  The 2022 Dell XPS 13 comes in an even thinner design than before and it now has a couple of interesting colors to choose from. It’s more portable than ever, though it’s not the most powerful option in the lineup.

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  Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

  The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 now features a detachable design, so you can use it as just a tablet or combine it with the keyboard for typical laptop productivity. It also has the best webcams of any XPS laptop, so it’s ideal for staying in touch with family and friends.

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  Dell XPS 13 Plus

  The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the most powerful 13-inch XPS yet, with 28W P-series processors from Intel. It also has a futuristic design you can’t get anywhere else, and fantastic display options including an OLED panel.

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  Dell XPS 15 (2022)

  Made for users who need power and portability, the Dell XPS 15 combines H-series Intel processors and discrete Nvidia graphics in a compact package that you can still take with you on a road trip. It’s great for content creators or those who like to game occasionally.

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  Dell XPS 17 (2022)

  The Dell XPS 17 takes the power of the XPS 15 and cranks it up a notch, making this a fantastic machine for content creation in a studio or office. It has plenty of power and it’s still fairly compact for what it offers, though it’s obviously the least portable of the bunch.

With so much to choose from, it can be hard to know which one is right for you, but we’re here to help. Let’s take a closer look at all five models in the Dell XPS family to find out which one you should buy depending on your priorities.

Specifications

Dell XPS 13 9315

The Dell XPS 13 is probably the most iconic of the lineup, and for 2022, it also got a big shake-up, especially when you consider the two new models, which we’ll get to. The standard Dell XPS 13 is very different now, but the goal is still to be a very thin and light laptop, and in fact, it’s the thinnest XPS clamshell laptop ever, at just 13.99mm. It also comes in more interesting colors now, called Sky and Umber, which are subdued, but have just a bit more personality than most other laptops out there.

To become even thinner and lighter, though, the Dell XPS 13 had to switch to lower-power processors from Intel’s U9 series. Dell has boosted them to have a 12W TDP, but this is still below the 15W processors of past models, and we noted as much in our review. It may not be quite as fast as you’re used to for an XPS laptop, but for everyday use if you’re just browsing the web and working on documents, it’s still more than good enough.

Dell also chose not to offer the top-tier display options, such as the 3.5K OLED or the Ultra HD+ panels, as those are reserved for the new Dell XPS 13 Plus now. That does make the Dell XPS 13 a little less appealing for content creators or more avid users, and now, it’s just a premium laptop for more casual users who work on documents at school or work. And this is still a great display, even with the base Full HD+ options.

One thing that hasn’t changed from previous models is the resolution of the webcam, which is still 720p. That can be said for almost all the XPS laptops, though, so if that’s your concern, you may be better off looking at other brands altogether. HP laptops have great webcams and are probably more suited for you.

Why should you buy the XPS 13?

While it has lost some of its “prosumer” appeal, the Dell XPS 13 is still a great premium laptop fr anyone who wants something portable and light that can handle everyday tasks. It’s more portable than ever, and the refreshed design for 2022 is also more unique, so it stands out from the ocean of silver and black laptops on the market right now. It’s a great choice for college students or anyone whose work takes them on the go, but doesn’t require very powerful processors.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Next up, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is probably the laptop that’s changed the most from previous iterations, and it’s pretty much a different form factor. It used to be like a Dell XPS 13 with a 360-degree hinge, but now it’s a tablet with an optional keyboard and stylus. This new design does make this the most portable XPS ever, though that’s really only true if you consider the tablet by itself and don’t include the XPS Folio cover. Alone, the tablet is a mere 7.4mm thick and weighs just 1.6 pounds, so it’s very easy to take with you wherever you go.

There’s also a degree of versatility with this design, since you can take the keyboard out and take just the tablet with you for extra portability, but if you need to get real work done, you can attach the keyboard and it’s still about as portable as the clamshell version. It does come with an XPS Folio cover (though it’s optional), which only has a few positions you can use it in, so you can’t fully adjust the angle of the screen, which is something to consider.

Performance-wise, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 also uses Intel’s U9 series processors, but these ones don’t have the increased 12W TDP, and instead they run at the default 9W. That means you may lose out on some performance, but this is what allows the tablet to be so thin.

This model also comes with a significantly different screen, which is slightly smaller, but it comes in a taller 3:2 aspect ratio, similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pro. It’s also much sharper with 2880 x 1920 resolution, a big bump compared to the base model in previous iterations.

Because it’s a tablet, this is also the only XPS device to feature a Full HD webcam, with the front-facing camera having a 5MP sensor that supports 1080p video. There’s even a second camera on the back, with an 11MP sensor that can record 4K video, a first for any XPS device, and something that’s still pretty rare on Windows laptops.

Why should you buy the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1?

With the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, you are giving up some performance and the traditional clamshell form factor, but you win in terms of versatility and portability. If you want a machine to casually browse the web and watch videos, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 tablet is the most portable XPS ever, so you can take it anywhere and use it much more easily than a regular laptop. You can also use it for drawing or jotting down handwritten notes with the XPS Stylus. And, when you need to work, you can use the XPS Folio cover to have a keyboard and touchpad. It’s also a great device for staying in touch with family and friends, or for the occasional meeting, with those high-resolution cameras making sure you look great during video calls.

Dell XPS 13 Plus

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is really the star of the show for 2022, with everything from the performance to the design being fully reworked. Dell made this feel like a laptop from the future, hiding away the touchpad in a seamless glass palm rest, so you can’t tell it’s there, but it still works. It also replaced the function row with digital touch-sensitive buttons, and the keyboard’s edge-to-edge zero-lattice design helps make this feel like a laptop you’d see in a concept video a couple of years ago, except it’s real.

This laptop inherited all the best things of the previous XPS 13 models, including the very compact size (though it’s still slightly larger), and all the premium display options, including a stunning 3.5K OLED panel with true blacks and even more vivid colors. Or, if you’re a creative professional, the Ultra HD+ IPS panel may be more suited to you since it covers 100% of Adobe RGB. It also still has a 720p webcam with facial recognition.

Performance, however, received a big upgrade, with Dell switching to Intel’s 28W P-series processors, which have up to 16 cores and 20 threads. This makes the Dell XPS 13 Plus the fastest laptop in the XPS 13 lineup, by far, though it comes at the cost of battery life and thermal performance, since it can heat up much more significantly.

Like the rest of the XPS 13 laptops, this one does away with anything other than the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, though you get adapters in the box to give you USB Type-A and a headphone jack if you need it.

Why should you buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus?

This year, it’s clear that the Dell XPS 13 Plus is the true “prosumer” laptop wth top-tier performance making this one ideal for those working in an office, where they can keep the laptop charged and running at full speed. It’s a much more suitable machine for things like photo editing (and maybe even some video), in addition to being excellent at all kinds of everyday tasks too. It also has those top-tier display options for the most demanding users, and it just looks amazing with its new design. It’s also still compact if you want to carry it around, though battery life isn’t that great, so you can’t be away from an outlet for too long.

Dell XPS 15

The Dell XPS 15, as well as the XPS 17 we’ll look at next, are the only models that are basically unchanged from their predecessors, aside from a spec bump. This is still a fantastic laptop, though, and it’s more geared towards power users.

It comes with Intel’s 45W H-series processors, which deliver a lot more performance for demanding tasks like video editing, with up to 16 cores and 20 threads and speeds up to 5GHz. Plus, you can add a discrete GPU, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, to boost those workloads even further and make this a powerful content creation machine. You can even use it for some gaming if you want to. Plus, you can configure it with up to a massive 8TB of storage and 64GB of RAM, so you have a ton of performance at your disposal, especially for demanding productivity workloads.

Despite the powerful specs, the Dell XPS 15 is still fairly compact, though it is fairly heavy, starting at 4.22lbs. It also has a design that’s growing a bit long in the tooth, but we have to say it actually still looks quite good. It has a dual-tone look, so in one model, the lid is “Platinum silver”, but the interior has a black carbon fiber palm rest. The other model has a lighter “Arctic” silver exterior, and a white woven glass fiber palm rest. This model also has a few more ports than the smaller siblings, with one extra USB-C port, a headphone jack built in, along with a full-size SD card reader, making it easier to import photos from a camera. There’s also a USB-C adapter in the box that gives you a USB Type-A and an HDMI port if you need those.

The display options for the Dell XPS 15 are similar to the Dell XPS 13 Plus, aside from the size. The base model comes in Full HD+ resolution, but you can upgrade to a 3.5K OLED panel or the Ultra HD+ IPS panel with 100% coverage of Adobe RGB, ideal for professional content creators, who need the best color accuracy possible.

Why you should buy the XPS 15

The Dell XPS 15 is more focused on power users, and it’s an easy recommendation if you have workloads like advanced photo or video editing, or even some AI-related tasks or other demanding workloads. It’s also good for someone who likes to do some gaming on the side. The compact design strikes a nice balance of portability and performance, so this is a great laptop if you want something that can handle those demanding tasks but is still easy enough to take on a trip.

Dell XPS 17

Finally, the Dell XPS 17 is essentially a larger and more powerful version of the XPS 15. It too keeps the same dual-tone design, though it’s only available in the platinum silver/black combination, and it’s obviously bigger and heavier, though starting at 4.87lbs, the difference isn’t as big as you might expect.

In terms of performance, it uses the same H-series Intel Core processors as the XPS 15, but it comes with more powerful graphics cards. You can go up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, and it uses up to 60W of power instead of the 40W that the XPS 15 uses. That makes it even more suitable for these demanding workloads, with more complex video edits and the ability to run even more demanding games. Otherwise, the storage and RAM options are also the same as the smaller model.

The display is also similar to the Dell XPS 15, though it strips out the OLED panel option, and instead you get to choose between the default Full HD+ panel or the top-tier Ultra HD+ display for the best viewing experience. There really aren’t many 17-inch OLED displays, hence this limitation. This is a great panel either way, though, there’s no mistaking that.

With the larger size, you also get one extra port, so you have a total of four Thunderbolt 4 ports, in addition to a headphone jack and full-size SD card reader. In addition to one more port, the USB-C port of the XPS 15 is also upgraded to Thunderbolt 4 in the larger model. And again, there’s an adapter to give you USB Type-A and HDMI if you need those ports.

Why you should buy the XPS 17

This one is fairly straightforward. The Dell XPS 17 is bigger and more powerful than the Dell XPS 15, and it’s made to be more of a workstation. It has a compact design for a 17-inch laptop, but it’s still not the easiest to carry around. If you need power for video editing and other demanding workloads, or if you want a more immersive experience or more space to multi-task, the Dell XPS is for you. It’s also quite expensive, but if you want what it offers, it’s worth it.

Pricing and availability

The entire Dell XPS lineup for 2022 is available to buy right now, having launched throughout the year. The Dell XOS 15 and 17 were first, mostly because they kept the same design and features, and only the processors changed. The Dell XPS 13 Plus launched a month later, followed by the XPS 13 and finally the XPS 13 2-in-1. It’s worth noting that the 5G model of the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is not available yet. All models are available straight from Dell, or you can find them at other retailers like Best Buy or Amazon, though they’re still rolling out.

Pricing is different for each model. The Dell XPS 13 starts at $999, and so does the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, though it’s worth noting that, for that price, the 2-in-1 model doesn’t include a keyboard. With the XPS Folio, it starts at $1,099. Then, the Dell XPS 13 Plus starts at $1,299, while the XPS 15 start at $1,449 and the XPS 17 at $1,849. In all of these cases, you can spend a lot more depending on the configuration options you choose. If you want to check out any of these laptops, you can use the links below.

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  Dell XPS 13 9315

  The 2022 Dell XPS 13 comes in an even thinner design than before and it now has a couple of interesting colors to choose from. It’s more portable than ever, though it’s not the most powerful option in the lineup.

• 

  Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

  The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 now features a detachable design, so you can use it as just a tablet or combine it with the keyboard for typical laptop productivity. It also has the best webcams of any XPS laptop, so it’s ideal for staying in touch with family and friends.

• 

  Dell XPS 13 Plus

  The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the most powerful 13-inch XPS yet, with 28W P-series processors from Intel. It also has a futuristic design you can’t get anywhere else, and fantastic display options including an OLED panel.

• 

  Dell XPS 15 (2022)

  Made for users who need power and portability, the Dell XPS 15 combines H-series Intel processors and discrete Nvidia graphics in a compact package that you can still take with you on a road trip. It’s great for content creators or those who like to game occasionally.

• 

  Dell XPS 17 (2022)

  The Dell XPS 17 takes the power of the XPS 15 and cranks it up a notch, making this a fantastic machine for content creation in a studio or office. It has plenty of power and it’s still fairly compact for what it offers, though it’s obviously the least portable of the bunch.

If these laptops don’t sound like they’re up your alley, you may also want to look at the best Dell laptops you can buy today, where you can find some different machines, specifically for gaming or business use cases.