Dell’s latest XPS 12 looks like a Surface rival, feels like a step backward

We first reviewed the Dell XPS 12 back in 2012, when Windows 8 had just come out and touchscreens on PCs weren’t yet standard. It had a weird design, but it worked: a screen that flipped around inside its frame, allowing you to convert the 12-inch laptop into a 12-inch tablet. No, it wasn’t as versatile as the now-ubiquitous Yoga, but it was a well-built, fast machine that could serve multiple purposes, and whose comfortable keyboard made it a dream to use in regular notebook mode. Now Dell has re-released the XPS 12 with a new design — a 2-in-1 detachable that takes after the Surface Pro. Unfortunately, though, it’s a poor imitation, and ultimately feels like a step backward.Slideshow-326756

But first, the good news. For a starting price of $999, the XPS 12 comes with a keyboard dock in the box. And it’s an excellent keyboard too — I know because I tried it. The backlit buttons here are well-spaced and springy, with a pleasant soft-touch finish that feels great beneath the fingertips. Also, the display is a delight: 1080p resolution to start, with an optional 4K panel that Dell says meets 100 percent of the color gamut, depending on your screen brightness and what you’re looking at. Also, the tablet is easy to remove from its dock with one hand, although the magnetic connection otherwise seems strong.

That said, I see a few potential problems. One is that because the tablet uses a hingeless keyboard dock instead of a kickstand, the screen angle is not adjustable the way it is on the Surface and other 2-in-1s. What’s more, because of that fixed angle, it isn’t possible to insert the screen facing away from the keyboard, the way you can on other convertibles, and like you could on the old XPS 12. We might be more forgiving if the 12 was primarily meant to be used as a tablet, but a Dell spokesperson actually described it to me as a “laptop first.” To not have an adjustable screen immediately puts it at a disadvantage against proper notebooks, especially when it comes to using it in one’s lap.

Problem number two: In the interest of making the device as lightweight as possible (2.8 pounds, or 1.75 pounds for the tablet only), Dell went with one of Intel’s lower-powered Core M processors this time instead of something from Intel’s Core i3/i5/i7 family. As we’ve seen already in our own testing, Core M takes a performance hit, but doesn’t offer significantly better battery life in exchange. To be fair, HP also this week announced a skinny Surface-like 2-in-1 with a Core M chip, and the base-model Surface Pro 4 will have an even slower Core M chip plus half the RAM. So it’s not like Dell is the only one compromising on performance. But because the XPS 12 used to have more robust Core chips — and fast performance to go with it — this feels like a move in the wrong direction.

Problem number three: The XPS 12’s pressure-sensitive pen doesn’t actually come in the box, the way it does on the Surface and other rival devices. But that’s not nearly as outrageous as the Surface being sold without a keyboard.

The XPS 12 ships in November starting at $999, keyboard included. For that price, you get a Core m5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 1080p screen. There will also be a $1,299 configuration that steps up to a 256GB SSD and that 4K screen I mentioned. Either way, the processor and memory allotment is the same.Slideshow-326761

Dell’s redesigned XPS 15 is a bigger version of our favorite Windows laptop

Whenever people ask what my favorite Windows laptop is, I’m always quick to say the Dell XPS 13. It has very few flaws to speak of, with a stylish design, comfy keyboard, vibrant screen and fast performance. It’s no surprise, then, that when Dell got to work redesigning the bigger XPS 15, it rebuilt it in the 13’s image. The updated notebook, which goes on sale today, inherits many of the features we loved in its smaller sibling, including a carbon fiber weave and a nearly bezel-less display that allows the notebook to have a compact footprint. All told, the 15’s weight starts at 3.9 pounds, with Dell claiming that it’s the world’s smallest 15-inch laptop and the lightest “performance-class” machine of this size.Slideshow-326757

And performance-class it is indeed. In fact, the XPS 15 was always intended to be a machine creative pros could use to get work done. It still is, at least if you shell out for one of the higher-specced models. At its best, it has a color-accurate 4K screen, quad-core sixth-generation Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 2GB NVIDIA 960M GPU and either a 1TB hard drive or a 1TB PCIe SSD. Battery life is rated at up to 17 hours, but that’s if you get a model with the 1,920 x 1,080 display, SSD and the larger 84WHr battery (instead of the 56WHr option). Even with a tricked-out 4K configuration, though, Dell is promising around 11 hours on a charge.

All told, it should give Windows users a solid alternative to the 15-inch Retina display MacBook Pro. Some might also argue it competes with Microsoft’s just-announced Surface Book. And it does, at least in terms of performance: The 13.5-inch Surface weighs a similar 3.48 pounds, and will also be offered with an NVIDIA GPU, up to 16GB of RAM and a comparably high-res display. At their best, then, they cater to a similar user, offering similar specs in a similar price range. I would guess, though, that anyone who covets the Surface Book is taken with its distinctive hinge that allows users to flip the screen back into tablet mode or detach it altogether. The XPS 15 does none of that; it’s a traditional clamshell laptop with a fixed screen. If you want a convertible, Dell’s latest is not for you, and if you think Microsoft’s design feat is a gimmick, the Surface Book doesn’t have a leg up after all.

Wrapping up, Dell’s smaller XPS 13, the machine that inspired the new XPS 15’s look and feel, has also been refreshed. Nothing major, mind you: just fresh sixth-gen Intel Core processors and a bigger battery with runtime now rated at up to 18 hours on the lower-res 1080p model. It will now also be sold with more RAM and storage options, including a 16GB upgrade and a 1TB PCIe SSD.

Both the updated XPS 13 and the new XPS 15 are available today, with the 13 starting at $799 and the 15 starting at $999. Just keep in mind that in the case of the 15 in particular, that starting price includes modest specs, including a Core i3 processor, 500GB hard drive, integrated graphics and a relatively lower-res 1080p non-touch screen. For discrete graphics, you can expect to pay at least $1,199, with 4K models starting at a lofty $1,599.Slideshow-326758