Design and display

At first glance, the Dell XPS 13 could be mistaken for last year's model, and that's essentially the case here. However, Dell didn't just take an 'if it ain't broke' approach this year. It actually corrected the XPS' most glaring design flaw: the webcam, as it's now finally placed in its rightful position above the display.

Dell is quite proud of its new 2.25mm webcam, two years in the making, which is not only tiny enough to fit above the thin-bezel display, but also implements a 720p widescreen sensor paired with four far-field microphones so you can activate and utilize Cortana or Alexa from a distance.

The webcam's picture quality probably won't win any awards, but we appreciate the wider frame for making capturing co-workers or friends next to us easier. Taking 0.9 megapixel stills and 720p video, you'll look fine in meetings. Just don't expect Twitch broadcaster quality here.

Elsewhere, the build quality and design language are much the same as previous models. The laptop is just as thin and light as last year at 0.46 inches (11.6mm) and 2.7 pounds (1.23kg), respectively. The Dell XPS 13 also sticks to the same anodized aluminum screen lid and base, paired with a woven carbon fiber (or glass fiber on light colored models) keyboard deck.

As for the keyboard, it's just as punchy and responsive as always, and the glass-coated touchpad is still a delight to use. These are two of the features from the Dell XPS 13 that truly didn't need changing.

The lineup of ports is also inherited, with two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, one USB-C 3.1 port, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is a level above many competing laptops, with many sticking solely to USB-C 3.1 and not the superior Thunderbolt 3 standard.

Another thing that’s stayed the same is the display, not that it needed to change. It’s just as vibrant and rich as ever in both the Full HD and 4K touchscreen options; the bezels around the display are almost non-existent, of course.

Especially in the 4K model we tested here, we find the 100% sRGB color reproduction through Dell’s CinemaColor tools to be top-notch, complimented by some popping HDR techniques and 400 nits of brightness. The 4K panel is definitely very crisp, but it still might be a bit overkill for a 13.3-inch viewing area.

All told, there wasn’t much that had to be changed about the XPS 13 design, except for that one tiny elephant in the room.