Dell’s XPS series have always been about exceptional design, and this year’s XPS 13 was no different. Back at Computex 2015, Microsoft showed off an XPS 15 with a similarly sleek, Infinity Display design…but nothing more was mentioned of it. Fast forward four months later, Dell has officially unveiled the XPS 15 alongside a new XPS 12 convertible laptop.
The XPS 15 is essentially a larger variant of the XPS 13, but that is not the full story. Part of the reason why it has remained under the radar since its surprise appearance at Computex 2015 was the fact that the hardware inside was not yet ready: the new XPS 15 packs Intel’s new Skylake sixth-gen Core processors, as well as two USB Type-C ports.
(Image: The Verge)
Besides that, the XPS 15 can be configured to pack either a 4K glossy touch display, or a matte Full HD non-touch screen. What’s interesting is the fact that Dell is offering a choice of SSDs and hard drive configurations that also affect the battery that it packs onto the device: if users opt for the SSD, Dell with ship a larger battery due to the smaller footprint of the SSD, resulting in better battery life. On top of that, Dell is also offering the option of adding an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU, which should suffice for most mainstream gamers.
In all, the XPS 15 can be configured to pack a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD, or as low as a Core i3 and a 500GB hard disk. Connectivity options on the XPS 15 include two USB 3.0 ports, full-size HDMI port, SD card reader and a USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 combo port. Nevertheless, Dell has persisted with the aluminium body and carbon fibre weave palmrest onto the XPS 15, which the company touts as the smallest 15-inch laptop in the world.
(Image: The Verge)
The XPS 15 will be available in the US from today, with the base Core i3, Full HD non-touch model starting from $999.
On the other hand, Dell is taking another crack at the convertible laptop with a new version of the XPS 12. Last seen with a cool swivelling display, Dell has opted for a detachable display for a more Surface-like feel. The XPS 12 packs a 2.7GHz Intel Core M5 processor also based on Skylake with 8GB of RAM, and a choice of a 12.5-inch 4K or Full HD touch display, 128GB or 256GB of internal SSD storage. There’s also an 8MP rear camera, and SD card reader, audio jack, and a total of two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 combo ports – one of which is used to charge the device.
What’s interesting here is in the mechanism of the XPS 12’s dock. Bundled together with the XPS 12 is the keyboard portion, which is a full backlit keyboard with precision trackpad that connects to the display with a magnetic connector. Dell has designed the docking mechanism in such a way that users cannot change the default viewing angle. The XPS 12 also supports its own stylus, called the Dell Pen Active, but it isn’t bundled with the device.
The XPS 12 will be shipping in the US by the end of the year, starting at $999 for the Full HD model and $1299 for the 4K display with larger SSD. Each purchase comes with the keyboard and a protective case.
(Image: Ars Technica)
(Image: Ars Technica)
In addition, Dell has also refreshed its popular XPS 13 laptop with Intel’s latest Skylake processors as well as larger batteries. More importantly, this new variant also feature USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3, adding some much-needed future-proofing for its stylish laptop. The refreshed XPS 13 is priced from $799.
As always, pricing and availability apply only in the US first, before spreading out to other markets later on. We’ll be keeping a close eye on when they’ll be arriving in Malaysia.
(Sources: The Verge (1), (2), Ars Technica, CNET)
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