Dell XPS 13 Plus gives Apple some serious goals for next MacBook Air/Pro

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the company's latest version of its high-end compact Windows notebook. Know what's new.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus has greater focus on a minimalist design this year.

At the CES 2022, Dell has easily wowed the audience more than its Alienware team have managed to do this year. With the new XPS 13 Plus, Dell may have even got Apple up from its slumber and given them serious goals for the next-gen MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch. The Dell XPS 13 Plus brings next-gen notebook design in a very practical form factor.

No price details have been revealed yet but you are getting the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors, and a choice of equipping your compact notebook with a 4K OLED display! And if the renders haven't given it already, there's a stunning new design that easily puts every other laptops to shame.

Dell XPS 13 Plus offers cutting-edge design

The Dell XPS 13 Plus looks like any high-end Windows 11 laptop when closed but it is the interior where the changes have happened. The marketing photos proudly flaunt the new minimalist edge-to-edge design. The keyboard spans from edge-to-edge and sits flush with the deck. There is also a trackpad and yes, it is hidden out of sight by not including distinct character lines.

Dell XPS 13 Plus

Dell XPS 13 Plus

At the CES 2022, Dell has easily wowed the audience more than its Alienware team have managed to do this year. With the new XPS 13 Plus, Dell may have even got Apple up from its slumber and given them serious goals for the next-gen MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch. The Dell XPS 13 Plus brings next-gen notebook design in a very practical form factor.

No price details have been revealed yet but you are getting the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors, and a choice of equipping your compact notebook with a 4K OLED display! And if the renders haven't given it already, there's a stunning new design that easily puts every other laptops to shame.

Dell XPS 13 Plus offers cutting-edge design

The Dell XPS 13 Plus looks like any high-end Windows 11 laptop when closed but it is the interior where the changes have happened. The marketing photos proudly flaunt the new minimalist edge-to-edge design. The keyboard spans from edge-to-edge and sits flush with the deck. There is also a trackpad and yes, it is hidden out of sight by not including distinct character lines.

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The design drama does not end there. Above the keyboard lies a set of capacitive keys that can be toggled to work either as the Function keys or the control keys. The idea seems inspired by the now defunct Apple Touch Bar but this one here is present solely for aesthetical purpose.

The 13.4-inch display has now slimmer bezels than before and Dell has somehow managed to stick a webcam in that thin top bezel; no notch like on the new MacBook Pro 14-inch. Buyers can choose OLED display with up to 4K resolution, although IPS LCD panels are available as well, all of them having Dolby Vision certification.

In accordance with the slim aesthetics, the XPS 13 Plus has only two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, with Dell offering a USB-C to USB-A dongle in the box. A 55Whr battery powers the laptop and there's support for fast charging (80 percent in 30 minutes). Dell also offers a quad speaker setup with rated output of 8W.

When is the XPS 13 Plus launching? Dell says we need to wait until the Spring of 2022 to know that, as well as the pricing.