The Dell XPS 13 is an iconic laptop, but it looks like the 2018 XPS 13 will see a complete refresh of the product. Despite the complete makeover being executed in an admirable way, Dell has left one thing out of the picture that could cause some controversy – no USB Type-A port available on the new XPS 13.
Though a USB Type-A dongle has been provided, the design change is easily the biggest among the slew of improvements and alterations that the new 2018 XPS 13 has gone through.
One of the major changes is the placement of the webcam. Its position has now been shifted from the bottom left of the screen to dead center. The InfinityEdge bezel is even thinner now, by 23%. It didn’t have space for a webcam at the top even before this, but Dell must have finally decided that a center-placed webcam makes the most sense.
The new webcam also doubles up as an infrared scanner to support Windows Hello, but if facial recognition is definitely not your cup of tea, then the fingerprint scanner cleverly integrated into the power button might be up your alley.
There is also an optional 4K UltraHD resolution screen on the new 2018 XPS 13, but unless you want to actually “see” your battery drain away the vital 11 hours that the high-end configuration provides, you’ll probably want to stick with good old 1080p.
Powering the laptop is the 8th-generation Core i7 quad-core that they brought in on the previous model a few months ago, but the new cooling system with dual heat pipe and dual fan makes things go faster, and for longer.
There’s also the more power-conservative Core i5 variant that should give you more than 19 hours of usage time, according to Dell.
Connectivity – aside from the miss on the USB Type-A port – includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a USB-C port, as well as a microSD card reader and a Noble lock port.
The whole footprint of the already-thin device is now down by a further 24%, making for an even more convenient utility to carry around.
The new 2018 XPS 13 starts at $999, and is already available for sale.
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