Dell XPS 13 review: This compact powerhouse packs marathon battery and Snapdragon’s punch | Mint-OxBig News Network

The Dell XPS 13 has been updated with the Snapdragon X Elite chipset to boost the battery life on an already solid device. Dell claims up to 27 hours of battery life on the model we’ve got here for review. Apart from the processor, nothing has changed on this laptop in terms of design compared to last year. The price of this laptop is around ₹1.5 lakhs for a fairly specced-up model.

This laptop has been my daily driver for over a month, and this review is based entirely on my experience. Before switching to the XPS 13, I was using the MacBook Pro with the M1 chip, so keep that in mind for the parts where I compare it with the MacBook. Let’s begin the review with the specifications.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Minimal and unique design

Dell made some very bold and brave changes that set the XPS 13 apart from a traditional laptop. While these design changes do look absolutely stunning, we need to keep in mind that beautiful doesn’t always mean practical. But before getting into the design flaws, let’s talk about the positives.

The full metal body looks stunning in this dark grey colour called Graphite. It’s thin, lightweight, and easily one of the smallest 13-inch laptops available right now—even smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Pro M1. Despite being this thin, there’s very little flex on the lid and the deck.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The real reason behind the Dell XPS 13 being this compact becomes clear the moment you open the lid. You’re greeted by super thin bezels around the display, and interestingly, even the deck follows the same ultra-slim design language. The keyboard is completely flushed with the deck and the surrounding frame. The keys are gapless and stretch all the way to the edges of the chassis, creating what I can only describe as a floating keyboard aesthetic that you do not see often on regular laptops.

Dell took a bold step by removing the traditional function row and replacing it with touch reactive keys. Now, while this might sound cool in theory, in practice it only looks good and that’s about it. There is absolutely no tactile feedback on these touch sensitive keys, and to make things more complicated, they also double up as media controls. I seriously miss the classic function row. Dell, if you’re listening, please give it back to us. It is no fun “touching” the Esc and Del keys every single time I want to use them. It feels more like tapping a touchscreen than actually using a keyboard.

Now coming to the trackpad, this one’s what Dell calls “seamless,” and I have to admit, they meant it quite literally. You cannot tell where the trackpad begins or ends because there is not even a visual boundary around it. At first glance, you might even miss the fact that there is a trackpad at all. That said, the size is actually pretty generous. It is large and very responsive to swipes and gestures. But here’s the thing—the haptics just did not work for me. I tried every possible haptics intensity from the settings, but in the end, I found it too unnatural and decided to completely turn off the haptics and just use it like a regular clicky trackpad. It works better that way, at least for me.

The keyboard design, though, is something that really stands out and is definitely one of the reasons I was excited to try this laptop. The fact that the keyboard is flushed to the height of the deck and the keys are placed so seamlessly gives the whole laptop a very clean and minimal vibe. The keys themselves are quite clicky and, to be honest, a bit louder than I personally like, especially if you are typing in a quiet environment. But in terms of actual typing experience, it’s excellent, as expected from Dell. What really blew my mind is the amount of travel these keys manage to have, even though the entire machine is this thin. It is seriously impressive how Dell pulled that off.

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Dell XPS 13 9345: A few design choices I wish were different

Overall, I really love the design of the Dell XPS 13. It looks premium, feels modern and clearly stands out. But even the best designs have a few areas that could be refined, and I hope Dell considers making a few small changes in the future. These are not deal-breakers by any means, but they are things that would make the user experience even better.

First off, I genuinely wish Dell added a small notch or groove to help lift the lid. I know doing this might break the seamless and ultra clean aesthetic they are going for, but that’s a trade I’d happily make. Right now, opening the lid can be a bit tricky, a little bit of practicality wouldn’t hurt here.

Next is the port situation. Simply put, it’s minimal maybe too minimal. There are just two Type C ports on the entire machine. On the bright side, Dell made the smart move of placing them on either side of the laptop, so at least you have the flexibility to plug in from either end. But still, a third port or even a headphone jack would have gone a long way.

And finally, the trackpad. As I mentioned earlier, it looks super clean, but functionally, it could use some help. There is no visual marking at all to show where the trackpad begins or ends, which can sometimes be a bit confusing. Here’s an idea that I think could actually work really well: what if Dell added light-up border around the trackpad that glows with the keyboard backlight? That way, users would know exactly where the trackpad is, without messing up the overall seamless deck design. Just a thought and you’re welcome!

Dell XPS 13 9345: Display

The display on the XPS 13 is straight-up gorgeous. It’s a 13.4-inch 3K OLED touch panel with super crisp visuals and inky blacks. Colours pop like crazy thanks to 100% DCI-P3 coverage, and watching HDR content is a treat with VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 support.

Brightness goes up to 400 nits, which is good enough for most indoor setups. The 60Hz refresh rate won’t blow you away, but for daily tasks, binge-watching, and even some light editing, this panel easily holds up. And yes, it’s also Eyesafe certified—which means less strain during long hours on screen.

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Dell XPS 13 9345: Performance

The Snapdragon X Elite on the XPS 13 is a solid upgrade from Intel processors. It delivers high end performance and power efficiency that honestly outpaces most other AI laptops in its class. Everything I tried on this laptop, it handled like a champ. Multitasking is seamless, apps launch instantly and yes, the battery backup is impressive.

During my daily usage of this laptop, the most stress I put it through was editing Instagram reels on DaVinci Resolve or opening more than 30 Chrome tabs and switching between them while working on my daily stories. Not once did I feel like the laptop was holding me back in terms of performance.

However, what I did ask for was better software compatibility—mainly on the gaming front. Popular apps are already available for the ARM chipset, and the ones that aren’t yet compatible still run decently with the help of emulation. But this is an area that will need time to mature fully.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Battery

The Dell XPS series has always been known for its solid battery life, and the XPS 13 9345 is no exception. It comes with a 55 watt-hour battery, and according to Dell’s claims, it can last up to 25 hours. Now of course, that number feels a bit far fetched and is probably achievable only in ideal, controlled conditions. But even in real world usage, the battery life is nothing short of impressive.

My daily usage revolves mostly around Chrome, watching videos, and a little bit of gaming here and there. To be fair, I didn’t really game much on this laptop, mainly because most of my favorite titles aren’t supported on ARM yet. The only game I had installed was Zenless Zone Zero. Still, after a full charge, the XPS 13 easily lasted me a full working day without needing to be plugged in again.

One more thing I really appreciated is the 65 watt Type C charger. Since it uses the same charger as my smartphone, I don’t need to carry a separate charger while traveling, which is a small but very practical bonus.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Final verdict

The Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite is a bold step into the future. It’s compact, powerful and delivers crazy good battery life. If you can live with a couple of quirks in the design, this is one of the best ultra-portable laptops out there right now.

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