Dell 2020 XPS 13-inch is strikingly sleek and beautiful, with an edge-to-edge display, and highly-portable design. A truly on-the-go business laptop. The XPS design offers a 16:10 display aspect ratio, which seems to be the trend for most companies to take on. 16:10 provides more screen space, and the theory is more screen space equals higher productivity.
In terms of specifications, Dell has bumped up the specs to the latest Intel 10th Generation Ice-Lake Processor, uses LPDDR4x memory, and super-fast M.2 NVMe SSD. As for the graphics, the XPS 13-inch doesn't come with the dedicated GTX 1650Ti found in the 15-inch model, which makes sense as the 13-inch small form factor might not be able to cater the thermal demands of the graphics card. Without the GTX 1650Ti, the XPS 13 will not be able to perform gaming applications smoothly, unless an external GPU is connected.
Despite being a 13-inch model, the bezel is so thin that it makes the XPS feels more like a 12-inch. The new XPS 13 marches ahead of competitors in terms of ultra-book design and performance. Thin, Sleek, and Long Battery Hours. The battery lasted the longest of its class. Tom's Guide tested the 52 WHr battery of the XPS 13 in 1080p, and the result was an outstanding performance of 12 hours and 39 minutes of web-surfing.
A good comparison is MacBook Air 2020, which lasted about 9 hours and 31 minutes. However, if you upgraded the XPS 13 display to 4K, it only lasts about 8 hours and 14-minutes. It may seem unfair to compare the 1080p XPS with the MacBook Air 2020 Retina Display, but think about it, the MBA 2020 doesn't have the option to opt for a 1080p display.
Port selection of the XPS 13 is pretty limited as it comes with two Thunderbolt 3, one MicroSD card reader, and one headphone port. The charging will require 1 Thunderbolt port, which means that there is only one available port left for the peripheral during charging. Pretty much the same for most ultrabooks these days. Carrying a dongle should have become the norm.
XPS 13 is good for on-the-go, but is it suitable for entertainment on-the-go? Firstly, the display is upgradable to a stunning 4k display, which offers a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience. On the other hand, the speaker's sound quality is average. The difference is almost day versus night when compared to the MacBook speakers.
The MacBook speakers are richer and bassier. The good news is we can compensate it with a better headphone or speaker, wired or wireless, as headphone port is available or can connect via the latest Bluetooth 5.0. With a combination of long battery life and an excellent display, the XPS 13 is a pretty decent on-the-go entertainment device.
The Verdict. The XPS 13 9300 has a gorgeous design, a true testament of the New Era, and how laptop design can be and should move forward. Professional and sleek-looking, long battery hours, and excellent performance. This laptop will not only be a statement piece to carry it around, but it will also meet the needs of most users.