Dell’s new XPS 13 just lately gave me renewed hope for reasonably priced Home windows laptops. Its $699 beginning worth. Its sharp touchscreen show and compact aluminum design make it a compelling various to the MacBook Neo. However on the identical occasion, Dell had extra in retailer for us.
I additionally frolicked with the Dell 14S and Dell 16S, that are two laptops that focus on patrons who just like the XPS 13’s slim and polished method. These two laptops goal patrons who just like the XPS 13’s slim and polished method however want extra efficiency, a bigger battery, or a roomier show. Additionally they occupy an attention-grabbing place in Dell’s lineup. With costs simply a few hundred {dollars} above the XPS 13 within the US, the duo sit proper between the cheap XPS 13 and beneath the much more premium XPS 14.
After attempting out each, I do know which one I’d select.
Two premium designs with completely different priorities
The Dell 14S and 16S share an easy aluminum design that offers them a extra premium presence than their costs may counsel. Each machines appeared sturdy throughout my hands-on session, with clear finishes and sufficient rigidity to encourage confidence. At 15.4mm thick, they’re impressively slim for laptops carrying 70Wh batteries and higher-performance processor choices. The principle distinction is weight. Dell lists the 14S from round 1.49kg, relying on the show, whereas the 16S begins at 1.79kg and rises additional with a touchscreen.
Dell’s 16S mannequin stays comparatively slim, however its bigger footprint makes it higher suited to somebody who spends many of the day at a desk. Its 16-inch show, full-size keyboard, and numeric keypad present extra working room for spreadsheets, artistic apps, and heavier multitasking. In the meantime, the 14S strikes a greater steadiness for my wants. It’s noticeably simpler to maneuver round, but its bigger chassis offers the keyboard deck extra room than the tiny XPS 13. The keys had higher suggestions throughout my temporary typing expertise, and the structure appeared much less cramped.
Each laptops additionally retain a sensible assortment of ports. You get two Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, and a headphone jack. This can be a substantial improve over the XPS 13’s two-port setup and reduces the necessity to maintain a dongle close by.
The OLED screens carry the expertise
The demo models I dealt with appeared to make use of touch-enabled OLED shows, with the 16S carrying its high 2.8K panel. Each seemed sharp, brilliant, and responsive underneath the cruel lights of the venue. Contact enter tracked precisely, and the excessive refresh fee saved scrolling and navigation snappy. Dell affords shows reaching 120Hz on each fashions, however the precise expertise relies on the configuration.
The anti-glare remedy was one other welcome inclusion. Occasion lighting tends to reveal reflective laptop computer screens shortly, however the panels remained straightforward sufficient to view regardless of the overhead glare. The 14S will be configured with FHD+ contact or non-touch shows and a 2560 x 1600 choice, alongside its FHD+ OLED panels, whereas the 16S affords related LCD configurations earlier than stepping as much as its 2880 x 1800 contact OLED.
These choices additionally assist clarify the place the laptops sit inside Dell’s vary. The XPS 13 affords a formidable LCD display screen for its worth. The 14S and 16S add OLED, extra display screen area, and broader configuration decisions with out reaching the XPS 14’s greater start line.
There ought to be loads of efficiency headroom
The Dell 14S unit on show used an Intel Core Extremely 7 355, whereas the 16S carried the Core Extremely X7 358H with Intel Arc B390 graphics. The X7 configuration is especially useful for customers who want stronger built-in graphics for artistic purposes, mild gaming, and GPU-accelerated workloads. My current expertise reviewing the XPS 14 offers me motive to be optimistic about this class of Intel {hardware}, though these laptops will want correct testing earlier than I can choose their sustained efficiency.
Dell affords a large processor vary, stretching from the six-core Core Extremely 5 322 to the 16-core Core Extremely 9 386H. Reminiscence choices embrace 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5X, whereas storage runs from 512GB to 2TB. The 70Wh battery is one other benefit over the XPS 13’s 52Wh unit. The additional capability ought to assist steadiness the sooner processors and bigger screens–however once more, battery life will rely closely on the chosen panel and chip.
Issues like fan noise, thermals, and efficiency would nonetheless want detailed testing. So these conclusions should wait till the laptops arrive for a full evaluate.
The 14S is the early standout
The Dell 16S has an apparent viewers. Its expansive display screen, numeric keypad, and obtainable Core Extremely X7 graphics make it the extra appropriate selection for energy customers who worth workspace over portability. The 14S affords many of the identical benefits in a extra manageable package deal. It carries the identical 70Wh battery, helps the identical broad processor household, has OLED choices, and offers the whole port choice. Higher but, it’s also extra reasonably priced.
This mixture made it the early standout for me. It has extra room and potential horsepower than the XPS 13 whereas remaining sensible sufficient for day by day commuting. Dell’s new XPS 13 confirmed me that reasonably priced Home windows laptops can nonetheless look polished. The 14S and 16S take that concept additional, including the {hardware} and show decisions wanted by customers whose workloads demand extra.
