Review: Dell XPS 13 Plus gets high performance from a frustrating design

Specifications at a glance: Dell XPS 13 Plus (9320)
	Worst	Best	As rated
Screen	13.4-inch 1920×1200 IPS non-touch display	13.4-inch 3840×2400 IPS touchscreen or 13.4-inch 3456×2160 OLED touchscreen	13.4-inch 3456 × 2160 OLED touchscreen
OS	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Home
Processor	Intel Core i5-1240P	Intel Core i7-1280P
RAM	8GB LPDDR5-5200	32GB LPDDR5-5200	16GB LPDDR5-5200
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD	2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD	512GB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD
GPU	Intel Iris Xe
Networking	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4
Mate	11.63 x 7.84 x 0.6 in 295.30 x 199.04 x 15.28 mm
Weight	2.71 lb (1.23 kg)	IPS: 2.71lbs 1.23kg) OLED: 2.78 pounds (1.26 kg)	2.78 lb (1.26 kg)
Battery	55 Wat
Guarantee	1 year
Price (list price)	$1,300	$2,360	$2,000
Other	USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapters included, Ubuntu-based Developer Edition available

Dell’s XPS 13 laptop was a staple among the Windows ultralights, offering generally decent performance for the price, extreme portability and good looks.

Apparently that wasn’t enough for Dell, so it released the Dell XPS 13 Plus. Introduced this year (alongside a more traditional 2022 XPS 13), it’s a revamped version of the XPS 13 that puts performance above everything else.

Wild design choices allow the system to support a 28W CPU. With the 2021 XPS 13 featuring a 15 W chip and the 2022 XPS 13 supporting up to 12 W, this is a remarkable achievement. But it is also a matter of function over form. Simply put, using the XPS 13 Plus felt weird. From the closely spaced keys and capacitive touch function row to the minimal port selection, questionable build quality, and extremely hot temperatures, this machine can be frustrating to use for everyday tasks.

As a performer, the XPS 13 Plus has its pluses. But as a go-to laptop, some design choices can push you toward other powerful, thin, and light laptops.

Touch Bar-Like Function Row

Dell has not specified the soft-touch input above its laptop keyboards. You can find a similar configuration on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, although every other MacBook has gone back to real keys. However, Dell’s take on the capacitive touch row is more limited than Apple’s Touch Bar.

For example, it is not programmable. It can display Esc, media keys (including a handy microphone mute button that lights up), brightness controls, the Windows Project button, and some navigation keys. You can also press Fn to display the function row Esc and F1-F12, and you can lock that layout in place by holding down Fn + Esc.

Dell didn’t introduce a Touch Bar-style top row just to be different. Because the keys use capacitive touch, they are 1.4mm thick instead of the 3.2mm of vertical space that would be required with traditional buttons. This decision saves space and allowed Dell to move the hinges to wider points for better system cooling, the company said. But when the laptop was pushed to maximum performance for an extended period of time, the function row became so warm that it was uncomfortable to the touch.

The function row isn’t an area where innovations are often seen, and I appreciate that Dell has redesigned it in the name of performance rather than just as a gimmick. But as someone who prefers mechanical keyboards, it’s hard to love capacitive touch input. During my weeks with the laptop, I occasionally mis-pressed the keys in the top row, which I probably wouldn’t have done if they had standard buttons. Rarely have I accidentally lightly brushed the row, recording one or two entries, when trying to use the number row.

Since the function row has fixed controls, there is no need to adjust them. But it still feels like there’s room for more features. For example, there are no media rewind or forward controls, and unlike many recent ultralights I’ve tested, there’s no button or light on the keyboard to tell you that the webcam is off. There is also no light indicator for when the volume is muted.

I found the bright lighting of the function row distracting at times, but it’s impossible to turn it off. An environmental sensor near the webcam automatically adjusts the brightness of the row based on the lighting in the room.

That said, there are far worse things than a row of ho-hum features, especially when the rest of the keyboard is fantastic. Unfortunately that is not the case.