It gets some of the best battery life we’ve seen, but beware of potentially buggy trackpad.
1.Price & specs2.Design & ports3.Display4.Performance & battery5.Keyboard & touchpad6.Camera, mic, & audio7.Competition8.Should you buy it?
So, does the Snapdragon version of the Dell XPS 13 address these complaints?
The Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon is a great deal at its entry-level price.
Is battery life and performance better?
Does the first XPSCopilot+ PClive up to the hype?
This review was made possible thanks to a review unit provided by Dell.
The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.
Right now forBlack Fridaythis model isjust $959!So grab it now while you could.
RAM, along with 1TB or 2TB storage.
The Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon is a great deal at its entry-level price.
There’s not much to say about this design that hasn’t already been said before.
It’s stunning and unique.
It also has a capacitive function row which acts as both function keys and media controls.
Externally, the 13.4-inch XPS feels more like a 12-inch laptop with how thin the bezels are.
The laptop is also incredibly light, which makes it super easy to maneuver and carry with you.
So I’m happy to see it here.
The Dell XPS 13 simply looks gorgeous.
We have just two USB4 bang out-C ports, both used for peripherals, external storage, and charging.
I think there are too few ports, as I often find myself wishing for one or two more.
I’d also like to see a microSD card reader here.
When closed, the XPS 13 features a wedge-shaped design.
Lastly, let’s talk about colors.
The XPS 13 with Snapdragon is available in white or black colorways.
It’s super clean and minimal, and it certainly turns heads in coffee shops.
Ports on the XPS 13 are limited to USB-C.
The display is a 13.4-inch 16:10 1920x1200 LCD panel, and it looks great for a full HD screen.
It works super well, but it does come at the cost of slight image clarity.
Color accuracy is also great in the sRGB color range, measuring 98%.
There are multiple display configurations to choose from with the XPS 13.
Color accuracy is less great in Adobe RGB at 77% and DCI-P3 at 75%.
Brightness is also great, maxing out at around 520 nits peak brightness.
My personal opinion is that full HD at this screen size isn’t high enough resolution.
The anti-reflective coating on the XPS 13 is a nice touch.
It’s a win all around.
If you want to go all out, the 3K display with touch is the one to get.
This also nets you an upgrade in technology, moving from LCD to OLED for deeper color contrast.
The XPS 13 with Snapdragon is one of the best performing XPS 13 laptops we’ve seen so far.
So, even without the resolution bump, I’d recommend opting for a model with touch.
I’ve tested many Windows laptops this year, and most of them have had a 120Hz display.
Once you’ve tried 120Hz, it’s possible for you to’t go back.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
120Hz is so much more responsive and smooth to look at.
Thanks to that Snapdragon X Elite SoC on the inside, it’s a mini beast of a laptop.
Photoshop is natively compiled for Arm, which means it can handle even heavy projects with no noticeable issues.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
Currently, Adobe Premiere Pro runs under emulation, so it’s only good for light video projects.
This will change as Adobe moves to release all its apps natively for Arm.
In our performance benchmarks, the XPS 13 with Snapdragon proves itself well.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
In native performing applications, the XPS 13 is a step ahead of other Intel Core Ultra 1 laptops.
It also trades blows with the new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in some benchmarks.
Not bad at all!
(Image credit: Windows Central)
It’s not all good news, however.
In emulated benchmarks, the numbers are a little more “back down to earth.”
Fan noise is mostly okay.
The zero-lattice keyboard and invisible trackpad won’t be for everyone.
Battery life is excellent on the Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon, too.
The Surface Laptop 7 15-inch, for example, came in at over 18 hours.
Of course, battery life will depend on your kind of workflow.
I love the design of the zero-lattice keyboard.
That’s an incredible result for an unrealistic workflow.
We’ll start with the controversial function row, which I personally don’t mind and actually prefer aesthetically.
The keyboard design itself is also super nice, featuring tactile keys that feel great to bang out on.
The invisible trackpad looks great, but is quite buggy here.
It’s another aesthetic design choice, which I also like.
Onto the trackpad, which I’ve curiously had some issues with.
Aesthetically, again, it’s phenomenal.
The webcam and microphone are excellent, only enhanced by Windows Studio Effects.
It’s not the design that I have an issue with, though, it’s the haptic response.
I usually love haptic touchpads, but something is iffy here.
It’s something to keep an eye on.
The settings to configure presence sensing on Windows 11.
The image appears brighter with less noise, and the microphone also sounds rich.
The built-in mic will get you by in Teams meetings with no problems.
Face unlock is secure and superfast, and even works in the dark just like an iPhone.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is a close competitor.
Those sensors are also paired with some presence-sensing hardware, which isn’t available in all Copilot+ PCs.
This hardware allows Windows to do some magic when it comes to waking and sleeping the laptop.
These features are super handy, especially if you’re in a shared working environment.
The Snapdragon-powered XPS 13 is absolutely magnificent.
Luckily, you’re able to turn off these prefs.
The built-in speakers are okay.
I’d recommend using headphones with this laptop for any real audio listening.
Both come with excellent displays, and it even has an OLED option, just like the XPS 13.
It doesn’t have a touchscreen, though, so you might want to consider that.
It has a better (in my opinion) 3:2 aspect ratio and nicer feeling keyboard and trackpad.
There’s also the MacBook Air, which I think the Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon competes with nicely.
Dell XPS 13 9345 Snapdragon: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
You should not buy this if…
Overall, the Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon is a fantastic laptop.
It’s an ultraportable machine that’s now more capable than ever thanks to that Snapdragon X Elite.
It lasts all day and can handle most tasks with ease.
