Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs. XPS 13 vs. XPS 13 Plus

Dell’s line of 13-inch XPS laptops underwent a shakeup in 2022, with the deck splitting into the lower-cost XPS 13 9315 and the more powerful XPS 13 Plus. Meanwhile, the old XPS 13 2-in-1 360-degree convertible has been transformed into a detachable tablet.

That presents a challenge if you’re looking at a 13-inch machine and leaning toward an XPS. Every machine has its place, but which one is best for you? Read on to find out.

Specifications and configurations

The XPS 13 9315 is the cheaper sibling, starting at $749 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD), and a Full HD+ IPS non-touch display. Max out the machine and it’s $1,299 for a Core i7, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a touchscreen.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is the second most affordable, starting at $1,000 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and no keyboard or stylus (which adds $100 to the price). At the higher end, the 2-in-1 is $1,699 for a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and the included keyboard and pen.

The most expensive XPS laptop is the XPS 13 Plus. Its lowest configuration is $1,299 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a Full HD+ non-touch IPS display. The most you’ll spend is $2,399 for a Core i7, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and a 3.5K 4K+ IPS or OLED panel.

Design

The XPS 13 9315 and XPS 13 Plus took different design directions, both from each other and from the previous generation XPS 13. They look quite similar with the lid closed, removing the combination of aluminum and carbon or fiberglass from the previous model for an all-aluminum chassis. Open the lid, however, and the XPS 13 Plus has a truly modern design with a glass-covered palm rest that hides an integrated haptic touchpad, an edge-to-edge keyboard with large keys and minimal key spacing, and LED function buttons. . The XPS 13 9315 is much simpler, with a standard island keyboard and a mechanical trackpad. Both laptops feature tiny bezels, and the XPS 13 9315 is available in Sky and Umber colors, while the XPS 13 Plus comes in Granite and Platinum.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is a standard detachable tablet with rounded edges and moderately large bezels. It’s a rather nondescript slate that comes in Sky and Slate (the latter being the only color available with the 5G version). Throw in Dell’s Folio Keyboard and it takes on a very similar profile to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9.

Every XPS laptop is as rigid as ever and represents the best in contemporary laptop construction. The hinge on each foldable laptop is excellent, while the tablet lacks a built-in kickstand, relying instead on the keyboard’s three magnetic angles.

Speaking of keyboards, each one is very good, with plenty of space and fast, precise switches. Of the three, the XPS 13 Plus’s keyboard is the best. Also, while the mechanical touchpads on the XPS 13 9315 and XPS 13 2-in-1 folio keyboard are fine, the XPS 13 Plus has a haptic touchpad that offers precise control over its entire surface and virtual button clicks. they feel natural. Whether that laptop’s LED function buttons are any good is purely a matter of preference, but they work just fine.

Connectivity is almost exactly the same on every laptop, which is to say, it’s pretty limited. The 2-in-1 has a nano SIM slot for its optional 5G WWAN support, and neither laptop has audio jacks. All of them include USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to 3.5mm audio dongles in the box. Wireless connectivity is identical too, though as mentioned the XPS 13 2-in-1 does have optional always-on Internet support.

Finally, the XPS 13 2-in-1 has a superior 1080p webcam compared to the 720p versions on the decks. Each laptop has an infrared camera for facial recognition login via Windows Hello.

Performance

Both the XPS 13 2-in-1 and XPS 13 9315 use 9-watt 12th-generation Intel U-series CPUs with 10 cores (two performance and eight efficient) and 12 threads. As such, both offer less performance than the XPS 13 Plus with 28-watt P-series CPUs with 12 cores (four performance and eight efficient) and 16 threads. Dell deliberately differentiated between the XPS 13 Plus and the XPS 13 9315 in a few important ways, performance being one of them.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 was faster than the XPS 13 9315 Geekbench 5 and our Handbrake video encoding test, while the latter was faster on Cinebench R23. The tablet was also faster in the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark than in both decks, which was surprising. But in our CPU-intensive benchmarks, the XPS 13 Plus was the clear leader. Neither machine is a particularly good gaming laptop.

Display

If you want the best screen possible, the XPS 13 Plus is the best option. It offers higher resolution OLED and IPS options with superior colors and, with the former, rich contrast with inky blacks. The XPS 13 2-in-1’s display was sharper than the XPS 13 9315’s Full HD+ panel and offers slightly better colors with much better contrast. The XPS 13 Plus’s OLED screen is the best choice for anyone looking to do (limited) creative work on the laptop, and it’s also the best choice for dedicated media consumers.

Portability

The laptops are similar in size in width and depth, while the XPS 13 2-in-1 is naturally the thinnest and lightest without its attached keyboard. All XPS machines are highly portable laptops that you’ll barely notice in your backpack.

Battery life was better in the XPS 13 9315, with the XPS 13 Plus coming in second and the XPS 13 2-in-1 offering the shortest life. The two clams are more likely to get through a full day’s work without plugging in, and each enjoys little power bricks that are easy enough to transport.

Different, but all solid 13-inch machines

If you want an XPS tablet, there’s only one option: the XPS 13 2-in-1. That’s not to say it can’t compete with the other two as a laptop, though it’s not as good around a lap as the folding machines. Clamshells do not support ink tablet mode.

Outside of that main consideration, the question is: Do you want a faster, more modern, and more expensive laptop with a superior screen, or do you want to save some money and go a lower performance route? We think the XPS 13 9315 is a great “budget” option among premium laptops, while the XPS 13 Plus is the better laptop at a higher price point. When choosing between them, it all comes down to which form factor you prefer and how important performance and ultra-modern features are to you.

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