The Dell XPS 13 has been one of our favorite laptops for years. In fact, I can't remember a year where it wasn't always ranked as one of the best laptops you can buy. However, not all XPS 13s are created equal. It's a laptop that can go from a nice mid-range machine where it started out to one of the most luxurious laptops money can buy if you pay for the higher-end model. Traditionally, I've always tried to convince people that spending the extra money for a 4K display on a 13-inch laptop isn't worth it. With a small screen like this, 1080p is sharp enough. But after spending around two months with the OLED version of the XPS 13, with the Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor and 16GB of RAM, of course, I'm not sure that's overkill anymore.
(Image credit: Dell)
Live the life
While I might be the hardware fanatic who likes to push the most powerful computer hardware to the limit here at TechRadar, when it comes to laptops, super-portable Ultrabooks are my go-to choice. I love having a laptop that I can carry in my bag without weighing it down, especially when I start going to the office again.
Before that, my everyday laptop was a 2018 MacBook Pro 13-inch, and it will continue to be once I return this XPS 13 to Dell, even though I really don't want to. This laptop has an incredibly bright 500-bit display with a 2 x 2.560 1.600K resolution. Plus, it hits 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, meaning the laptop was perfect for everything from editing photos in Photoshop to frantic TV. shows when I couldn't sleep.
And for those things, this XPS 13 knocks the MacBook Pro out of the park. The laptop has an 7th-gen Intel Core i16 processor and 5GB of RAM, which is already much faster than the 8th-gen Core iXNUMX and XNUMXGB of RAM in my MacBook Pro. Loading up Photoshop and then making edits is much less painful than on the MacBook, and I'm no longer stuck waiting for the computer to catch up with me.
This made the switch to the XPS 13 as your everyday work device extremely easy. No matter what you have to do for work, this XPS 13 is a great companion. And, thanks to the high resolution, it's easy to squeeze a lot more onto the screen at once than you could on a lower-res panel, and it's all still readable.
When Dell shipped this XPS 13, they told me to also use it to watch Netflix or something, and I did. I watched a few episodes of Queens Gambit and stuff. This little laptop made the show look better than it does on my TCL 6-series TV in my living room, and it's not even full 4K.
So the next month I became obsessed with watching everything from Sailor Moon to Lord of the Rings on this laptop, and even though I'll have to return this laptop soon, I'm very tempted to buy one with this screen. I'm going to start traveling soon, and having such a beautiful laptop screen could be a blessing when I just want to relax in a hotel room or at an airport and enjoy my favorite shows.
I was a bit worried about battery life when I started using it. Not only is it an OLED panel, but it's also high-resolution and very bright. However, even though I didn't compare it or anything, I just wanted to live with the laptop like a normal person for once, I never had to worry about the Dell XPS 13 not lasting through the business day.
I mean, most of my daily workload is lying on my couch while I type, edit, and move things around in calendars and spreadsheets, so I'm not pushing this laptop to its limits.
(Image credit: Dell)
Is the OLED upgrade worth buying?
Before you factor in the discounts, to get the XPS 13 configuration shipped to me, you're looking at $2,019 in the US. It's an expensive laptop, and just downgrading the model's 3.5K OLED Touch screen to a display isn't normal 1200p touch, that price drops to €1,619. That's quite a difference at €400 for a nicer screen. Now, at the time of writing, the XPS 13 is on sale, bringing the FHD version down to $1,399 and the OLED version down to $1,599. It's a much more reasonable price, but it's still a $200 bump for the OLED screen, which begs the question: is it really worth it? And like any IT problem, it depends. It certainly doesn't lose much when it comes to the utility of the laptop. The laptop will be just as fast, just as light, and just as stylish with or without the premium display option. And I've used multiple Dell XPS 13 laptops with the 1200p display option, and it's still a beautiful display. Unless you're editing high-resolution photo or video content, you won't need a display close to 4K. And, even if it is, you'll probably be better served by the XPS 15 and its H-series processor and dedicated graphics. The XPS 13 OLED isn't about what it takes. The XPS 13 OLED is a luxury product in every way. Having such a nice screen just to enjoy some downtime while on the go is definitely worth the extra money if you can afford it. It's become one of my favorite ways to stream TV shows, especially animated content, where the OLED screen really brings out the colors. The Dell XPS 13 was already one of the best laptops for someone looking for a thin and light laptop that could do it all. The OLED upgrade further improves everything this laptop is good at. You don't need it, but if you just want a good screen because it's nice to have, it's definitely worth the extra money. Try to get it while it's on sale. Today's best Dell XPS 13 deals Dell XPS 13 9305