Watch out, Apple: Dell unveils mighty new XPS 13 – the first without an Intel processor and supercharged with Snapdragon to dominate in a world of AI
Dell just unveiled the next step for its iconic XPS laptop line: a shiny new XPS 13, the first of a new breed to use Qualcomm’s powerful new Snapdragon X1 Elite chip.
This is quite a departure for Dell, which has historically only used Intel processors in its popular and long-running XPS laptop series. XPS fans have long speculated about an XPS 13 with a Ryzen CPU from AMD, but instead we have Qualcomm – a chipmaker making waves with its impressively powerful new Snapdragon chips.
In our review of the 2022 Dell XPS 13, we labeled it one of the best ultrabooks on the market, a distinction that still holds up today among newer models. We also praised the excellent Dell XPS 13 Plus when we tested it last year, as well as the touchscreen hybrid Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.
From the press materials we’ve been shown, it looks like the new 13.4 inches. inch OLED 3K touchscreen – which I can personally testify looked beautiful on the XPS 13 Plus. It comes in the classic platinum and graphite colorways.
XPS: Now with more AI power
Of course, that Snapdragon X1 Elite chip (specifically the 12-core Elite . Thanks to a built-in Qualcomm Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU), it has also increased its capabilities for handling machine learning workloads – in other words, it can run local AI tools better.
AI is the hot topic in the computing world right now, and chips like the Snapdragon X1 Elite are critical as more and more software tools start to implement machine learning functionality. I’m not just talking about AI art generators here; everything from Windows 11 to Adobe Photoshop is currently getting an AI-powered boost. The X1 Elite chip is capable of 45 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS), beating Apple’s brand new M4 chip by 7 TOPS.
Backing up that chip in the new Dell XPS 13 is up to 64GB of RAM, a fast Gen4 SSD with up to 4TB of storage and built-in Qualcomm Adreno graphics. Add in a 1080p webcam and the generally long battery life of the XPS series, and you have a potential MacBook killer on your hands.
That’s not all, folks
However, Dell wasn’t content with unveiling one new product today: we also have two new Inspiron laptops, the Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 14 Plus. These are both equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus chip (yes, I know the ‘Plus’ in the latter laptop’s name is confusing here), a slightly more mid-range version of the X1 Elite chip.
These are also a first for Dell, which has never delved into Qualcomm’s previous CPU offerings in its Inspiron lineup. Despite being less powerful than the Elite chip, the Snapdragon X Plus brings the exact same Hexagon NPU and Adreno GPU to the battle, promising excellent performance at a lower price. We also saw a few new Latitude laptops for business users.
It’s not just laptops either; Dell also bundled some new peripherals with the unveiling, namely the Silent Keyboard, Silent Mouse (both wireless), and Wired Collaboration Keyboard. These are all sleek, office-friendly kit, and both keyboards come with a dedicated Copilot key for those who want to make better use of Microsoft’s helpful AI assistant.
These new product reveals are part of a collective wave of new laptops and desktop systems from all the major players in the computer hardware market. These “AI PCs” herald the dawn of a new era of computing – one powered by machine learning. As a long-time XPS enthusiast myself, I’m excited to get my hands on this latest model.