The Dell XPS 13 is the best laptop on the market, but its success has caused the XPS 13 2-in-1 to be somewhat overshadowed. It doesn’t help that early versions of the laptop/tablet hybrid suffered from poor battery life and a clunky chassis. The 2020 model, however, should help the XPS 13 2-in-1 step out of the shadows of its sibling and into the spotlight.

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available soon, on August 25. The new model is reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface Pro series with its folio design and touch stylus (sold separately). However, don’t dismiss the laptop as a rip-off. In classic XPS fashion, it’s an incredibly refined, sleek, and powerful device that looks to appeal to those in the premium laptop market.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 shares the same chassis as the 2019 XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 but with newer Tiger Lake-U 11th gen Intel options to replace the older Ice Lake 10th gen options. Thus, key features on the 7390 2-in-1 all remain untouched on the 9310 2-in-1 including the MagLev keyboard keys, vapor chamber cooler, 13.4-inch 16:10 touchscreen, and properly positioned webcam.

The market for premium Windows laptops is ultracompetitive, with Dell, Asus, Acer, HP, Lenovo, and other companies updating their flagship models frequently—sometimes more than once per year. The XPS 13 2-in-1 is up against similarly excellent convertible laptops with 13-inch screens, among them the HP Spectre x360 13 and the Asus ZenBook Flip S. Several of these have been updated with Intel’s 11th Generation Tiger Lake Core processors or their AMD equivalents, the Ryzen 4000 series.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Review 2024- Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Premium materials
• Sharp and bright touchscreen
• Speedy graphics performance
• Compact, lightweight, and attractive chassis
• Multiple color options
• Fast with decent battery life

Cons:

• Slightly uncomfortable keyboard
• Integrated graphics
• Memory and SSD not upgradable

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Features

Keyboard & Touchpad

• MagLev keyboard
• Textured glass touchpad
• Integrated fingerprint scanner

Performance

• Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, Intel Xe graphics
• 16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x RAM

Battery Life & Ports

• 51Wh battery capacity, 45W charger
• 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports

Screen

• 13.4-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD screen
• 500-nit brightens (550 nits measured)
• Flexi-hinge touchscreen

Design

• Dimensions: 297 x 207 x 14.35mm
• Weight: 1.32 kg (1.29kg measured)
• CNC machined aluminium casing

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs. HP Envy x360

The HP Envy x360 is similar in many ways to the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. The keyboard is markedly better and is more comfortable for typing, although the touchpad is cramped. It’s plainer-looking than the Dell and also thicker. The weight is roughly the same. HP offers AMD processors as an alternative to Intel (which are also available) and a USB-A port. The Envy x360 is also more affordable with prices starting under $900.

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs. Lenovo Chromebook Duet
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a small convertible laptop with a 10.1-inch screen and nowhere near the performance, image quality, or features of the Dell. That said, it is somewhat smaller and more portable. It’s also much cheaper, starting at $229. If you can get by with the Chrome OS operating system, the Chromebook Duet could be a better choice.