Dell XPS 15 makes play for MacBook Pro fans, starts at $999
Running on new Intel Core i9 six-core processors, the redesigned 15.6-inch performance laptop is now the smallest in its class.
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Dell's new XPS 15 is the smallest in its class thanks to its thin display bezels.
Dell already has the smallest 13.3-inch laptop, the new XPS 13. Now it's given the XPS 15 a similar overhaul to make it the smallest 15.6-inch performance laptop available. And at 4 pounds (1.8 kg) it's one of the lightest, too.
Like the XPS 13, Dell achieved the 15's smaller size by shaving off millimeters around its display, bringing the overall size down to about the size of an average 14-inch laptop. Despite being more compact, Dell says it can hit up to 21.5 hours of battery life. That will naturally depend on your components and what you're doing. Still, even if it's a few hours shy of that mark with normal use, it still be a lot of time away from a charging cable.
Speaking of components, the XPS 15 is one of Dell's first to be powered by new eighth-gen Intel six-core processors up to a Core i9. Configurations are expected to start at $1,000 (roughly £700 or AU$1,300 converted) when it's available in May, with options including:
- 8 to 32GB of 2,666MHz memory
- Intel UHD Graphics 630,
Nvidia
GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050Ti
- 128GB SSD+1TB HDD, 1TB solid state hybrid drive or 256GB, 512GB or 1TB PCIe NMVe SSD
You'll also have your choice of a full HD display with 100 percent sRGB color gamut or a 4K UHD-resolution touchscreen with 100 percent AdobeRGB color gamut. Both are capable of hitting 400-nit brightness without shifting the white point of the panel.
The new XPS 15 joins the XPS 15 two-in-one that was announced at CES 2018. The pen-enabled convertible laptop currently starts at $1,500, but Dell announced a $1,300 configuration will arrive by the end of April. It will also be available in a new onyx color.
The XPS 15 two-in-one component options include processors up to quad-core i7 processor with Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics. It, too, uses Dell's InfinityEdge displays to make it "the world's smallest and thinnest 15.6-inch two-in-one."
Dell announced a new special edition Inspiron 15 7000 two-in-one, too. Starting at $1,300 in a new abyss black finish, it has a premium 4K touch display matched with Nvidia's GeForce MX130 GPU for a little more graphics power than you'd get with integrated graphics. It's not quite as slimmed down as the XPS 15 two-in-one, but it still has narrow bezels around its display.
Dell's Inspiron 7000 AIO sports a 27-inch full HD or 4K UHD display.
If desktops are more your speed, Dell updated its Inspiron 3000, 5000 and 7000 all-in-ones with AMD or Intel processors, integrated or discrete graphics, full HD or 4K UHD displays -- with or without touch input -- on pedestal stands for a lot of positioning flexibility. And, they all have pop-up webcams up on top.
Available in 22- and 24-inch sizes, the 3000 starts at $400 and gets you basics for everyday tasks, but with a wide variety of configuration options and seventh-gen Intel or AMD processors.
The midrange 5000, starting at $850, steps up to eighth-gen Intel chips and optional Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics, and at the top there's the 27-inch 7000 that adds options for a 4K UHD-resolution non-touch display and six-core Core i7-8700T processor. Bonus: The 5000 and 7000 have HDMI outputs and inputs, so you can add a second display or use the all-in-one's screen for a gaming console or an external TV tuner.
You can get the 3000 series now, with the 5000 and 7000 arriving in late May.