The only true 15-inch MacBook Pro alternative is about to get even better
Dell's new XPS 15 just got leaked -- complete with never-before-seen Intel and Nvidia chips.
Strange but true -- when we went looking for a Windows alternative to the new 15-inch MacBook Pro, only one laptop stood out. Right now, the Dell XPS 15 is the only machine with portability and performance to match Apple's largest laptop. Problem is, its CPU and graphics are about to be a year out of date.
It looks like that will change at this year's CES in January, though, because Dell just leaked the product page for a new XPS 15 -- one with Intel's unreleased quad-core Kaby Lake CPUs and an unannounced Nvidia graphics chip.
According to the listing, which has since been pulled but is mostly archived here (first spotted by VideoCardz.com), the XPS 15 will come with your choice of a new quad-core Intel Core i3-7100HQ, i5-7300HQ or i7-7700HQ processor, optional Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics and an optional fingerprint sensor that can let you log into Windows with a single tap. (Those fingerprint sensors are one of my favorite new laptop features.)
We can't say what those new chips are capable of -- they haven't been announced yet, after all -- but if we're lucky that GTX 1050 might support VR.
Otherwise, the Dell XPS 15 sounds like it'll be the same excellent machine, with barely there bezels surrounding a beautiful 4K screen and a do-it-all Thunderbolt 3 port for single-cable docking. Plus there's the full-size SD card slot, HDMI and USB ports that the new MacBook Pro ditched, all wrapped up in an aluminum and carbon fiber body that weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kg).
To be sure, it's possible the leaked site was inaccurate, and these details could change -- but the new processors, graphics and fingerprint sensor are pretty big things to accidentally add to the page. I'll probably buy one for myself if the price is right come January.
Dell didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.