For many years the Dell XPS line has been the flagship of Dell’s fleet. This year they’ve bifurcated their 13″ models into a premium “Plus” edition with a new keyboard and trackpad design along with a more affordable option that retains a more traditional layout.
My latest review looks at the low end of the XPS line, called the 9315.
The 9315 starts right now at $799 (affiliate link) which isn’t a bad deal for what it offers. It has a 1080p equivalent 16:10 display which for its size is adequate given the pixel density even at that resolution. It’s also very bright at 500 nits.
With the 1080p display it’s possible to get at least 10 hours of battery life out of this when sticking to the basics. Other activities like gaming will reduce that longevity of course.
But Dell has tamped down the performance on these lower end XPS models. So those looking to do video editing and light gaming will see better performance out of the more expensive Plus models.
The metal casing is slim and lightweight, coming in at just over 2 and a half pounds or 1.17 kilograms.
As Windows laptops go this one checks many boxes for those looking for a decent Windows application for work related tasks. It’s slim and light, has great battery life and doesn’t cost all that much for its premium build and display. But the value proposition comes at the cost of performance.