Today, Dell introduced the newest members of its XPS premium laptop family, a redesigned XPS 15 and the first XPS 17 in about a decade. The XPS 15 now looks more similar to the XPS 13 that was announced at CES, chopping down the bottom bezel and still including a webcam and an IR camera in the top bezel. Naturally, the new XPS 17 also follows that same design language.
Also like the XPS 13, the actual footprint of the XPS 15 doesn't change by much, although it is about 12x5mm smaller. The screen is bigger though, going from a 15.6-inch 16:9 display to a 15.6-inch 16:10 display. In other words, that bottom bezel that's being removed is being replaced by screen real estate.
There's some bad news that comes along with that though. Unlike the XPS 15 that shipped last year, there's no configuration with an OLED display. It would seem that there aren't any suppliers that are offering 15.6-inch 16:10 OLED screens, which makes it a bit strange that Dell introduced the feature at all last year only to discontinue it.
The new XPS 15 actually has a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio, and it's 93.7% on the XPS 17. Both models are available in 1920x1200 if you want the battery life, or you can go for 3840x2400 for superior image quality.
The XPS 17 is all about power. The two PCs are offered with Intel's 45W 10th-generation H-series processors, up to a Core i9-10885H, and the XPS 15 got a GPU bump from an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 to a 1650 Ti, but the XPS 17 is actually being offered with RTX 2060 graphics, meaning that it supports real-time ray tracing and DLSS.
While you can use it for gaming, it's aimed at creativity. In fact, it might make for a solid "work and play" laptop, with a 17-inch screen fitting into the chassis of a 15-inch laptop. Indeed, it comes in at just 374.45x248.05x19.5mm. It also starts at just 4.65 pounds, while the XPS 15 starts at four pounds.
For its thin form factor, Dell says that it's using dual opposite outlet fans for 30% better airflow. It's also using GORE Thermal Insulation, keeping the system cool to increase performance.
Interestingly, Dell is killing off USB Type-A with this generation. On the XPS 15, you'll find two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one USB 3.1 Type-C port, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the XPS 17, there are four Thunderbolt 3 ports, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. Both units ship with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter, in case you need it.
The new XPS 15 is available today, starting at $1,299.99. The XPS 17 is coming this summer, starting at $1,499.99.
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