Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 review: Lots to flex, few weaknesses

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Enlarge (credit: Valentina Palladino)

If the changes brought to the Dell XPS 13 earlier this year intrigued you, you may be even more excited for the XPS 13 2-in-1. Dell updated its flagship convertible even more than it updated its laptop. The company changed up the 2-in-1's screen, hinge, keyboard, and internals—including new Ice Lake processors.
A lot of laptop diehards are out there, but the improved XPS 13 2-in-1 may convince some of them to embrace a more flexible life. However, the XPS 13 2-in-1 has to compete with devices like HP's Spectre x360 13 and Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga. And when pitted against the others, Dell's machine may not satisfy every user's needs.
[h=2]Look and feel[/h][TABLE="class: specifications right"]
[TR]
[TH="colspan: 4, align: left"]Specs at a glance: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019)[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Worst[/TD]
[TD]Best[/TD]
[TD]As reviewed[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Screen[/TD]
[TD]13.3-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) touchscreen[/TD]
[TD]13.3-inch UHD+ (3840 x 2400) touchscreen[/TD]
[TD]13.3-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) touchscreen[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]OS[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]Windows 10 Home, 64 bit[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CPU[/TD]
[TD]Intel Core i3-1005G1[/TD]
[TD]Intel Core i7-1065G7[/TD]
[TD]Intel Core i7-1065G7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RAM[/TD]
[TD]4GB LPDDR3[/TD]
[TD]32GB LPDDR3[/TD]
[TD]16GB LPDDR3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]HDD[/TD]
[TD]256GB PCIe SSD[/TD]
[TD]1TB PCIe SSD[/TD]
[TD]512GB PCIe SSD[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GPU[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]Intel Iris+ Graphics[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Networking[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2), Bluetooth 5.0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ports[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x microSD card slot[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Size[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]11.6 x 8.2 x 0.51 in (296 x 207 x 13 mm)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Weight[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]2.9 pounds[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Battery[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]51Whr 4-cell[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Warranty[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]1 year[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Price[/TD]
[TD]$999[/TD]
[TD]$2,649[/TD]
[TD]$1,597[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Other perks[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]Fingerprint sensor on power button, dual array digital mics (Cortana use), Dell Cinema (Color, Sound, Stream), Dolby Vision support[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[h=3]Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1[/h] $999 from Dell




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Since the XPS 13 is our current favorite Windows Ultrabook, I was not surprised to find that the 2-in-1 version has the same stellar build quality. Its CNC aluminum chassis weighs 2.9 pounds, and our review unit's white fiber glass interior complemented its silver edges nicely. There's little to no flex to this laptop, so while it's not a MIL-SPEC certified machine, it should be able to hold its own in your bag surrounded by all your other essentials.

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