Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 review: a powerful laptop in a stylish and compact package

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Specifications Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320

Design and features

Connectors and ports

Display and sound

Keyboard and trackpad

Webcam and security

System and Performance

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 battery life

Total

Should I buy

Ultrabook Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 - video

After years of small changes Dellhas finally released a completely updated version of its main ultrabook - Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320. It has a large keyboard, a great display with small bezels, an invisible touchpad, touch-sensitive function keys and an attractive design.

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However, the main advantage of the XPS 13 series is alwayswas high performance and the ability to cope with demanding tasks. Did Dell manage to make a powerful device this time around? Find out in my review.

Read also: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED review of the future of foldable laptops

Specifications Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320

Screen

13.4" OLED touchscreen, 3456×2160 pixels, 16:9 ratio, 60Hz, anti-reflective coating, 400 nits, InfinityEdge

CPU

Intel Core i7-1260P (12 cores, 16 threads, 18MB cache, up to 4.70GHz Turbo)

Video card

Intel Iris Xe

RAM

16/32 GB LPDDR5

Inner memory

1TB SSD

Connectivity and connections

Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E 1675 (AX211) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.2

operating system

Windows 11 Home

Webcam

720p

Sound

Dual 2W speakers

Connectors

2×Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery)

Battery

55Wh, charging 60W

Dimensions

295.30×199.04×15.28mm

Weight

1.26 kg

Colors

Platinum, graphite

Price

199 thousand rubles

Design and features

Stylish design is one of the main advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320, the laptop looks great.

The keyboard starts almost from the left edgebody and ends on the right, occupying the entire horizontal space. Thanks to this, the keys are large and suitable for comfortable typing. The set of touch-sensitive function buttons also looks nice, although they are not so convenient to use.

While the XPS 13 Plus 9320 isn't the smallest and lightest 13-inch ultrabook on the market, it's certainly not heavy.

The thickness of the case is 15.28 mm, and the weight is 1.26 kg. By the way, the OLED version weighs a little more than the LCD version - if you want a more compact model with an OLED screen, I advise you to take the ZenBook S 13 OLED.

Build quality is impeccable - casemetal, and the surface around the keyboard has a pleasant dark gray coating. However, it leaves a lot of stains and prints. The hinge is also not made in the best way - when you try to open the lid with one hand, the case slides on the table. For a top-tier laptop that you'll open many times a day, this is a problem.

Connectors and ports

Connectors on the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 are few, like many ultrabooks - there are only two USB-C ports, one on each side.

If you're going to be doing a lot of work on your XPS 13 Plus 9320 laptop, it's best to get a USB hub in advance.

Both support Thunderbolt 4, however, foran ultrabook of such a set is not enough. Lacks USB-A connectors and a slot for memory cards microSD. I am glad that at least there are USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters in the kit.

Display and sound

The most expensive configuration of the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 came to my test, the advantage of which is a 13.4-inch OLED touch display.

The screen has a very high resolution of 3456×2160pixels at a 16:9 aspect ratio, although the refresh rate does not exceed 60 Hz. Ultrabook is not very suitable for games with high frame rates, although it is not intended for this.

Otherwise, the XPS 13 Plus 9320's display is great - the image is highly detailed and accurate shades.

sRGB color space coverage is94.2%, and the average deltaE is 1.35. There is also support for HDR technology, although the operating time when this feature is enabled can be greatly reduced. The screen brightness reaches 450 nits, which is usually enough for outdoor use.

Dell installed two speakers on the XPS 13 Pluspower of 2 W and two tweeters. They provide clear and loud sound. But, it lacks depth and power, especially when compared to the latest MacBook Air M2.

Keyboard and trackpad

When creating the XPS 13 Plus, Dell heavily upgraded the keyboard - it takes up all the available frontal space.

Keys are close to each otherlarge, and the buttons are large and comfortable. Typing voluminous texts on this laptop is a pleasure. But the transition to touch function keys will not seem like the best solution. When you click on them, you will not feel any feedback, so it is difficult to find them by touch.

An interesting feature of the touch buttons is that when you press Fn, a pleasant backlight appears under the function keys.

Another strange solution is an invisible touchpad,which is clearly made that way for the sake of general design, not usability. However, in reality, everything is not as bad as it seemed - the XPS 13 Plus 9320's touchpad is located under the gap, with about the same width, so you don't have to look for it. When pressed, you will feel feedback, which could be done with the function keys.

Webcam and security

For biometric user recognition, a fingerprint scanner has been added to the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 power key.

An infrared webcam enables Windows Hello unlocking.

However, in low light, relying on it is notstands, so the fingerprint scanner is very handy here. The webcam resolution is only 720p - the reason for this is the small bezels around the display, which are difficult to fit a large sensor. When making video calls via Zoom, your image will not be the clearest.

System and Performance

The Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 laptop runs on the Windows 11 Home operating system (Home), like many competitors.

There are several pre-installed appswhich some users may find useful, while others consider them "superfluous". The reviewed XPS 13 Plus build is powered by a 12-core Intel Core i7-1260P processor with a Turbo clock speed of up to 4.70 GHz.

There is no discrete graphics card - instead, there is integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics.

The amount of RAM is 16/32 GB, andSSD storage capacity is 1 TB. An ultrabook is well suited for multitasking, although since 2020 the models of the XPS 13 line have one problem - the fans start to make noise and the case heats up.

Even when starting not the most demandingapplications, the operation of the cooling system becomes noticeable. In the GeekBench 5 performance test, the device scores 8781 points in multi-core mode, which is better than most competitors. In the 3D Mark (Night Raid) graphics test, the XPS 13 Plus scores 16,640 points, which is not bad, although other models in this segment score just as well.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 battery life

When watching videos in 720p quality, the battery of the Dell XPS 13 Plus runs out in just 7 hours.

This is four hours worse than HuaweiMatebook X Pro, and you can’t explain it with an OLED display alone - after all, the ZenBook S 13 OLED is able to work twice as long. Moreover, when HDR is turned on, autonomy drops to 5.5 hours, and this is a bad indicator. A full charge won't last you a day's work, so you'll need to carry a charger with you.

For a compact laptop that's easy to take on the go, poor battery life is a problem that Dell needs to address.

Included with the device is an adapter with a capacity of 60W, which restores 25% of the XPS 13 Plus 9320 battery energy in half an hour. This is not the highest speed even in a more affordable price segment - for example, the Matebook X Pro battery charges up to 50% in the same time.

Total

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a bold update to a successful line of premium compact laptops.

The new edge-to-edge keyboard looksamazing and very comfortable when typing, when the invisible trackpad is surprisingly convenient. There's also a gorgeous OLED display with a huge 3.5K resolution and accurate colors.

However, the model has many shortcomings:a set of touch-sensitive function keys is inconvenient, and there are few connectors. The battery drains quickly, and the energy reserve is enough for only half a day. In addition, the case heats up, and the fans start to make noise, which is a long-standing problem with models in this line.

In general, although there are many updates, for the most part they relate to design. I wish Dell would pay attention to more important aspects next time.

Should I buy

If you're looking for a laptop that's not only about a beautiful design, but also about the ability to perform work tasks for a long time, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is not the best option.

Yandex Market Ultrabook Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 – video

Alexander Shaman Alexander has been writing foralmost two decades. Initially, he collected technology news for local media. His love of science fiction awakened a huge thirst for knowledge. Trying to understand how it works and if it could work better, he becomes so carried away, as if he is immersed in a trance. For this, among colleagues in TehnObzor, he received the nickname - Shaman. Stylish Dell ultrabook questionable Design and ergonomics 95/100 Display and multimedia 95/100 Keyboard and input devices 95/100 Connectors and ports 80/100 Performance 90/100 Connectivity and connectivity 90/100 Battery life 85/100 Total 90 XPS 13 Plus The 9320 is Dell's attempt to make a difference, and not the worst. The laptop is elegant, light, sophisticated and has an intriguing design. However, when it comes to use, the XPS 13 Plus can't keep up with its competitors. Advantages and disadvantages Stylish design Invisible touchpad Comfortable keyboard Stunning OLED display Performance components Few connectors Drains quickly Noisy and heats up 4/5 (1 review)