Dell XPS 13 9350 review: Worth its cost

    Dell XPS 13 9350 review: Worth its cost
    1/7

    Dell XPS 13 9350 review: Worth its cost

    Text: Riyana Lama, Gadgets Now

    Dell XPS 13 9350 review:When it comes to laptops or notebooks, it's no longer just Apple taking pride in its ultra thin laptops. Other premium laptop makers, such as HP, Asus, and even Dell are in the game. The all new XPS 13 is one of the thinnest laptops produced by Dell, with incredible specifications and an equally chic design.

    Not only does it look good, it also has a touch screen. But as they say not everything comes cheap, the XPS 13 carries a hefty price tag of Rs 1,33,990. Is it worth the moolah? Read our full review to find out.

    Dell XPS 13 9350: Design
    2/7

    Dell XPS 13 9350: Design

    The XPS 13 has squeezed the 13-inch display into an 11-inch frame, making it look small and compact. With a less than 5.5mm bezel, weighing about 1.2kg, and measuring 9-15mm, the laptop is exceptionally thin. A compact keyboard compliments the sleek design, with an incredibly fast and touch-sensitive trackpad.

    Adjusting the webcam takes a lot of time on most laptops especially while interacting with folks. The XPS 13 by virtue of its thin bezel provides a better viewing angle with the webcam located right below the screen at the bottom left corner.

    Dell XPS 13 9350 impresses with small speaker grilles
    3/7

    Dell XPS 13 9350 impresses with small speaker grilles

    A Noble Lock slot, a USB 3.0, PowerShare, and an SD card slot make up the right side of the device, while an AC adaptor, a Thunderbolt 3 supporting charge dock, PowerShare, a USB 3.1, an HDMI and Ethernet dock, a USB-A (via Dell adaptor sold separately), a USB 3.0, a headphone jack, and a batter indicator are located on the left.

    What's really impressive, are the small speaker grilles placed on both sides. They might be small but the sound output is excellent, loud enough to watch movies without using any external Bluetooth speakers.

    Performance & Specifications
    4/7

    Performance & Specifications

    The XPS 13 comes with powerful hardware - a sixth generation Intel Core, i7-6560U processor with the Windows 10 Home 64 bit edition out of the box. It is further backed by an 8GB RAM, a 256GB PCle SSD and a battery backup of up to 18 hours.

    It has an UltraSharp QHD (3200x1800) resolution with a 720p widescreen HD webcam with dual array digital microphones.

    Didn't score well with display touch screen being enabled
    5/7

    Didn't score well with display touch screen being enabled

    It works flawlessly, displaying crisp images while watching a 4K video thanks to the 400 nit brightness. On the flip side, the XPS 13 however didn't score well with the display touch screen being enabled.

    While we agree that having a tablet with such specifications is amazing, being touch-screen enabled, it should have been foldable to 360 degrees.

    Keyboard is unnecessary addition in tablet mode
    6/7

    Keyboard is unnecessary addition in tablet mode

    Though it has a 'tablet mode', the keyboard stays functional while the feature is turned on making it an unnecessary addition. It cannot be used as a tablet as long as the physical keyboard is attached. Another area of concern is the presence of the ventilation grille at the bottom of the chassis.

    With extensive use the laptop is prone to heating up. Unlike others in the fray where the vent is located on the sides, the XPS 13 generates considerable amount of heat with its outlets blocked.

    Dell XPS 13 9350 review verdict
    7/7

    Dell XPS 13 9350 review verdict

    The Dell XPS 13 is a powerful device with a brilliant display resolution. Should you be ready to shell out close to a lakh and a half in Indian currency the XPS 13 won't disappoint you.

    However, if you wish to try out other alternatives, the recently launched HP Spectre or the Apple MacBook Air may interest you.

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