If you’ve been following the steady march of progress from Dell’s Linux-first Project Sputnik team, you’re no doubt aware that the “Developer Edition” variant of the XPS 13 is one of the finest Linux-ready ultrabooks you can buy. Just ahead of CES 2020, Dell is pushing out a few more improvements including a feature that’s been hotly requested: fingerprint-reader support.
10th Generation XPS 13 Developer Edition with 16:10 aspect ratio and Linux fingerprint reader ... [+]
It’s one of several enhancements Dell is promising to Linux users for its 10th-generation XPS 13, including a new maximum of 32GB RAM and a redesigned “InfinityEdge” display that adds even more screen real estate, resulting in an adjusted 16:10 aspect ratio to match.
Dell’s Barton George says the increased RAM capacity is a direct request from the Linux community and that the company is “happy to deliver it.”
But headlining this redesign is undoubtedly the ability to easily add a bit of biometrics to your Ubuntu login.
Details on fingerprint-reader support are still a bit vague, but Dell says it will be released shortly after the system’s February 2020 launch as an OTA (over-the-air) update, and then as part of the preloaded Ubuntu Developer Edition image it ships with the system.
As many of you know, my Linux journey last year began on a Dell XPS 13 9370 Windows 10 edition, which included the dual power button/fingerprint sensor. The lingering question is whether or not this new driver/firmware will be upstreamed and backwards-compatible with prior-generation XPS 13 laptops that boast the hardware.
I have an email out to Dell and will update this post the moment I get a response.
Here’s a quick summary of the 10th-gen XPS 13 Developer Edition (dubbed the “2020 XPS 13”):
- 10th Gen Intel® Core™ 10nm mobile processors
- Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
- Fingerprint reader support (driver initially available via OTA update)
- Up to 32GB memory
- Up to 3x faster wireless with Killer™ AX1650 built on Intel WiFi 6 Chipset, supports up to 2TB PCIe SSD
- Up to 4K Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) display
Dell will begin shipping in February, with a baseline model (Intel 10th-gen Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and 1080p display) starting at $1199.
For more details and the complete announcement, check out Barton’s Blog.
