Dell XPS 13 (2026) Review: An Excellent Laptop, but a Futile Gesture

Overall a success, especially since the trackpad generally convinces us as well. It offers a small clickable surface very much in line with what Apple provides on its MacBook Neo. We still recommend using an external mouse for daily speed, but this touch surface is precise enough to do the job when browsing on the go or on a busy lap.

A yellow card, however, for the I/O department. True to XPS tradition, Dell sticks with two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (10 Gbit/s with DisplayPort and Power Delivery).

They are arranged quite sensibly (placed on either side of the chassis to allow charging on both sides) and their discreet presence shows Dell keeps to the minimum service… to the point of leaving out the headphone jack that we still expect on a portable PC. A pity, as ASUS and (to a lesser extent) Acer do much better here with their Zenbook 14 and Swift Air 14 models.

The 1080p webcam doesn’t deserve much attention. Limited to 2 MP, it delivers a very pale, noisy image, just about sufficient for video calls. Fortunately its utility lies elsewhere since it includes the necessary sensors for facial recognition via Windows Hello. Its raison d’être is to be there. Dell does, however, make a notable effort with the speakers. This new XPS 13 does indeed integrate four small 2 W speakers tucked inside the chassis. They use the shell as a kind of resonance box to produce surprisingly powerful and well-balanced sound. A pleasant surprise.

These capacities are quickly saturated, limiting more advanced use such as occasional photo editing. The XPS 13 does not climb into the same league as its larger XPS 14 or 16 siblings under Panther Lake processors. Consider this a clear statement.

Their distribution is quite sensible (they are placed on either side of the chassis, allowing charging on both sides) and their presence is discreet, but Dell really sticks to the bare minimum here… to the point of skipping the headphone jack that we would expect on a laptop. Shame, as ASUS and (to a lesser extent) Acer do considerably better on this point with their Zenbook 14 and Swift Air 14 respectively.

The 1080p webcam doesn’t deserve much of a linger; limited to 2 MP, it delivers a rather dull and particularly noisy image, just enough for video calls. Fortunately, its utility lies elsewhere since it includes the sensors required for Windows Hello facial recognition. Its reason for being is to exist, and Dell makes an effort to improve the speakers. The new XPS 13 indeed integrates four tiny 2 W speakers hidden in the chassis. They use the body as a resonant chamber to deliver a fairly powerful and well-balanced sound. A pleasant surprise.

Disassembly is finally possible by removing the bottom plate of the chassis, held in place by four Torx T5 screws. The operation, however, is of limited interest since only the SSD and the battery can be replaced, as is the case with most ultraportables these days.

Display: a perfectly contrasted IPS panel with a little extra

Our miniature XPS relies on a 13.4-inch tactile IPS panel. This LCD screen offers a QHD+ resolution (2560 by 1600 pixels), with a dynamic refresh rate ranging from 30 to 120 Hz, and a maximum SDR brightness listed at 500 cd/m². Let’s see how it performs.

Using our probe and DisplayCal software, we first record an SDR maximum luminance of 471 cd/m², close to what Dell lists on its official product page. This brightness is sufficient in most scenarios, especially since an exceptionally effective anti-glare coating is employed on this model.

The matte finish, reminiscent of the nano-texture option on MacBook Pro, gives the panel a kind of color e-reader vibe and greatly improves readability outdoors or in very bright environments. Dell is also the only manufacturer to include such an effective matte coating on a budget portable.

In terms of contrast, the XPS 13 delivers a ratio of 2012:1. A generous figure for IPS technology, ensuring very accurate blacks and satisfying image depth, even if OLED panels still beat it in this area. In terms of contrast, the XPS 13 edges out the MacBook Neo, but lags behind ASUS’ latest ZenBook 14… which sports an organic panel from €799.

In short, this XPS 13 stands out from its direct competitors, whether from ASUS, Acer, or Apple, thanks to the presence of a fast PCIe Gen 4 SSD: 7056 MB/s read and 5786 MB/s write. Perfect for contributing to the very good overall responsiveness of this 16 GB edition in everyday use.

Autonomy: a full day of battery life, and perhaps a little more

Given its compact format, the XPS 13 2026 relies on a small 52 Wh battery. This limited capacity proves sufficient. Dell leverages the dynamic refresh display to save power and relies on the power efficiency of the Wildcat Lake processors to avoid wasteful consumption.

For everyday, balanced use – combining office work, web browsing, and multimedia consumption – the device can typically last 8 to 10 hours. We trail slightly behind the MacBook Neo’s 11 hours for a similar form factor, but the XPS 13 doesn’t fare badly in this category. A workday on battery life is assured… often with a bit of extra.

Charging, meanwhile, is done via one of the two USB-C ports using a charger purchased separately if you don’t already have one. Dell recommends a 65 W power brick for efficient recharging.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Clubic’s verdict