Dell Revamps XPS Laptop Line With 2-in-1 Tablet, 4K Displays and Carbon-Fiber Bodies-Toughpad 4K Tablet

Microsoft Corp.MSFT +0.53% isn’t the only company introducing a new Windows 10 hybrid tablet-laptop this week. On Thursday, Dell Inc. revealed a trio of new XPS laptops, including the XPS 12: a tablet that docks with a sleek keyboard to become a laptop. The new XPS 13 and XPS 15 have their own bragging points: Dell claims it’s built the smallest 13-inch and 15-inch laptops on the planet.

XPS 12
Dell is clearly challenging Microsoft’s Surface Pro with the XPS 12. But unlike previous Surfaces, this one sits rigidly upright, like a laptop, when locked into its keyboard base.

The 12.5-inch tablet half of the XPS 12 boasts a resolution of either full HD (1,920×1,080 pixels) or 4K Ultra HD (3,840×2,160 pixels). Just be aware, by opting for more pixels, you lose battery life, which is 10 hours at best, says Dell.

The Dell XPS 12Dell Inc.

The tablet has a magnetic attachment to its keyboard base, locking in for most positions and releasing with a one-handed gesture when at a specific angle. Like Microsoft’s Surface Pro and upcoming Surface Book hybrid, the XPS 12’s display can handle touch input and stylus input (using Dell’s Active Pen stylus) for note taking, drawing, marking up screenshots of websites and other digital pen needs.

No matter the resolution, the display has a 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel front camera for photos and video chats as well. Since the XPS 12 can function as a tablet, its Intel Core M5 mobile chipset is situated beneath the display. Along its edge are two USB Type-C ports, which allow it to charge up as well as power external drives and monitors.

The XPS 12 will start at $999—including the keyboard dock and a protective case. It will ship on Nov. 5.

XPS 13

The design of the XPS 13 is already known, not least because it was arguably the best Windows laptop of last year. Despite its 13-inch screen, the device itself is about the size of a traditional 11-inch laptop. Dell pulled this off by making the bezel running along the screen’s edge dramatically thin. Like last year, the display still comes in two resolutions: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and 3,200 x 1,800 pixels. Only the higher resolution display will double as a touchscreen.

The Dell XPS 13Dell Inc.

The new XPS 13 has been rebuilt under the hood, however. Inside, the XPS 13 will be powered by Intel’s sixth-generation Core i7 processor and up to 16GB of RAM. Battery life is promised to come in around 18 hours. In addition to two USB ports, the new version gets a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 3 interface built in, so it can be used for drives and monitors alike. (You may have to track down some new cables, however.)

The XPS 13 ships Thursday at a starting price of $799.

XPS 15

The XPS 15 sits atop the new XPS lineup, and like the XPS 13, it will feature a thin-bezeled display. Your choices are full HD (1,920×1,080 pixels) non-touch screen or a 4K (3,840×2,160 pixels) touchscreen. Just remember, you’ll get far less battery life with the 4K display. Like the XPS 13, the XPS 15 mixes aluminum and carbon fiber for its body.

The processor choice is more varied here, with the options of either Intel’s Core i3, i5 or i7 processors and as much as 16GB of speedy DDR4 RAM. It too gets a USB Type-C port with built-in Thunderbolt 3 interface.

The dream configuration for the XPS 15 would be a 1-terabyte SSD, 16GB of RAM, the Core i7 chip, the GeForce GTX 960M and of course the 4K screen. While that powerhouse would set you back $2599, Dell says the XPS 15, which also ships Thursday, will start at $999.