Review: Dell XPS 13 Plus combines high performance with disappointing design

The Dell XPS 13 laptop has been a staple among ultra-light Windows laptops, usually offering decent performance for the price, exceptional portability, and good looks.

Apparently, Dell didn’t have enough of that, so they released the Dell XPS 13 Plus. Introduced this year (alongside the more traditional 2022 XPS 13), this is an upgraded version of the XPS 13 that puts performance first.

Wild design options allow the system to support a 28W CPU. The 2021 XPS 13 features a 15W chip, while the 2022 XPS 13 supports up to 12W of chip power, which is a notable achievement. But it’s also a case where function is more important than form. Simply put, using the XPS 13 Plus was weird. From closely spaced keys and a range of capacitive touch features to minimal port selection, questionable build quality and extremely hot temperatures, this machine can be frustrating in everyday tasks.

As a performer, the XPS 13 Plus has its upsides. But as a portable computer, some design choices might push you towards other powerful thin-and-light laptops.

Function bar in Touch Bar style

Dell does not abandon touch input over the keyboards of its laptops. You can find a similar setting on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, although all other MacBooks have reverted to real keys. However, Dell’s approach to the capacitive touch range is more limited than Apple’s touch bar.

First, it is not programmed. It can display Esc, multimedia keys (including a handy mic mute button that lights up), brightness controls, a Windows Project button, and some navigation keys. Alternatively, pressing Fn causes the function bar to display Esc and F1-F12, and you can lock this layout in place by holding Fn + Esc.

Dell introduced the touchpad-like top row, not just to be different. Because the keys use capacitive touch, they are 1.4mm thick instead of the vertical 3.2mm required for traditional buttons. This solution saves space and allowed Dell to move the hinges to wider points to improve system cooling, the company said. But when the laptop was running at maximum performance for extended periods of time, the functional row got so hot that it was uncomfortable to touch.

The feature set is not an area where frequent innovation occurs, and I appreciate that Dell has redesigned it in the name of performance and not just as a gimmick. But as someone who prefers mechanical keyboards, it’s hard to love capacitive touch input. In my weeks with the laptop, I have occasionally mistyped keys on the top row, which probably wouldn’t have happened if it had stock buttons. On rare occasions, I’ve accidentally lightly touched a row while registering an input or two when trying to use a number row.

Because the function bar has controls installed, it does not need to be configured. But it still seems like there’s room for more features. For example, there are no backward or forward media playback controls, and unlike many recent ultralights I’ve tested, there’s no button or light on the keyboard to tell you the webcam is off. There is also no indicator light when the volume is muted.

I found that the bright backlighting of the functional row is sometimes distracting, but there is no way to turn it off. The ambient sensor next to the webcam automatically adjusts the brightness of the row based on the lighting in the room.

However, there are far worse things than a number of features, especially if the rest of the keyboard is fantastic. Unfortunately, it is not.