The laptop CPU battle intensifies, and Dell’s XPS 13 finds itself in the thick of the fight. At IFA 2024, Intel unveiled its second-generation Core Ultra processors, making bold claims against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X model.
One of the most impressive claims revolves around battery life. Intel asserts that the Core Ultra-powered XPS 13 can last for an incredible 26 hours while streaming video, surpassing Qualcomm’s claims by at least four hours. While this sounds promising, real-world testing will be crucial for confirmation. It’s worth noting that the 26-hour battery life is only guaranteed for the lower-resolution FHD+ (1900 x 1200) model. The higher-resolution options, including the tandem OLED model, consume more power, with Dell estimating a 14-hour battery life for the OLED variant.
Despite the shorter battery life, the XPS 13 remains the only laptop to offer a tandem OLED display option. This technology, first seen on the iPad Pro and the previous-generation Intel Meteor Lake XPS 13, offers better battery efficiency compared to conventional OLED. However, the tandem OLED panel tops out at 400 nits of brightness, while the IPS panel reaches a brighter 500 nits.
Beyond extended battery life, the new XPS 13 boasts a more potent neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 48 tera operations per second (TOPS). This surpasses the 40 TOPS of the Snapdragon X Elite and marks a substantial leap from the 10 TOPS of the previous Intel chips.
The benefits of a powerful dedicated NPU are currently limited. Windows’ Recall feature, originally intended to showcase NPU capabilities, has been delayed and faces security concerns. Dell, however, emphasizes that the NPU can enable “advanced AI capabilities such as test and image creation and faster photo or video editing.” While we’ve seen some use cases, like Cocreator in Paint, the technology is still in its early stages, with Copilot+ features expected to emerge in the future.
Dell’s new XPS 13 is available for pre-order starting today at a price of $1,400. This makes it the most expensive version of the XPS 13, though it comes with a powerful spec sheet, including 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Even with these features, the new XPS 13 is still $100 more expensive than the similarly configured Snapdragon X Elite version. Interestingly, Dell is currently offering the Qualcomm version for $999, making it a tempting deal for budget-conscious buyers.
The Meteor Lake (or Core Ultra Series 1) XPS 13 will remain in the lineup, with a starting price of $1,149 for a configuration featuring 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
