Dell’s latest 15-inch XPS 2-in-1 is a high-end laptop that appeals to creative users: people who need power and portability, and might also appreciate a touchscreen and a stylus. It plays in the same field as HP’s Spectre x360 15, Microsoft’s Surface Book 2, and Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Right out of the box, Dell gets most things right with the XPS 15 2-in-1, with a just few areas that need improvement. Its build quality, attention to detail, power, and flexibility add up to a high-end experience that matches its premium price.

It’s fair to say you get what you pay for with the XPS 15 2-in-1. It starts at $1,299, but the model I’ve been testing costs nearly a grand more at $2,199. That price gets a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, a 512GB of storage, a 4K touchscreen, and AMD’s integrated Radeon Vega M graphics. The most costly part of that is the 4K screen, so you can save quite a bit by opting for the 1080p panel. No matter which model you buy, the Vega M graphics come along for the ride. It’s a solid package that I’ve been able to live and work with — mostly in harmony.

GOOD STUFF

• Excellent build quality
• Great 4K screen
• Touchpad and keyboard work well
• Long battery life

BAD STUFF

• Keys are too shallow
• Boring design
• No USB-A

Looking at the XPS 15 2-in-1’s chassis is well, an unimpressive viewing — Dell’s XPS laptops have been using the same basic design language for years now and it looks dated. Most of the laptop is covered in metal topped with a silver finish, and when opened up, a faux carbon fiber palm rest. It has a rubberized, smooth texture that makes it by far one of the most comfortable palm rests I’ve used and despite being prone to fingerprints, it’s easy to clean.

Overall, the design might be boring, but the XPS makes up for that with excellent build quality. The palm rest, display, touchpad, and keyboard hardly exhibit any noticeable give — there are no wobbly underside or clicking fans here.

However, the Dell XPS 2-in-1 isn’t a lightweight, weighing in at almost 4.5 pounds. That’s more than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, Surface Book 2, and even some full-fledged gaming laptops. I don’t think anyone wants to walk around with a four-plus pound tablet, because it’s cumbersome and awkward to use, but since the XPS is a convertible, you can do that if you want.The biggest issue might be the XPS 15 2-in-1’s price, which isn’t as high as a MacBook Pro or Surface Book 2, but still a significant cost. You can skip the 4K screen for a 1080 panel and save quite a few hundred dollars, while still maintaining many of the other qualities that make this XPS so good to use. You might even get better battery life and performance with the lower-resolution screen, but 4K just makes it that much better because of the Adobe RGB support and resolution.

Although the XPS 15 2-in-1 is a very expensive laptop with a boring design, it does most everything it’s supposed to well, which might be enough to make you forget about its cost and sleepy styling.

Specifications

General

Sales Package	130W USB Type-C power adapter, Active Pen, Laptop
Model Number	9575-7354BLK-PUS
Part Number	DAZ-10910151
Model Name	XPS9575-7354BLK-PUS
Series	XPS 15
Color	Black
Type	2 in 1 Laptop
Suitable For	Processing & Multitasking
Battery Backup	Upto 15 Hours
Power Supply	130W AC Adapter
Battery Cell	6-Cell Lithium-ion
MS Office Provided	Yes

Processor And Memory Features

Dedicated Graphic Memory Type	GDDR5
Dedicated Graphic Memory Capacity	4 GB
Processor Brand	Intel
Processor Name	Core i7
Processor Generation	8th Gen
SSD	Yes
SSD Capacity	256 GB
RAM	16 GB
RAM Type	DDR4
Processor Variant	8705G
Chipset	Mobile Intel QM175
Clock Speed	3.1 GHz with Turbo Boost Upto 4.1 GHz
Memory Slots	2
RAM Frequency	2400 MHz
Cache	8 MB
Graphic Processor	AMD Radeon RX Vega 870
Number of Cores	4

Operating System

OS Architecture	64 bit
Operating System	Windows 10 Home
Supported Operating System	Windows 10
System Architecture	64 Bit

Port And Slot Features

Mic In	Yes
USB Port	Yes, 2 x USB-C 3.1 with PowerShare, DC-In & DisplayPort, 2x Thunderbolt 3 with Power Delivery & DisplayPort (4 lanes of PCIe Gen 3)
HDMI Port	NO
Multi Card Slot	Supports microSD

Display And Audio Features

Touchscreen	Yes
Screen Size	39.62 cm (15.6 inch)
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080$$ pixel
Screen Type	4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective Touch Display
Speakers	Waves MaxxAudio
Internal Mic	Yes (Headphone/Microphone combo jack)
Sound Chip	Realtek ALC3271-CG
Sound Properties	Stereo speakers

Connectivity Features

Wireless LAN	802.11ac (2×2) WiFi
Bluetooth	4.1
Ethernet	10/100/1000
NFC Support	No

Dimensions

Dimensions	354 x 235 x 16 mm
Weight	2.0 kg

Additional Features

Disk Drive	Not Available
Web Camera	YES (Built-in HD webcam with dual-array microphone)
Finger Print Sensor	Yes
Lock Port	Noble lock slot
Antivirus	Trend Micro Internet Security 12 Month Subscription)
Keyboard	Backlit keyboard for easy typing in dim or dark locations Island-style keyboard
Backlit Keyboard	Yes
Pointer Device	Wide-type precision touchpad.
Recovery Options	Recovery Manager Installer for Windows 10
Included Software	Microsoft Office (30 days trial) and McAfee LiveSafe (12 months subscription), Raise the Game Fully Loaded Bundle – Windows [Digital]