A gorgeous, all-day Windows travel laptop, if you can live with its quirks
Dell XPS 13
Reviewed by
Eran Yorkovsky · Founder, PickGrade
A genuinely beautiful Windows ultraportable that finally lasts all day, past 17 hours. The catch is Dell's love-it-or-hate-it design: an invisible touchpad, a capacitive function row, and only two USB-C ports, so pack a dongle. Stunning for travel, an adjustment to live with.
The Windows answer to a MacBook Air for people who travel light. Under 2.6 pounds, beautifully built, and good for 17-plus hours on a charge, with an optional 3K OLED screen that's a joy to look at. Just know the minimalist design, hidden touchpad and touch function row, takes some getting used to, and you'll carry a dongle for anything that isn't USB-C.
$1,299
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Last reviewed Jun 6, 2026
What we like
- ✓Compact premium design
- ✓Great for travel and commuting
- ✓Strong everyday Windows performance
Trade-offs
- −Polarizing minimalist design: an edgeless haptic touchpad and a capacitive touch function row instead of physical Fn keys
- −Very few ports - just two Thunderbolt 4, so you'll need a dongle for USB-A or headphones
- −Lunar Lake multi-core performance trails the Snapdragon X Elite XPS 13 variant
- −Premium price for performance that's good, not class-leading
Best for
Windows users who want a compact premium laptop for school, office work, travel, and remote work without moving to macOS.
Avoid if
You need lots of ports, a business-class keyboard, gaming performance, or the lowest possible price.
The three lenses
How we grade →- 8.4/10
Value & Longevity · Eran Yorkovsky
- 8.4/10
Design & Fit · Michal Zucker
- 9.0/10
Health & Environment · Dr. Yocheved Yorkovsky
Score breakdown
- os ecosystem9.0/10
- display quality9.0/10
- portability battery8.8/10
- performance fit8.3/10
- keyboard build8.0/10
- value7.8/10
Specs
- cpu
- Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake), Copilot+ PC
- gpu
- Intel Arc (integrated)
- ports
- 2x Thunderbolt 4 only (no USB-A or headphone jack)
- memory
- 16GB LPDDR5x base (to 32GB)
- weight
- ~2.6 lb (1.18 kg)
- battery
- 17+ hours; all-day
- display
- 13.4-inch 120Hz FHD+ (1920x1200); optional 3K tandem OLED
- storage
- 512GB SSD base (to 1TB+)
How we know
High confidenceLast checkedThe Dell XPS 13 (9350) is a thin, beautifully built aluminum Windows ultraportable that finally has the battery to match its looks. This is the Lunar Lake version — a Core Ultra 7 258V with Intel Arc graphics and a Copilot+ NPU — and runtime is the headline: reviewers routinely clear 17 hours, level with the best MacBooks. At about 1.18kg it's a true grab-and-go, with a screen and speakers that punch above the class. It starts around $1,299 with a 13.4-inch 120Hz FHD+ display, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD. A gorgeous 3K tandem-OLED panel and up to 32GB of RAM are there if you want them. The catch is Dell's polarizing minimalist design, carried over from the XPS 13 Plus: a seamless edge-to-edge keyboard, an invisible haptic touchpad with no borders, and a capacitive touch function row instead of physical keys. It's striking to look at and an adjustment to live with. Ports are just as sparse — two Thunderbolt 4 and nothing else, so plan on a dongle for USB-A or a headphone jack. Performance is fine for everyday work but not class-leading; in multi-core tasks the Lunar Lake chip trails the Snapdragon X Elite version of this same laptop. For travelers who prize battery, build, and looks over ports and raw speed, it's a standout. Port-hungry users should look at the ThinkPad.
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Other expert reviews
Video reviews
YouTube — Dell XPS 13 9350 Review (ft Lunar Lake)
From real owners
Human reviews that sharpen our AI grade
- ★★★★★Best in class
Best in class
Anonymous · Jul 1, 2026
- ★★★★★A powerhouse
Love it. Can do it all. A bit pricey but worth it IMO.
Anonymous · Jun 27, 2026
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