Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

The Dell XPS 13 is first to get a 16:10 OLED display, but there’s a catch

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The best laptop you can buy has a new, exciting feature you can purchase: A 4K OLED display. This is a first for the Dell XPS 13, which remains one of the most forward-thinking premium laptops on the market.

The new display option is a 13.4-inch panel, matching the other 16:10 screen options Dell sells. The company says this new OLED panel has a max brightness of 400 nits, a 0.65% anti-reflective coating, and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Because it’s OLED, of course, the screen’s black levels and contrast are unbeatable. Unlike standard LED, OLED allows the individual pixels of a screen to be turned off entirely.

So, what’s the catch? Well, this 4K OLED screen comes in at an odd 3456 x 2160 pixel resolution, which Dell calls “3.5K” instead of 4K. The 16:10 aspect ratio of all of Dell’s laptop displays makes for some non-standard resolutions, but this one is particularly strange. It’s not that Dell doesn’t have a high-resolution option. The company still offers a “4K+” LED model, which has a resolution of 3840 x 2400. It’s not immediately clear why Dell has chosen the difference in resolution, but it makes the choice for the buyer quite complicated.

Related

Someone who wants the highest-end display will be forced to choose between sharpness and contrast. Meanwhile, the lower resolution means photographers who want to see the full resolution of their 4K photos will need to opt for LED. The LED screen option also is the brighter of the two.

Still, it’s great to see OLED come to more laptops, especially in the 13-inch form factor. Dell hasn’t announced pricing yet, but the computer maker clearly intends OLED to be a highly premium display option.

The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED offers an 1080p model, which gets better battery life and is considerably cheaper. The ZenBook also is a 16:9 aspect ratio laptop. The HP Spectre x360 13 is one of the only other 13-inch OLED laptops, which also has a 16:9 screen.

Fortunately, this OLED XPS 13 still features everything I’ve loved about this design since it launched — super-slim bezels, the edge-to-edge keyboard, and the diamond-cut side walls. The updated Dell XPS 13 also still includes the latest Intel 11th-gen Tiger Lake processors, integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.

Along with the XPS 13, Dell also has announced a new line of redesigned Inspiron laptops that take inspiration from the XPS design.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Luke Larsen
Luke Larsen
Senior Editor, Computing
Luke Larsen is the Senior editor of computing, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
Dell just hit reset on the XPS
The XPS 14 and 16 in front of a window.

Goodbye, XPS 15 and XPS 17. It was nice knowing ya.

Just in time for 2024 and CES about to hit, Dell has unveiled a massive change to its XPS line of laptops, which involves swapping out the XPS 15 and 17 with a new XPS 14 and 16 while also completely redesigning the laptops around the divisive features straight from the (now defunct) XPS 13 Plus.

Read more
Does Dell or HP make the best 16-inch laptop? You might be surprised
Photo of an HP Envy 16 laptop.

You can spend a lot of money on 16-inch laptops with fast components for video editing and photo editing. We're talking $2,500 and a lot more. But there's a class of midrange 16-inch machines that offer much of the same performance for less money.

Dell's Inspiron 16 Plus and HP's Envy 16 are two such laptops with prices that start well under $2,000. Both can be equipped with some fast components, but they're not identical by any means. Which of these more affordable 16-inch powerhouses is the best?
Specs and configurations

Read more
This midrange HP laptop beats the Dell XPS 15 in one important way
Photo of an HP Envy 16 laptop.

Dell's XPS 15 has found its place on a number of our best-of lists, including best laptops and best 15-inch laptops. There are a number of reasons for those accolades, including a robust, yet relatively thin and light design, as well as strong performance and lovely displays.

But that doesn't mean it faces no competition. HP's Envy 16 2023 is a 16-inch laptop that gives the XPS 15 a run for its money. It's around the same price and offers similar or better performance. Is that enough to replace the XPS 15 on our lists?
Specs and configurations

Read more