Dell refreshes XPS 13 line with Core Ultra 2 processors

To tie in with the official launch of Intel’s Core Ultra 200V processors, Dell announced that it has updated its flagship Dell XPS 13 9350 model to match.

Initially, it will launch with one Core Ultra 5 and three Core Ultra 7 processors, with a Core Ultra 9 to follow.

While Dell says that the new XPS 13 “supports Copilot+ PC experiences”, it currently stops short of describing this as a Copilot+ PC. However, you will be able to enjoy all the AI tools being baked into Windows 11 from this point forward.

What hasn’t changed about the Dell XPS 13: it remains small, gorgeous and incredibly desirable. Whilst at the launch, we got our hands on the updated models… but weren’t allowed to benchmark them.

We can, say, however, that the OLED panels looked amazing. Far better than the low-power IPS panel with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (FHD+). Choose your screen carefully, as we explain below.

Dell XPS 13 with Core Ultra 2

You can already buy Dell’s XPS 13 with your choice of Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips. As of today, they’ll ship with the second generation Core Ultra generation 2 processors too.

In fact, you can choose it in these options:

Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 226V (8 cores, up to 4.5GHz)
Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 256V (8 cores, up to 4.8GHz)
Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 258V (8 cores, up to 4.8GHz)
Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 268V (8 cores, up to 5GHz)

Post launch, Dell will also be selling a version with the Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 288V (8 cores, up to 5.1GHz).

Dell XPS 13 with Core Ultra 2 battery life

Along with all the benefits of Intel’s second generation Core Ultra technology, Dell claims users will see battery life to rival Arm chips. Here are its claims in full:

Configuration	Streaming battery life	HD video battery life
Ultra 7-256V, IPS, FHD+, 16GB, 512GB SSD	26 hours	30 hours
Ultra 7-258V, IPS, FHD+, 32GB, 1TB SSD	19 hours	22 hours
Ultra 7-268V, IPS, FHD+, 32GB, 512GB SSD	20 hours	24 hours
Ultra 7-256V, IPS, QHD+, 16GB, 512GB SSD	14 hours	16 hours
Ultra 5-226V, OLED, 16GB, 512GB SSD	11 hours	14 hours
Ultra 7-256V, OLED, 16GB, 1TB SSD	14 hours	16 hours
Ultra 7-258V, OLED, 32GB, 1TB SSD	11 hours	14 hours

Dell’s claims of “up to” battery life in the different configurations, tested using Netflix for streaming and Microsoft Movies & TV app for HD video

There are two main things to take away from these test results. The first is the obvious efficiency of Dell’s IPS panel with an FHD+ resolution. That is, 1,980 x 1,200. This is a low-power panel I’ve tested on a previous XPS 13 laptop, and the downside is that its image quality is not great.

On the other hand, you can see the drain from the higher quality panel with a QHD+ resolution and the OLED panel. So your choice will depend on what matters more: image quality or battery life.

The second takeaway concerns power efficiency. If Dell’s tests are right, then the second generation of Core Ultra chips can match Qualcomm for power efficiency. That’s an amazing result.