HANDS ON: DELL XPS 15 – NOT JUST A BIGGER XPS 13

When the Dell XPS 15 was first shown to the world at Computex 2015, it’s easy to say that it’s just a bigger variant of the XPS 13. At the launch of the XPS 15 today, I managed to spend some time with it. Having previously owned an XPS 13, I can say this with confidence: there’s more to the XPS 15 than size alone.

First things first, specifications. Unlike the XPS 13, the XPS 15 is better equipped in almost every single aspect. It has a more powerful Intel Core i5-6300HQ or i7-6700HQ processor, up to 16GB of RAM, an extremely quick 256GB PCIe SSD, and most of all, a higher resolution 15.6-inch 3840 x 2160 InfinityEdge display as well as a dedicated graphics card in the form of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M. Looking at these specifications, the XPS 15 can easily run modern games well – provided they are played at 1080p instead of 4K.

Hardware aside, the XPS 15 does feel a lot like a bigger version of the XPS 13. The carbon fibre palm rest area with soft touch paint is still nice to the touch and comfortable to rest on when typing, and the overall construction is as solid as ever. However, there’s one thing that stood out when I first laid my hands on the laptop: the keyboard.

In my review of the XPS 13, I mentioned that the keys of the keyboard do not have much travel, resulting in a less than satisfactory typing experience. The XPS 15, however, definitely has a superior keyboard. The keys have a decent amount of travel, and they also have a nice tactile feedback. I imagine the XPS 15 will be very comfortable to do a lot of typing on.

Other than the improved keyboard, there’s one other thing that I absolutely love about the XPS 15: the 4K InfinityEdge display. The very sharp panel coupled with an almost borderless display is a joy to look at. Thanks to the minimal bezel, the XPS 15 is also considerably smaller than a typical 15-inch laptop. Those who shy away from laptops this size should definitely check out the XPS 15.

The Dell XPS 15 is a wonderfully crafted laptop. It has an almost borderless 4K display no manufacturer has managed to replicate yet, and its minimal footprint makes it much more portable than other 15-inch laptops on the market. Coupled with a GTX 960M graphics card, it can even rival other gaming laptops. However, the XPS 15 isn’t perfect, mainly due to one thing: price.

Although the XPS 15 starts at RM6,699, only the highest-end RM8,499 model will be arriving in Malaysia by the middle of October 2015. Even if (and it’s quite a big if) the more affordable base model eventually reaches Malaysia sometime in the future, Rm6,699 is still quite a hefty price tag, especially for a laptop equipped with only a GTX 960M GPU.

That being said, the Dell XPS 15’s main selling points are its gorgeous display and smaller dimensions than a conventional 15-inch laptop, among other things. If you’re willing to pay the extra premium for these qualities, you won’t regret going with the XPS 15.