CES 2024: I Fiddled With The New Dell XPS Laptops — Here's Why They're Polarizing

Dell's new XPS laptops will hit the market before CES 2024, and unsurprisingly, they have new AI capabilities. Finally, as mentioned, we now live in the age of artificially intelligent computers.

These laptops will be available in three variants – with screen sizes of 13, 14 and 16 inches. By the way, the last two are new to the Dell XPS series. Yes, they are amazing, but after attending the latest presentation of the new generation of laptops, I had some thoughts.

My hands-on experience with the Dell XPS series and why it generates such mixed reactions

Dell XPS 13 Plus image credit : Shutterstock / Chikena

So here's the thing. The design that Dell uses for the new Dell XPS series is taken from the high-end Dell XPS 13 Plus laptop. The design of the Dell XPS 13 Plus has been controversial among techies for three reasons.

• It does not have physical buttons for switching functions. Instead, it's a series of tactile LEDs.

• Its interface is "invisible". You really can't tell the difference between the touchpad and the deck.

• It does not have a lip, which makes the lid difficult to lift.

Ars Technica said the Dell XPS 13 Plus has a "disappointing design." The Verge complained about the feature set, adding, "There's no haptic feedback, so I'm often not entirely sure I've actually pressed a key." PCWorld says the touchpad was too hard to get used to.

New Dell XPS Laptop Photo: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

Despite the lukewarm response to the Dell XPS 13 Plus design, Dell had to say: We've installed the Dell XPS 13 Plus on all of our XPS laptops, including the new Dell XPS 14, and Dell has helped make such a controversial create design. It's also worth noting that the Dell XPS 13 Plus is no longer available. There are only 13, 14 and 16 of them.

New Dell XPS Laptop Photo: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

Personally, I find the design elegant, minimalist and simplistic. It's beautiful to look at. In a sense, it is a miracle of technology. Not sure if I want to use it as a laptop though. Having gained some hands-on experience with the new laptops, I could understand PCWorld's point of view. I no longer like laptops having "unified" touchpads without dedicated areas for the right and left mouse buttons (I'm a bit old fashioned in that sense). So the lack of separation between the touch panel and the deck is confusing. I wish there was a lip. I tried to open the lid for a few seconds too long.

If you've never used a Dell XPS 13 Plus before, these systems will take some getting used to. However, if the laptop line can live up to Dell's claims of improved performance, the learning curve could be worth it. Laptops are not only visually stunning but also lightweight, thin and thin. they are ideal as companions. Now let's look at the new advantages of artificial intelligence in the new Dell XPS series.

3 Artificial Intelligence features for the new Dell XPS laptops

ChatGPT has sparked an AI race with big tech companies like Google, Meta and Twitter trying to attract consumers, but Microsoft seems to have moved ahead with the launch of Copilot, another ChatGPT competitor that's more accessible on Windows 11 computers.

1. Dell XPS laptops come with a dedicated Copilot button.

As Mashable's Cecile Moran reported, all Windows 11 PCs should have a dedicated Copilot button that will allow users to quickly access an AI chatbot with a single keystroke. The Dell XPS series is one of the first laptops with this new convenience button. Microsoft has made Copilot easier than ever. For example, the Redmond-based tech giant recently (and quietly) launched a dedicated Copilot mobile app for iOS and Android users before the holidays.

Photo: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

2. New processors based on artificial intelligence

Dell XPS 13, 14 and 16 feature new Intel Core Ultra processors. What does it mean? Well, Intel has released a new generation of processors, and what makes them special is that they have an NPU, a component designed to handle artificial intelligence and machine learning tasks.

This means that the CPU and CPU, the units we typically see in an Intel chipset, have more room to work on other tasks while the NPU does its job for all things AI. Presumably, this means that laptops equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors should work more efficiently. However, we won't know for sure until we test it in Mashable's lab.

3. A set of tools based on artificial intelligence

The XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops, unlike the XPS 13, have a dedicated GPU. This makes them ideal for complex creative workflows including 3D rendering, video editing and more. Interestingly, Dell told me that these systems are NVIDIA Studio Certified laptops, meaning they have been carefully selected by NVIDIA for their superior performance and features.

Nvidia Studio laptops get access to exclusive developer tools, including NVIDIA Broadcast, NVIDIA Canvas and NVIDIA RTX Remix, each using AI tools to unleash creative magic.

The XPS 16 features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU; The XPS 14 only has the 4050 GPU.

The XPS lineup starts with 13 models and starts at $1,299. As for availability, Dell told Mashable that it's "coming soon."

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