Following up from the launch of the XPS 13 Ultrabook in February, Dell has announced the latest refresh to its XPS 14 and XPS 15 high-end notebooks, redesigned to keep up with the thinner and snazzier ultrabook-style laptops being released by competitors, and equipped with third-generation Intel Core processors.
The new laptops share the same design DNA as the XPS 13, featuring an anodized machined aluminum lid, Corning Gorilla Glass for the edge-to-edge displays, and magnesium alloy for the palm rests. These larger XPS laptops are more slab-like, rather than tapered as the 13-inch model, and also replace the sleek looking carbon fiber bottom casing of the the XPS 13 with a soft-touch silicon pad.
The XPS 14 starts at $1,099 and comes with a 400-nit brightness 1600×900 display, an Intel Core i5-3317U processor with Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. As usual with Dell’s machines, almost everything can be configured, so you can get up to a Core i7-3667U, 8GB of RAM, Nvidia GT 630M GPU, a 32GB SSD for caching or a 512GB SSD for around $1,999.
Ports include two USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, an SD card slot and there’s an option for WWAN connectivity. The overall package weighs in at 4.6 pounds and measures 0.81 inches thick.
The XPS 15 starts at $1,299 and its base configuration includes a 350-nit brightness 1920×1080 display,
an Intel Core i5-3210M processor, 6GB of RAM, a Nvidia GeForce 630M GPU, a DVD drive, and a 500GB HDD coupled with a 32GB SSD for caching. You can configure that with up to a Core i7-3612QM, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive with 128GB SSD, and a Blu-ray drive.
The 15-inch model gets an extra USB 3.0 but otherwise offers the same port options. Both systems also include backlit, spill-resistant, chiclet keyboards and glass multitouch trackpads with integrated buttons.
The new XPS 14 and XPS 15 will be available starting today on Dell.com.
