One of my colleagues at work just got the latest XPS 13, I got to noodle around with it. Spec is i5, 8gb, 256gb SSD, 1920x screen
Some notes: Fit and finish of the machine is great, as good as my X1 Carbon (2015). The top and bottom of the case are aluminium and overall the laptop has a solid, premium feel.
The size of the machine itself is surprising. Dell claims it is the equivalent of an 11" laptop chassis and I think that's about right. The most noticeable feature is the super thin bezel, allowing for a 13" screen to be paired with the compact body.
They also fit a full size keyboard on there. Keyboard travel is shallow but the keys have a nice, stiff mechanism, feels like typing on a Macbook keyboard which is perfectly acceptable to me. The trackpad is decently sized and works well.
I was a little let down by the 1920x screen. I don't find it as nice as the panel on my X1 Carbon (2015). The viewing angle is slightly shallower and there is a slight shimmer to the screen. It is a matte screen and it is still more than acceptable. I'd imagine the 3200x screen is on par if not better than my X1 Carbon screen.
No HDMI but has an SD card slot which is great.
Unfortunately I did not get a chance to test the battery life.
Out-of-the-box, the laptop is relatively bloat free though it tries to connect to Dell to download extra stuff if you let it.
Overall, my comparison between the XPS 13 and the X1 Carbon can be summarized as:
Screen (not like-for-like comparison)
X1 Carbon using the 2560x IPS option is nicer than the XPS 13 1920x option. I'd imagine the 3200x option for the XPS 13 performs on par or better than the 2650x. The extra inch of screen space is very much appreciated on the X1 Carbon.
Keyboard
X1 Carbon is better because of deeper travel and slightly more spacing between keys but XPS 13 is not bad, especially given the compact size
Fit and Finish
About equal. X1 Carbon is no-nonsense, XPS 13 is a little more "premium" because of the aluminium panels on top and bottom.
Size & Weight
X1 Carbon obviously bigger footprint but weight quite similar. AC adapter sizes for the two laptops also quite similar.
Miscellaneous
No SD card slot on X1 Carbon, SD card slot on XPS 13. HDMI on X1 Carbon, no HDMI on XPS 13.
Conclusion
I personally prefer the X1 Carbon (2015). Its a little pricier but the bigger screen and better keyboard clinch it for me. That been said, the XPS 13 is really no slouch and had I bought it first, I think I would think hard about trading it for an X1 Carbon.
Obligatory Amazon Product Link
