REVIEW: Dell XPS 16 For Those Who Want Premium Portability & A Big Screen – ChannelNews
The Dell XPS 16 is a premium laptop that packs a lot of power and performance into a surprisingly portable package. It’s not just a souped-up version of the XPS 15 either, as it delivers some interesting twists on its predecessors, with features like a large display, upgraded connectivity, and even improved battery life. While it does lack the webcam finesse and flexibility of its smaller brother, the XPS 16 should appeal to those who demand top-of-the-line portability with an engaging display, while the combination of power and battery life gives it a distinct advantage in its segment.
If you’re a power user who needs the power and performance to take on the heaviest tasks, but needs it in a more compact and travel-friendly chassis than a workstation laptop offers, then the Dell XPS 16 is certainly a strong contender, and in many ways a truly premium option.
Design & Build
With Dell opting to go for a thinner chassis compared to its XPS 15 brother, the XPS 16 doesn’t necessarily look that much bigger when the displays are shut, however, it’s the inclusion of a larger display (with the same aspect ratio as the XPS 15) that means it has to have larger dimensions overall, something it handles surprisingly well given that it maintains its premium build quality and robust nature.
The XPS 16 does stand out when you open it up, with Dell’s iconic InfinityEdge design now wrapping around the display as it transitions from one edge to the next with a razor thin bezel, with the overall effect being a more luxurious feel compared to the XPS 15. Dell has further integrated a full HD webcam with a small sensor hidden behind a small cut-out at the top of the display. While the overall size and bulk remain almost the same as the XPS 15, with some tweaks and improvements on the display, connectivity and internals, the Dell XPS 16 feels a significant upgrade. Overall, this premium design continues with its metallic unibody, while a slight shift towards a squared look makes this laptop both beautiful and resilient.
Keyboard & Trackpad
As is usual for the XPS series, Dell’s chosen keyboard has remained practically unchanged. While that may not seem like a big deal, that’s because it already included a top-notch keyboard design. Its high-quality chiclet keyboard keys, with satisfying and consistent feedback and excellent travel distance, make typing a true pleasure, with its backlight providing the necessary help to navigate in the dark. In fact, if you need a portable workstation laptop with the keyboard feel and experience of a traditional laptop then the XPS 16 would be a great choice. As well as providing a high degree of responsiveness for both gaming and professional use, it also includes a numeric keypad (similar to that included on Dell’s Alienware lineup). Although this doesn’t immediately feel like a necessary addition given that you also have a touchscreen (although the integrated touchscreen isn’t the best and its use could be seen as clumsy and inconvenient), it will probably become an increasingly important feature in the near future. As such, it is good to see that Dell is taking proactive steps to implement this feature in its premium XPS series.
Likewise, the touchpad also uses a larger, more practical and responsive layout for the palm rest area of this larger screen laptop. This means you don’t have to spend more time reaching over with your fingers or cursor movements, so the overall user experience remains smooth and refined.
Display
Perhaps the most eye-catching and attractive features of the Dell XPS 16 is its impressive display. As you would expect from a flagship laptop such as this, you get an exceptional choice in terms of visual fidelity. For the XPS 16, Dell has included a 16-inch display, an improvement on the XPS 15’s 15.6-inch screen. Despite having an overall chassis size that’s almost identical to that of its XPS 15 brother, Dell managed to push out an increase in screen size thanks to a revised chassis design and thinner bezels around the edges. This decision from Dell resulted in an upgrade to a more luxurious, more immersive experience that offers more space and clarity, particularly for video and graphics, as well as presentations. Users also have the option to pick either a 4K OLED display, which is certainly an alluring choice for the ultimate visual and immersive experience. Both screens feature an outstanding high resolution of 3456×2160 (3:2 aspect ratio). Users who can do without OLED but require the responsiveness of a higher refresh rate, can opt for the standard 120Hz option which has its benefits and works seamlessly to meet user preferences, while a slightly brighter panel for a much better performance in a high-dynamic-range setting, is also a bonus.
Processor & Graphics
In order to properly meet user demands for professional performance, as well as intensive multi-tasking, and even casual gaming, Dell has gone ahead and integrated the very best of what Intel currently offers. This has meant fitting a 12th generation Intel Core i9 CPU with a massive 14 cores and 20 threads (alongside its choice of an Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics chip), alongside powerful, cutting edge Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 dedicated graphics, which delivers the performance and efficiency that users of such high-end devices require. Combined, this gives the XPS 16 an excellent set of resources for productivity, media creation, as well as high-end gaming with demanding, performance-hungry AAA titles. Users who are more serious about the professional world can also pick from options including the i7 processor, as well as the latest high-performance versions from AMD (for both its Ryzen processors and the Vega or Radeon graphics card option), offering users flexibility, with an affordable option.
Battery Life & Connectivity
Another area where Dell made a remarkable step forward is with the battery life. This is no mean feat given the compact, lightweight chassis design of the XPS 16. A longer battery life (combined with faster charging) does require sacrifices somewhere, and it does mean that the laptop isn’t as thin as previous models. While many might perceive that as a disadvantage, users should appreciate the fact that this Dell XPS model delivers excellent battery life. In addition, its performance when connected to a charger or through Thunderbolt ports makes it stand out among the very best, delivering consistently fast performance while maintaining excellent battery life and heat management.
When it comes to connectivity, Dell made another surprising, bold choice with the XPS 16. Users won’t be finding an SD card reader on this latest offering, which is in stark contrast to all previous XPS iterations and has already made the XPS 16 somewhat unpopular among users who often need the versatility that a micro-SD card reader or even a traditional SD card reader delivers. However, the decision has also paid off, allowing for a significantly more lightweight, slimmer, and more compact form factor for the XPS 16. The choice for a more streamlined profile means there’s a lot to admire from Dell in its pursuit of producing premium and streamlined laptops. There is an even better way to read those cards without any bulk or hassle – via a USB-C adapter – this being a solution that will increasingly be commonplace going forward. While the USB port configuration has gone back to having a USB-C connector, it does have more to offer: three USB-C ports, all supporting Thunderbolt 4; along with the addition of a dedicated headphone jack.
Performance & Benchmarks
We’ll be clear: the XPS 16 has incredible performance thanks to its incredible hardware spec. If you were to benchmark its processor against competing devices, it certainly ranks as one of the fastest devices available, whether it’s for heavy-duty content creation and/or resource-intensive tasks like image editing and high-end gaming. The RTX 3060 (also one of the faster graphics cards on the market), pushes the limits, enabling the Dell XPS 16 to handle any game or application. Even when it’s forced to go above and beyond its average load, the XPS 16 performs beautifully.
In terms of its overall performance and user experience, this premium laptop will meet the demanding requirements of many users, even if it has to handle computationally intense, demanding software tasks like editing HD 4k videos, processing large amounts of data, and producing immersive graphics. The fact that Dell is now including more practical choices such as an Ethernet port (instead of having to use a dongler as seen in previous XPS releases), highlights the practical value proposition for this premium machine.
Final Thoughts
The XPS 16 might be the next evolution of the already established and very popular XPS series. While the Dell XPS 16 maintains a slim and portable design with a stylish design, it has a big heart that makes a powerful and efficient statement. Whether you’re looking for an efficient and convenient device that has a truly premium design, or one with top-of-the-line, ultra-performance and powerful specs, the XPS 16 offers a remarkable upgrade to one of the most loved premium laptop lines in existence. It has already proven its value by standing up against some of the most demanding workloads. Those who appreciate that added screen space, enhanced connectivity and premium features, and will use the new XPS 16 in professional settings will probably find themselves satisfied with its performance. Although a few concessions were made to fit the XPS 16 into a streamlined form factor, the design team at Dell has done an admirable job of providing an overall polished look and feel.
