Mobility News
Dell XPS 13 Vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4: Which Is Best For You?
Kyle Alspach
CRN compares the new XPS 13, featuring 11th-gen Intel processors, with the Surface Laptop 4, offering a choice of Intel or AMD processors.
Portability, Design and Ports
The small all-around size of the latest XPS 13 is something Dell has been touting for the notebook, with company promoting the notebook as being “stunningly small.” But there’s truth to the claims: The XPS 13 has a volume of just 52.8 cubic inches--making it about 13-percent smaller all-around than the Surface Laptop 4 (13.5-inch), which has a volume of about 60.7 cubic inches. The XPS 13 is also a bit lighter with a starting weight of 2.64 pounds (for the non-touch model), versus a starting weight of 2.79 pounds on the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4. Not surprisingly, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 is significantly heavier at 3.4 pounds. However, with a thickness of 0.58 of an inch, the XPS 13 is identical to the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 and virtually identical to the 13.5-inch model, which measures 0.57 of an inch thick.
A key part of the compact form factor for the XPS 13 comes from its use of slim bezels around the display. The notebook offers a 91.5-percent screen-to-body ratio, according to Dell. The screen-to-body ratio for the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 has been reported at about 79 percent.
Other design considerations for the potential buyer include the fact that both notebooks are available in two colors. The Surface Laptop 4 is offered in platinum or “ice blue,” while the XPS 13 is offered with either a platinum silver exterior and black interior, or a “frost” exterior and white interior.
On ports, the XPS 13 only offers two USB-C / Thunderbolt ports. The Surface Laptop 4 is only slightly better in terms of variety; while still only offering two ports in total, one is USB-C and the other is USB-A.
