Dell showed up at CES 2015 this week with a pretty impressive arsenal of new consumer products. But the kicker has to be the incredible new XPS 13, which Dell bills as the smallest 13-inch laptop on the planet. This mighty mite delivers up to 15 hours of battery life, and it does so in the form factor of an 11-inch laptop.
Yep, you know what that means: Almost no bezels on the edges. Check out this shot to see how that looks.
"The new products announced today raise the bar in every category, with style, substance and software solutions customers can only get from Dell," Dell vice president Sam Burd says in a prepared statement. "Whether you are a gamer, always on the go or buying a laptop or desktop for everyday use, Dell is building in the features and functionality customers care about."
Here are the Windows devices Dell announced this week.
Dell XPS 13
If you listen to What the Tech in particular, you know I've been calling on PC makers to reduce the bezel size of their laptops in order to fit more screen into current form factors. For example, there's no reason that a 13-inch MacBook Air can't have a 14- or even 15-inch screen, given all that bezel. Well, Dell's finally made my wish come true, albeit only in one device (so far), the XPS 13.
Again, Dell calls it the smallest 13-inch laptop in the world, and it achieves that with a "virtually borderless" display that eliminates most of the bezel (they're just 5.2mm thin). It can be had with an optional UltraSharp Quad HD+ infinity display, features 5th generation Intel Core processors (i.e. not Core M), real SSD storage, and weighs just 2.6 pounds.
The XPS 13 is available immediately from Dell.com in the United States and starts at $799.99.
Dell XPS 15
Dell didn't actually update the XPS 15, and it doesn't get the virtually borderless display, which is too bad: A 15-inch screen in a 13-inch laptop body would be amazing. Instead, we get a new model of the same traditionally pedestrian XPS design from last year, featuring a new UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD touch display which Dell says is the highest resolution panel available on a 15-inch laptop today.
The XPS 15 with the 4K Ultra HD display will be available soon on Dell.com in the United States and will start at $2,349. That's a silly price: No one spends $2400+ on Windows laptops.
Dell Inspiron 5000 and 7000 Series
Moving down to Dell's more mainstream offerings, the Inspiron 5000 and 7000 series laptops gain 5th generation Intel Core processors and a 4K UHD touch display option. Dell also announced an exclusive Special Edition of the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 device. Sold only through Best Buy starting in March, the Inspiron 13 7000 Series features a new design with curved edges, a metal palm rest and a diamond cut touch pad.
The Inspiron 15 5000 Series with Intel Real Sense 3D camera is available now from Dell.com in the United States and starts at $749.99. The Inspiron 15 7000 Series is also available now from Dell.com in the United States starting at $1,099.99. And the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 will be available at Best Buy and from Dell.com in the United States in March.
Alienware 15 and 17 gaming laptops
Dell's Alienware line of gaming laptops gains two new models: the Alienware 15 and 17. Each come with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GTX 980m graphics. They are both more than 20 percent thinner than their predecessors and are not performance throttled in any way, Dell says. In fact, you can even automatically overclock the Core i7 models when you plug them into the optional Alienware Graphics Amplifier.
The Alienware 15 will be available beginning Jan. 6 on Dell.com in the United States starting at $1,199
The Alienware 17 will be available beginning Jan. 6 on Dell.com in the United States starting at $1,499
Dell UltraSharp 34 Monitor
Finally, Dell announced that it will begin selling its long-awaited curved display, the UltraSharp 34, starting on January 8. This 34-inch display features "an immersive, panoramic, curved screen that surrounds the senses with amazingly detailed WQHD resolution," Dell says, with a 21:9 aspect ratio and powerful 18W integrated speakers.
The Dell UltraSharp 34 Monitor will be available starting Thursday from Dell.com in the United States and will start at $1,199.99.
