UPDATE: Sep. 6, 2024, 11:20 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with an additional preorder listing at Best Buy.
Dell's smallest XPS machine is getting upgraded with Intel's new "Lunar Lake" processors, and preorders are now live.
The American tech giant announced Tuesday, Sept. 3, that its new XPS 13 laptop will feature fresh Intel Core Ultra 200V CPUs with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for seamlessly handling AI functions like content generation and editing. It can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.
The base configuration was up for preorder at Best Buy and on Dell's website for $1,399.99 at the time of writing, with delivery as soon as Oct. 2 and Oct. 15, respectively.
AI isn't new territory for the XPS 13: Dell has been selling a "CoPilot+ PC" version of the thin 13-incher with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X series CPU since mid-2024. This new model will support the same Windows AI features, but it should be slightly better at optimizing them with up to 48 Tera Operations per Second of AI performance (or TOPS) compared to the Snapdragon chip's 45 TOPs. And, more crucially for most people, it won't run into the same Arm-related app compatibility issues.
Beyond its CPU, the new XPS 13 is basically identical to its predecessor: Its keyboard and glass haptic touchpad both span edge to edge, and it's available in the same monochromatic Graphite and Platinum finishes. It's also still upgradable with a tandem OLED display (à la Apple's latest iPad Pro), a brighter and more power-efficient option than a traditional OLED display. This OLED model is just 0.58 inches thin and weighs 2.6 pounds, while the FHD+ and QHD+ configurations clock in at 0.6 inches and 2.7 pounds.
Dell said the XPS 13 will offer up to 26 hours of battery life with an FHD+ display, which is up from 18 hours in the previous Intel-powered model but a one-hour downgrade from the Snapdragon version — on paper, at least. (As with any laptop, that may pan out differently in testing.)
No word yet on whether Dell's other 14- and 16-inch XPS laptops will be getting the same Intel Core Ultra 200V series treatment. When asked about their fate, the company's rep told Mashable that "[it's] Dell policy to not discuss future products and roadmaps."
