Merely put, the HP Spectre x360 13.5 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are two of the best laptops you can buy at any value and any dimension. These flagships sit on the high of the pile when it comes to premium designs and elements.
However selecting between the 2 isn’t easy. They every have their relative strengths and are equally priced. Beneath, we go over the variations between the Spectre x360 13.5 and XPS 13 Plus to assist make your determination slightly simpler.
Specs
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 | Dell XPS 13 Plus | |
| Dimensions | 11.73 inches x 8.68 inches x 0.67 inches | 11.63 inches x 7.84 inches x 0.60 inches |
| Weight | 3.01 kilos | 2.73 kilos |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1235U Intel Core i7-1255U | Intel Core i5-1240P Intel Core i7-1260P Intel Core i7-1270P Intel Core i7-1280P |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe graphics | Intel Iris Xe graphics |
| RAM | 8GB 16GB 32GB | 8GB LPDDR5 16GB LPDDR5 32GB LPDDR5 |
| Show | 13.5-inch 3:2 IPS WUXGA (1,920 x 1,280) contact 13.5-inch 3:2 IPS WUXGA SureView privateness display contact 13.5-inch 3:2 OLED 3K2K (3,000 x 2,000) contact | 13.4-inch 16:10 IPS Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) 13.4-inch 16:10 OLED 3.5K (3456 x 2160) contact 13.4-inch 16:10 IPS UHD+ (3840 x 2400) contact |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD 2TB PCIe SSD | 512GB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD 2GB PCIe SSD |
| Contact | Sure | Non-obligatory |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB-A 3.2 1 x 3.5mm audio jack microSD card reader | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Webcam | 5MB, Home windows Hi there IR webcam | 720p, Home windows Hi there IR webcam |
| Working system | Home windows 11 | Home windows 11 |
| Battery | 66 watt-hours | 55 watt-hours |
| Worth | $1,250+ | $1,149+ |
| Ranking | 4.5 stars out of 5 | 4 stars out of 5 |
Worth and configurations
The Spectre x360 13.5 begins at $1,250 for a Core i5-1235U, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.5-inch 3:2 WUXGA+ (1,920 x 1,280) IPS show. On the excessive finish, you’ll pay $1,830 for a Core i7-1255U, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. The OLED show maxes out at 16GB of RAM and prices the identical $1,830.
The XPS 13 Plus entry-level configuration is rather less costly at $1,150 for a Core i5-1240P, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.4-inch 16:10 Full HD+ (1,920 x 1,200) IPS non-touch show. Max it out, and it’s $2,199 for a Core i7-1260P, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and a 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160) OLED show.
Each are premium laptops, and the XPS 13 Plus has a wider vary of costs. Dell has a slight benefit right here in that you may get the utmost RAM with the OLED show, though you’re paying extra for it.
Design
Crucial design distinction between the 2 laptops is of their type issue. The Spectre x360 13.5 is a convertible 2-in-1 whereas the XPS 13 Plus is a standard clamshell. Meaning the HP is barely thicker and heavier and has a bigger backside chin on the show to accommodate the extra complicated hinges. That additionally makes the HP extra versatile and probably helpful, with the power to transform to media, tent, and pill modes and to permit using a high quality lively pen. If these items don’t matter to you, then that’s not a lot of a bonus. But when they do, then the Spectre is a extra appropriate laptop computer.
The Spectre x360 13.5 and XPS 13 Plus are comparable in that they’re each constructed of CNC machined aluminum all through and are solidly constructed. You’ll discover no bending, flexing, or twisting in both machine. The Spectre has a extra extravagant aesthetic with rounded, gem-cut, and coloured edges and notches reduce into the underside of the show and the rear of the chassis.
One notch homes a USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port and the opposite a 3.5mm audio jack. The XPS 13 Plus is a extra streamlined design, with easy traces accentuated by the edge-to-edge keyboard and a palm relaxation that’s unbroken due to the embedded haptic touchpad. The Dell additionally has LED operate buttons somewhat than bodily keys, which lends an air of modernity.
HP has executed an awesome job with Spectre keyboards for a number of years now. They’ve loads of key spacing and huge keycaps, with a swap mechanism that’s snappy and light-weight with a exact bottoming motion. It’s among the finest keyboards in Home windows laptops, rivaled solely by Apple’s glorious Magic Keyboard on the most recent MacBooks. The XPS 13 Plus keyboard is kind of completely different, with an edge-to-edge design and little or no area between keys. The mechanism can also be exact and snappy, and whereas fairly completely different from the Spectres is kind of good.
The most important distinction is in touchpads. Whereas the Spectre x360 13.5’s touchpad is giant sufficient and superb as a mechanical model, the XPS 13 Plus’s haptic touchpad is superior. It’s extra exact and presents the power to click on wherever. On the identical time, the HP advantages from pen assist and contact on each show choice in comparison with elective contact with the Dell.
The Spectre x360 13.5 has a a lot better webcam, coming in at 5MP with nice low-light efficiency and a few good HP Presence options like Auto Framing and Look Filter that smooths out blemishes. The XPS 13 Plus webcam is way extra pedestrian, coming in at simply 720p and providing an inferior video picture.
Lastly, the Spectre x360 13.5 presents higher connectivity, together with a USB-A port for legacy assist, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card reader. The XPS 13 Plus has simply the identical two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4. The dearth of an audio jack is contentious, and whereas Dell does throw in a USB-C to headphone jack, that’s fairly limiting. Since energy can also be offered by USB-C, you’ll want a dock or adapter of some type to make use of headphones whereas charging.
Efficiency
We reviewed the Spectre x360 13.5 with a 15-watt Intel Twelfth-gen 10-core/12-thread Core i7-1255U, a lower-power variant of Intel’s Alder Lake chips for skinny and light-weight laptops. Our XPS 13 Plus overview unit was outfitted with the 28-watt 14-core/20-thread Core i7-1280P, a sooner CPU on paper. Each laptops supply utilities that permit for some thermal adjustment, and each have been efficient in working quieter and cooler in balanced mode versus sooner, louder, and warmer in efficiency mode.
Our benchmarks, although, didn’t present practically the divide one would possibly count on. The Dell was sooner in GeekBench 5 and Cinebench R23 multi-core (besides in efficiency mode), in addition to in our Handbrake take a look at that encodes a 420MB video as H.265. The Spectre x360, however, was sooner in Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 single-core. The HP managed to drag out the win within the PCMark 10 Full benchmark that runs via a collection of productiveness, multimedia, and creativity checks.
These outcomes are stunning, however the XPS 13 Plus is thinner and so probably couldn’t preserve its CPU as cool. In real-world use, the laptops will present equally glorious productiveness efficiency whereas each might be underpowered for all however nominal inventive duties. Neither laptop computer was notably quick within the 3DMark Time Spy take a look at and so neither is a viable gaming machine.
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 (Core i7-1255U) | Dell XPS 13 Plus (Core i7-1280P) | |
| Geekbench 5 (single / multi) | Bal: 1,566 / 7,314 Perf: 1,593 / 7,921 | Bal: 1,316 / 8,207 Perf: N/A |
| Handbrake (seconds) | Bal: 169 Perf: 120 | Bal: 170 Perf: 94 |
| Cinebench R23 (single / multi) | Bal: 1,623 / 5,823 Perf: 1,691 / 7,832 | Bal: 1,311 / 6,308 Perf: 1,650 / 7,530 |
| PCMark 10 Full | 5,203 | 4,309 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | Bal: 1,582 Perf: 1,815 | Bal: 1.708 Perf: 1,992 |
Show and audio
We reviewed each laptops with their respective OLED shows. The Spectre x360 13.5’s show is a taller 3:2 panel that’s nice for productiveness and works greatest in portrait pill mode (it’s nearer in dimension to a bodily sheet of paper). On the identical time, the XPS 13 Plus’s 13.4-inch 16:10 show is sharper at 3.5K (3456 x 2160) versus the Spectre’s 3K2K (3,000 x 2,000) decision.
When it comes to picture high quality, nonetheless, each are merely spectacular. They’re virtually identically as brilliant and practically as correct, with each having fun with glorious DeltaEs of beneath 1.0. The Dell’s AdobeRGB gamut is barely wider, nevertheless it’s not going to be noticeable. Each shows are phenomenal for everybody alike, productiveness customers, creators, and media customers. Word that the distinction in distinction is because of the colorimeters used. Each have equally inky blacks.
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 (OLED) | Dell XPS 13 Plus (OLED) | |
| Brightness (nits) | 380 | 386 |
| AdobeRGB gamut | 97% | 99% |
| sRGB gamut | 100% | 100% |
| Accuracy (DeltaE, decrease is healthier) | 0.61 | 0.83 |
| Distinction ratio | 28,230:1 | 386,030:1 |
Each laptops supply four-speaker audio, with comparable efficiency when it comes to quantity and bass. They’re each okay for binging Netflix from time to time, however they each profit from set of headphones.
Portability
The XPS 13 Plus is smaller, thinner, and lighter. Nonetheless, each laptops could be simply slipped right into a backpack and carried round.
Battery life presents extra of a distinction, with the Spectre x360 13.5 leveraging its low-power CPU greater than the XPS 13 Plus leveraged its sooner CPU. There was only a half-hour distinction in our internet looking take a look at, however a whopping six-hour distinction in our video take a look at.
For those who’re notably cautious, the XPS 13 Plus would possibly get near a full day’s battery life. The Spectre x360 13.5, nonetheless, is extra prone to make all of it the way in which.
| HP Spectre x360 13.5 (Core i7-1255U) | Dell XPS 13 Plus (Core i7-1280P) | |
| Internet looking | 9 hours, 20 minutes | 8 hours, 0 minutes |
| Video | 9 hours, 58 minutes | 13 hours, 59 minutes |
The Spectre x360 13.5’s flexibility and battery life win out
Sure, the XPS 13 Plus has some modern options that make it stand out. However the Spectre x360 13.5 presents extra performance due to the pliability of its 2-in-1 design, and it has higher battery life with comparable efficiency. On condition that it’s rather less costly, that provides HP a slender win on this very aggressive shootout.
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