Dell XPS 14

The middle ground between the XPS 13’s greater portability and XPS 16's greater power. So is it a winner?

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Remember the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? ‘Too cold’, ‘too hot’, and ‘just right’ in the middle? That’s what the new Dell XPS 14 aims for, landing between the ultra-svelte and portable XPS 13 and the powerful but heavy XPS 16. It’s a compelling package, but does this ‘just right’ approach tick all the right boxes?

The XPS 14 is a sleek, stylish laptop with an attractive machined aluminium case. Open the lid, and the absence of a visible touchpad and function keys is the first thing you notice. Both of these are hidden beneath the smooth, slightly matte Corning Gorilla glass top. The function keys are backlit, but the touchpad isn’t marked or illuminated.

The whole package weighs about 1.7kg, making it significantly heavier than the XPS 13, which weighs about 1.2kg. That’s enough of a difference to be very noticeable, especially if you’re carrying it around all day.

Two display options are available for the XPS 14: a Full HD (1920 x 1200 pixel) LCD panel, or a gorgeous 3.2K (3200 x 2000 pixel) 120Hz OLED panel.

The OLED option adds a few hundred to the price, but it’s worth it. Although it has slightly lower maximum brightness, it has much better colour, contrast, resolution and overall good-lookingness.