The deluge of CES PC product announcements begins with Dell this year, thanks to its new XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop.
The Dell XPS 13 is a well-regarded Windows ultraportable laptop. And while it has been updated with seventh-generation Intel Core processors, now you can buy one with an articulating hinge that converts the laptop through Laptop, Stand, Tablet, and Tent modes. It's a natural fit if you want more tactile interaction with your computer, but don't want to give up access to the keyboard.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 shares the same aluminum-and-glass construction as the laptop model, but thanks to a power-efficient, fanless Intel Core i5-7Y54 or i7-7Y75 processor, Dell has been able to shrink the system to 0.32-0.54 by 11.98 by 7.8 inches (HWD) and 2.7 pounds. That's lighter and smaller than the laptop version, though the family resemblance is unmistakable.
Everything revolves around the system's 13.3-inch IPS screen, available in full HD (1,920 by 1,080) and Quad HD+ (3,200 by 1,800) resolutions. The screen extends to the edges of the display housing, which Dell calls an InfinityEdge touch display. The screen has a digitizer built in, supporting an active stylus with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity.
The display swings smoothly around, using a pair of aluminum-wrapped steel hinges. They're similar to the hinges we've seen on other convertible laptops, like the Acer Spin 7 or HP Spectre x360.
The 2-in-1 has a carbon fiber palm rest, and a full-sized chiclet keyboard with 1.3mm of travel. In the short time we had with the system, the keyboard felt more comfortable than the shallow keys on the Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro. A one-piece touchpad gives you handy cursor control when in laptop mode. A fingerprint reader on the palm rest and the system's infrared webcam both support Windows Hello, so you can log into the laptop with a tap or a glance.
Since the laptop is so thin, legacy ports have been replaced with a pair of USB-C ports. The one on the left side (next to the headset jack) has Thunderbolt 3, display, and charging capabilities, while the USB-C port on the right lacks Thunderbolt 3, but still has charging and DisplayPort functionality. There's a microSD card slot on the right and a Noble security lock port.
You can order a XPS 13 with 4, 8, or 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage space. Dell says the sealed 46WHr battery is good for up to 15 hours of battery life with a full HD screen and a Core i5 processor.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available for order starting Jan. 5 and has a base price of $999. We look forward to getting the system in our labs for a full review, and stay tuned to PCMag.com for continuing CES 2017 coverage.