Dell XPS 13 hands on review

Visuals are taken care of courtesy of Intel's HD 3000 graphics. Thanks to Intel's Rapid start Technology, the XPS 13 boots and resumes in seconds – a feature the more impatient will undoubtedly appreciate.

The XPS 13 also has you covered in the connectivity department with a USB 3.0 and 2.0 port and Mini DisplayPort.

Drawing inspiration from smartphones and tablets, Intel's Smart Connect technology – introduced in 2011 – ensures you can stay connected when online by waking up periodically and updating your calendar, email, and Twitter feeds, as well as downloading news feeds when it detects a network.

And just like a smartphone or tablet, the XPS 13 is location aware. So if you change cities your clever laptop will know where you are and update apps, widgets and other features accordingly.

The full size backlit keyboard looks good, even if the typeface is a little 80s, while the glass buttonless touchpad offers full gesture support and responds well to the touch.

Dell tells us the XPS 13 has been built to last a whole day, boasting 8 hours of battery life before things turn critical. Of course, this all depends what you throw at it.

Power, performance and an incredibly covetable design makes for a great combination and it's clear as Dell takes the next step into thin and powerful laptops there is a direct focus on combining power and design.

Dell also tells us to expect Intel-powered machines of a similar nature incoming in the near future as it makes the move towards thin and powerful portable computing.