Dell’s XPS 13 laptops are some of our favorites. The latest version did not wow us like past releases, but the XPS line remains thin, light, powerful enough, and an overall good deal for a premium laptop.

For years now, Dell has produced a convertible 2-in-1 version of the XPS 13 that was essentially a laptop with a 360-degree hinge. This year, however, Dell has done something different with the 2-in-1, morphing it into what amounts to a tablet with a detachable keyboard. This new version has more in common with the Surface Pro 9 than the XPS 13 laptops.

In some ways, the XPS 13 2-in-1 bests the Surface Pro at its own game, but in other potentially important ways, it does not. Still, if you’re determined to have a Windows tablet, this is an attractive pick. 

I’ve been testing Dell XPS 13s for seven years now. I even bought one years ago (the last developer edition with a nose cam, alas) but my first impression of the new 2-in-1 version was: This is not an XPS 13. After weeks of using it, I still stand by that. There is much to like here, but thinking of this as an XPS 13 does this hybrid laptop-tablet a disservice. This is something else entirely.

Dell sells the XPS 13 2-in-1 in a variety of configurations, starting at $1,049, but that does not get you the keyboard folio, which is a $100 add-on. You definitely want the keyboard, too. Without it, the XPS 13 is considerably less useful (mostly due to Windows 11’s tablet limitations).

Call the starting price $1,149 then. That gets you an Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and a 256-GB SSD. The configuration I tested had the i5 processor, but bumped the RAM to 16 GB and the SSD to 512 GB, which brings your total price to $1,299 (including the folio Keyboard). For reference, a Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with similar specs would set you back $1,399 and have only a 256-GB SSD. 

Fully decked out, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 with an i7 chip, 1-TB SSD, folio keyboard, and stylus is $1,699 to the fully decked-out Surface 9’s $2,600 (though the Surface would have 32 GB of RAM, which is not an option on the Dell). The XPS is the clear winner when it comes to price, but there are some trade-offs.