Dell XPS 13 Plus debuts at CES 2022 complete with touch function row

Dell’s XPS 13 has been one of the best laptops on the market for years, and it follows a tried-and-true formula. It’s light, slim, and the bezels are almost nonexistent. Of course, the XPS 13 has always had plenty of power, too. Now, Dell has introduced a new entry in the line as part of its CES 2022 showcase.

The new model is a Dell XPS 13 Plus. The inspiration for Dell’s latest flagship laptop comes from an unexpected place — Gen-Z. It’s designed for users who know who they are, where they want to go, and what they need to get there. In truth, the XPS 13 Plus packs a sleek design, though Dell hasn’t made room for any extra ports.

Dell XPS 13 Plus

One key change is the jump from a 15W processor up to Intel’s 12th-generation 28W processor. You can also tap into Express Charge 2.0, which Dell says will deliver 80% of your battery life in less than an hour of charging.

However, the biggest change comes in the keyboard’s design. Dell swapped the traditional function row for a capacitive touch experience. It allows you to swap between traditional function keys and media control buttons in seconds. The larger keycaps now stretch to the edge of the laptop, and the traditional trackpad is no more. Instead, the XPS 13 Plus features a seamless glass touchpad that delivers haptic responses to your gestures.

One thing that hasn’t changed on the XPS 13 Plus is the four-sided InfinityEdge display. It’s nearly bezel-free without sacrificing the webcam from the top edge. You’ll now find four speakers onboard — two down-firing and two hidden beneath the keyboard.

Under the hood, the XPS 13 Plus offers up to a 12th-Gen Intel Core i7 12800P processor with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM. You can choose up to 2TB of PCle 4 SSD storage and all versions come with Intel’s Iris Xe graphics. It comes with Intel’s Killer Wi-Fi 6E and one USB-A to USB-C dongle in the box.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is set to launch in Spring 2022, starting at $1,199.99.

A new monitor, too

Dell also launched a new 4K video conferencing monitor for the hybrid workspace. It packs an UltraSharp Webcam, dual-array microphones, and 14W speakers. The 32-inch display is crisp and bright, yet it packs ComfortView Plus technology to eliminate blue light emissions. The UltraSharp 4K Video Conferencing Monitor is Microsoft Teams certified and offers a SafeShutter for times you don’t want to be on camera.

See also: The best monitors you can get

The monitor will launch in Spring 2022, with pricing to come in the future.