Dell New XPS 13 feature news: Device spoils compact design with awkward camera placement

The New XPS 13 from Dell is equipped with a faster processor, more RAM, and a high-resolution touchscreen display.Reuters/Carlo Allegri

The Dell XPS 13 was a model that first came out three years ago, but the company kept upgrading the laptop model. They recently launched an updated version of the laptop and renamed it New XPS 13.

The New XPS 13 sports the latest eighth generation Intel i7 processors, a quad-core processor that is an improvement from the seventh generation dual-core chips. These processors can run at a maximum of 4 gigahertz (GHz) on a turbo, with a base speed of 1.8 GHz. The cache is also upgraded from 3 MB to 8 MB while maintaining the same thermal design power (TDP) as its predecessors.

The laptop is equipped with a 16 GB random access memory (RAM) and its battery can last for up to ten hours. Design-wise, the computer did not deviate too much from the previous versions. However, it will come with an updated ports to accommodate the newest standards. The New XPS 13 is fitted with a full sized universal serial bus (USB) ports, a USB Type-C, and an SD card slot.

The 13-inch display is also upgraded to become a touchscreen and sports a resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels. There is also a Windows Precision trackpad as well as a fingerprint scanner that could make logging-in much easier.

The New XPS 13 maintains its slim and compact design. However, a review by The Verge pointed out that the placement of its webcam might be its most glaring design flaw.

The webcam is placed on the lower left of the display, so the picture focus is at a below-the-nose angle which might be off-putting for some people. Also, they pointed out that the camera angle makes it so that it captures the user's fingers while typing. It may be distracting when seen in video chat or video conference meetings.

The New XPS 13 is available now from Dell. It costs anywhere from $799.99 to $1600, depending on the specifications.