The Dell XPS 2-in-1 is the smallest hybrid laptop we’ve ever seen

The Dell XPS 13 has been favorite laptop for the last three years and now it has a convertible brother with the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.

Unlike some other laptop makers, Dell hasn’t just slapped on a new hinge, labeled the new machine as a hybrid and called it a day. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is practically a new notebook that’s thinner and lighter, measuring 0.54-inches tall and weighing 2.7 pounds.

Dell claims this is the smallest 2-in-1 laptop on the market. Overall, the XPS 13 2-in-1 is 15% smaller than the HP Spectre 360 and 17% smaller than the Lenovo Yoga 910.

To get here, Dell swapped out the Kaby Lake Intel Core I-series processors we find on the clamshell model for a pair of power-sipping Intel Core i5-7Y54 and Core i7-7Y75 chips. Going thinner has also resulted in the disappearance of all the full-sized USB ports and a smaller microSD card slot.

Despite these sacrifices, the 2-in-1 XPS 13 retains a backlit keyboard with keyboard that offers actual key travel and a trackpad that still clicks unlike most other ultra-thin machines. Additionally, you can get a ton of configuration options including, up to 1TB of SSD storage and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. 

The 2-in-1 variant also gains an infrared camera, allowing you to use facial recognition to login through Windows Hello, which isn’t available on its traditional clamshell brother. The convertible’s steel wrapped-machined aluminum hinges also ends up giving the machine a more aggressive forward slant and futuristic silhouette. 

As ever, Dell’s 5.2mm InfinityEdge bezels returns with this hybrid laptop plus a new sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass to cover the screen. 

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available starting on January 5th for $999 (about £810, AU$1,390).

Lifelike color

Alongside the smallest convertible laptop we’ve ever seen, Dell has also introduced its first HDR monitor, the Ultrathin 27-inch S2718D. 

Offering a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 and 99% sRGB coverage, the Ultrathin 27-inch monitor is one of the most color accurate and pretty displays we’ve ever laid our eyes on. 

What’s more it also integrates USB-C connectivity for single video/data/power cable management.  

The Dell Ultrathin 27-inch S2718D will begin shipping out on March 23rd for a non-too-shabby  $699 (about £570, AU$970).

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.