So, you know that meme that goes,
“Hey, can I copy your homework?”
“Sure, just change it up a little bit, so it doesn’t look like you copied it”
This is the Surface Pro 8 vs XPS 13 2-in-1
Let’s go over the raw stats
The Surface Pro 8 is Microsoft’s famous premium 2-in-1 laptop
that starts at $1,100,
while the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1…
is pretty much the same thing
Now before we continue, yes these are very similar devices,
but they do have many differences,
such as their form factors
Although they both share the same tablety laptop design, each has its own quirks
The Surface Pro 8 has a 13 inch, high resolution, 120Hz refresh rate screen
that is gorgeous to look at
And while the XPS 13 2-in-1 shares that same resolution and form factor,
it doesn’t have that 120Hz refresh rate
So, it’s a small difference, yes
But,
multiple little ones added up can determine the best laptop overall,
so let’s keep going
Regarding connectivity, neither device is good at all
Surprisingly, the one-year-old Surface Pro 8 actually has a better port selection than the new XPS 13 2-in-1
Dell could’ve easily made this a good selling point for its device,
but nope
Just two USB-C
Next, styluses
Both laptops have compatibility with their company-respective styluses
and even some third-party ones,
which are very effective
But when comparing them, Microsoft does seem to be more well-regarded with the masses
However, perhaps it’s because the Surface Pen might be used more
So, keep that in mind
And now, for cameras
Two things
One, who uses a camera on a tablety laptop?
Two, me
But anyway, both laptops have good camera setups that will suffice for most people
So for the external summary,
the Surface Pro 8 has a better display, connectivity, and stylus
And it’s a tie for both pricing and cameras
Okay but now, here we go
This is where things turn around
Like I said, the Surface Pro 8 is a year old, meaning it has some outdated specs
By comparison, the new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with the new 12th Gen Intel Processors,
which are better-performing
Here are the benchmarks:
So, yeah, pretty solid
And for storage, the XPS 13 also takes the lead
because it comes with 512 gigabytes for the starter model
Wooo!
Thank goodness, finally someone listened to our complaints
And that still isn’t even enough for $1,100
I firmly believe that there should be 1 gigabyte for every dollar spent on these devices,
but that’s just me…
and probably everyone else too
And again, Dell is on a roll because the battery is also better
Allegedly, 12 hours
But, hold on for a second here because there are some discrepancies with this information
This is coming from Dell itself. Not from reviewers
So, maybe this information is not the most accurate
The Surface Pro 8 was advertised to have a battery life of about ten to sixteen hours on average
When, in reality, it can last for about… eh six?
So, can we really trust Dell?
The answer is kinda, yeah
Some reviewers have, allegedly, actually achieved that battery life
But, only some, so we’re going to be cautiously optimistic with this one
And for operating systems, both devices run Windows 11
So for the internal summary,
the XPS 13 2-in-1 has better internal specs, storage and battery life
So, are these devices really that similar?
Yes
It’s as if Dell looked at the Surface Pro 8 spec sheet and went,
“Hm. Let’s do that”
They did improve on some expected things, like the internals and storage
But overall, yeah they’re really similar
So, which is better then?
Well looking at each, the Surface Pro 8 is definitely the innovator,
with Microsoft refining its design year after year,
so it’s definitely more robust
While for Dell, this is the first time the company has used this design
And it seems like it worked!
I’m actually pleasantly surprised how Dell was able to pull off this tablety laptop design
for its newly-refreshed 2-in-1 laptop
Yes, Microsoft does get the credit for the innovation,
but I’m glad that Dell has joined the tablety laptop bandwagon
So, which one should you buy?
Well, given that both these devices are so similar,
I actually would maybe recommend you get the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
because it’s overall newer
The prices may be the same,
but the specs and storage of the XPS are overall better
However, it does not have that 120Hz refresh rate
and the port selection is abysmal. So, keep that in mind
Additionally, Dell’s customer service is known for being a little spotty,
so that’s why I would
But with that said, the Surface Pro 8 is a tried and tested product with, yes, a poor battery life
But an overall effective and premium design that has lasted years
So, you won’t go wrong with either decision
My name is Cyrus. It’s spelled like “Cyrus,” pronounced like “See Rooster,” just take out the “ter”
Thank you very much for watching and have a wonderful day!
Peace.