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InnoReviews

Dell XPS 13 (2026) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

WINNER
Dell XPS 13 (2026)
58.9Inno Score
VS
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
49.5Inno Score
44Performance35.5
38.4Display27.3
77.9Battery69.5
93.4Portability82.8
9 spec wins — Dell XPS 13 (2026)0 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

InnoReviews verdict

Dell XPS 13 (2026) wins this laptop face-off, 58.9 to 49.5, pulling ahead mainly in display (+11) and portability (+11). Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 13 (2026)

  • Stronger performance score: 44 vs 36
  • Stronger display score: 38 vs 27
  • Stronger battery score: 78 vs 70
  • Stronger portability score: 93 vs 83
  • 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Lower launch price: $800 vs $900

Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)

No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.

Display

Display comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Screen size13.4 ″+3%13 ″
Panel typeLCDPixelSense IPS LCD (touchscreen)
Resolution2560x16001920x1280
Refresh rate120 Hz+100%60 Hz
Peak brightness500 nits+18%425 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
ProcessorIntel Core 5 320Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100)
GraphicsIntel GraphicsQualcomm Adreno X1-45
RAM16 GB16 GB
RAM typeLPDDR5XLPDDR5x
Storage512 GB+100%256 GB
Storage typePCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDUFS 4.0 (removable)

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Geekbench 6 (single)—2,287Bottom 7%
Geekbench 6 (multi)—11,125Bottom 18%

Battery

Battery comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Capacity52 Wh+4%50 Wh
Web browsing endurance18 h+13%16 h
Charging60 W+33%45 W

Design

Design comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Weight1 kg+18%1.22 kg
Thickness12.7 mm+19%15.6 mm
MaterialCNC Machined AluminumAluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Ports2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB Type-C2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth6.0Bluetooth 5.4
Webcam1080p FHD IR webcam1080p Full HD
BiometricsFingerprint reader, Windows Hello facial recognitionFingerprint (Windows Hello, in power button)

Software

Software comparison: Dell XPS 13 (2026) versus Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
SpecDell XPS 13 (2026)Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
Operating systemWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home (Arm)

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