Dell launches XPS 13 with quad-core 8th-gen Intel chips, announces mixed reality headset
Dell has kicked off its IFA show in style, becoming the first company to unveil a laptop powered by Intel’s upcoming 8th-generation Core processors, announcing an update to its XPS 13 Ultrabook with the new CPU on board. The company also announced a new “mixed reality” headset and a new line-up of Inspiron laptops.
The XPS 13, which for years has been a dual-core laptop powered by Intel chips, will double up on cores, gaining quad-core status from later in September. Dell is claiming a 44% performance increase over the current generation of XPS 13s.
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The 13.3-inch laptop will be powered by the upcoming Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, which feature a maximum clock speed of and 4GHz. 8th-generation laptop chips are based on the same Intel “Kaby Lake” technology seen in 7th-gen processors, but with double the cores.
We haven’t yet tested a laptop powered by 8th-gen Intel Core, but all signs are pointing towards a much better multi-tasking experience on Ultrabooks that have previously slightly struggled in this regard.
The updated XPS 13 will be priced at £1199 when it arrives September 12 in the UK. Dell says “additional configurations” will be available from October, which means quad-core i5-8250U chips will be coming later.
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The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 will also be getting 8th-gen chips
The new 8th-gen processors are also coming to Dell’s new Inspiron 7000 series of laptops that include 2-in-1s and regular laptops of 13-, 15-, and 17-inch sizes. The two new machines come in Dell’s standard silver or Pink Champagne and will start from £749 for 13-inch models and £949 for the 17-inch model.
Dell Visor
Meanwhile, the new Dell Visor is the latest headset compatible with Windows Mixed Reality. There’s a flip-up visor (hence the name), and can even be bought with a pair of Visor Controllers. More info about the Visor will be revealed during Microsoft’s IFA press conference on Friday.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.