Computex 2019 | 2019 Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 is a treasure trove of world firsts

(October 25, 2019 update: Dell had previously stated in guidelines that the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 series would incorporate GORE aerogel for cooling as found on the XPS 15 9575 series. The manufacturer has corrected the error to confirm that the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 does *not* have GORE aerogel cooling. Mentions of GORE have been removed from this page as a result.)

The original XPS 13 9365 2-in-1 launched over two years ago in an admittedly stylish design that made the regular XPS 13 9360 look dated. The big catch, however, was that the convertible was limited to the much slower 4.5 W Intel Core Y series for at least a 25 percent performance defecit when compared to the 15 W Kaby Lake Core U series. The delta has become even wider today now that quad-core Kaby Lake-R and Whiskey Lake-U options are commonplace. Fans lamented the performance downgrade and users who wanted a "true" XPS 13 convertible were ultimately left disappointed.

To rectify the issue above, Dell will be introducing the second generation XPS 13 2-in-1 with a completely new design from top to bottom. Several key changes include the move to a new MagLev keyboard inspired by the XPS 15 9575, a unique 13.4-inch 16:10 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Eyesafe display, and even a vapor chamber cooler with dual fans. All these never-before-seen features will be coming in a chassis that Dell says will be 8 percent thinner than the last generation XPS 13 9365 2-in-1.

Topping off the new hardware features will be a 15 W Intel Ice Lake CPU with optional Iris graphics that should provide immense performance benefits over the 4.5 W Intel Y series on the first generation SKUs and bring the XPS 13 2-in-1 in line with the standard XPS 13 in terms of raw processing power. Dell says its new cooling solution will be able to sustain faster clock rates for significantly longer which is something we'll definitely want to test for ourselves.

We're able to spot a couple of drawbacks on the upcoming convertible based on our short time with the preview unit. Firstly, upgradeability will be limited since the RAM, Killer Wi-Fi 6 module, and even SSD are all soldered onto the board. Secondly, the new system will not run in complete silence because of the two internal fans. The first generation XPS 13 9365 2-in-1 convertible had user-upgradeable M.2 storage and a fan-less design in comparison.

Expect the 2019 XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 to launch on July 10 for a starting price of $1000 USD in the same White and Black color options as the current 9380 series.