New Dell XPS 13 MLK Ultrabook available with high-resolution screen

When we reviewed Dell's first entry into the Ultrabook market - the XPS 13 - back in March of last year, we had mixed feelings: while we liked the stylish design and applauded both the build quality and choice of materials, we did have a major issue with the quality of the display. Our editors complained about the highly reflective screen, disappointing black levels, low contrast, and the (even then) substandard resolution of only 1366 x 768 pixels (720p, pixel density of 118 dpi). The update to the XPS 13 saw changes to hardware and a switch to Windows 8 - but the display was still hampered by the same paltry resolution. In fact, our reviewer called it "the worst display on a premium device".

With the "New XPS 13 Ultrabook", Dell increased the resolution to 1920 x 1080 (FullHD, 1080p), the brightness to 350 cd/m² - just about 100 cd/m² brighter than the last model - and the viewing angle to 178 degrees. Although Dell does not specify the type of panel used, pcmag.com reports that the display uses IPS technology. While the screen brightness is now higher than the category average, the XPS 13 is still no match for one of its Ultrabook competitors - the Asus UX31A (matte FullHD display, average brightness 375 cd/m²).

The specs of the new notebook:

• 3^rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3337U (up to i7-3537U)
• Windows 8, 64-bit, English
• 13.3" FHD 1080p
• 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
• 256GB Solid State Drive
• Intel HD 4000

Both versions are available now on Dell's website. The model with Intel® Core™ i5-3337U retails for $1399, the version with  Intel® Core™ i7-3537U for $1599.

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