Dell is continuing its push into the hybrid PC category with a refresh of its XPS 12 Ultrabook, as well as the introduction of the XPS 11.
The convertible XPS 12 now comes with a NFC chip, fourth generation “Haswell” Intel Core CPU and a 50Wh battery.
Dell XPS A/NZ brand manager, Celine de la Rochefordiere, said the new CPU significantly boosts overall performance of the XPS line-up, as well as the battery life.
“With 63 percent overall performance improvement, the new XPS 12 is 1.6 times faster,” she said.
“It now has up to eight hours and 43 minutes of battery life, over two hours more than the previous generation.”
Rochefordiere expects the extended battery life to appeal to travellers, students and mobile professionals that require access to a PC during a whole working day.
The XPS 12 stand out from other hybrid Ultrabooks through its flip screen design, an approach that Rochefordiere said has resonated well in the local market.
“This is not surprising as we are mobile society,” she said.
“Australians travel, study and conduct business on the go, and need a level of convenience that a tablet device can bring with all the benefits of a keyboard.”
Rochefordiere adds that appeal for consumers with the hybrid category is in that “it’s the best of both worlds in a light and portable device.”
In addition to refreshing the XPS 12, Dell has announced the XPS 11, another hybrid Ultrabook in an even smaller size factor.
As for how the XPS 11 will be positioned against the XPS 12, Rochefordiere said the intention is not to draw comparisons between the two devices.
“Rather, it’s about offering our customers an additional choice in the hybrid tablet/Ultrabook category to suit their lifestyles,” she said.
“Despite its size, its ability to function as an Ultrabook and tablet means Australians need only invest in one device rather than two.”
Desktop commitment
In the desktop space, Dell has updated the XPS 27 all-in-one to include a 2560 x 1440 resolution screen with improved brightness and a color gamut that has increase from 72 per cent to 99.
As well as the new Intel processor, the desktop PC comes with a 2GB NVIDIA graphics card, Thunderbolt port, and the option of a 2TB 7200 RPM HDD paired with a 256GB SSD.
The XPS 8700 desktop tower has been introduced as a replacement for the XPS 8500, and comes with the next Intel CPU, 32GB of RAM, four HDD bays, and the option of up to 4TB of storage.
While the XPS brand is increasingly becoming synonymous with Ultrabooks, Rochefordiere said that competition between the two categories has not been an issue for Dell.
“Despite the growing Ultrabook market, it’s not at the expense of the desktop market, which is still a strong category for businesses in particular,” she said.
Rochefordiere said the XPS 27 aims to stand out in the desktop space through its touchscreen experience, while the XPS 8700 is built with speed, expandability and storage in mind.
“We have seen some strong traction with our high performance XPS desktop range, and we’re confident the new range will perform well,” she said.
Patrick Budmar covers consumer and enterprise technology breaking news for IDG Communications. Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_budmar.
