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Dell XPS 13 Plus: is it worth it long term?

The laptop that removed the trackpad edges, the function row and the headphone jack in the name of design. Reviewers called it gorgeous and hard to live with, and that verdict has not softened.

Regret score62/100High regret
Would buy again45%of owners
Long-term satisfaction5.9/10after a year or more
VerdictSKIPHigh confidence

This entry is written from the 4 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.

Is the Dell XPS 13 Plus worth it long term?

The pattern in the sources is regret. Only 45% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction falls from 7.9 to 5.9 out of 10 by the two-year mark.

What goes wrong with the Dell XPS 13 Plus after six months?

The design stops impressing and the ergonomics start deciding. This is where owners either adapted to the invisible controls or gave up on them.

What are the common long-term problems with the Dell XPS 13 Plus?

The invisible trackpad stays a daily irritation for many owners. Thermal behaviour limits it for sustained work. Dongle dependence never stops being a dongle dependence.

Is the Dell XPS 13 Plus a gimmick?

It is a real product that works, but its launch reception (71 out of 100 for hype) ran well ahead of how owners feel about it later. The invisible trackpad stays a daily irritation for many owners. That gap is what the regret score measures.

Who should buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus?

Worth it for: People who value design above all; Light work in a fixed setting; Anyone who tried the trackpad in a shop first. Think twice if: You rely on feeling function keys; You run sustained heavy workloads; You plug in headphones and peripherals constantly.

How owners feel about the Dell XPS 13 Plus over time

Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.

Estimated satisfaction by stage of ownership
At purchase7.8 / 10
First week7.9 / 10
One month6.7 / 10
Six months6.1 / 10
One year5.9 / 10
Two years or more5.9 / 10

What owners still praise

What owners complain about

Owned one of these?

Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.

Leave a review on the live page

Sources

Every complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.

  1. Dell XPS 13 Plus review: beauty vs. usability Engadget

    Review framing the machine as a direct trade of usability for appearance.

  2. Dell XPS 13 Plus review: gorgeous, futuristic and hard to live with Pocket-lint

    Assesses the design choices against the experience of daily use.

  3. LG just showed Dell how to make an invisible touchpad visible Windows Central

    Explains why the invisible touchpad is a usability problem and how a rival solved it.

  4. Dell XPS 13 Plus Zit Seng's Blog

    Owner-perspective write-up of living with the machine.