The Dell XPS 13 Laptop is on sale for $949.99, which is $350 off the regular price. If you want a small, premium laptop that you can carry anywhere, this one is worth a close look. The 13.4-inch 2K display with 30–120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness is built for both work and entertainment. Text will look sharp for coding, writing, or browsing, and the higher refresh rate helps everything feel smooth, from scrolling through long pages to watching videos. The InfinityEdge design keeps the bezels thin, so you get more screen in a very compact body. At around 2.6 to 2.7 pounds and less than an inch thick, this is the kind of laptop you can toss in a bag and barely notice it is there.
Under the hood, you get an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with 8 cores and up to 4.8 GHz speeds, paired with Intel Arc graphics. This combo is good for things like heavy web use, office work in Linux, light photo editing, light video work, and some casual gaming. The 16GB of LPDDR5X memory at 8533MT/s gives you room to keep many browser tabs, chat apps, and tools open without the system slowing down. The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD helps apps load fast and gives you plenty of space for documents, photos, code projects, and media. If you are used to older laptops with spinning hard drives or slower SSDs, this will feel like a solid jump in day-to-day speed.
This model ships with Ubuntu Linux 24.04 LTS, which is nice if you prefer a Linux setup out of the box and do not want to pay for a Windows license you will not use. It is a good fit if you work in development, IT, or just like open-source tools. Keep in mind that it is listed as not compatible with Windows for Microsoft Office, so if you rely on desktop Word or Excel, you will want to plan on web versions or Linux-friendly options like LibreOffice. On the plus side, you still get premium hardware touches: a platinum backlit keyboard with a fingerprint reader for quick logins, a precision multi-touch touchpad with gesture support, and a CNC-machined aluminum chassis that feels more high-end than plastic systems in the same price range.
For calls and media, the XPS 13 has a 1080p FHD RGB camera with dual-array mics, plus an IR camera for secure sign-in, which is handy for remote work or online classes. The quad-speaker setup (tweeters and woofers at 8W total) should be more than enough for video calls, YouTube, or streaming shows without always reaching for headphones. You also get new wireless tech with Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, so you are set for fast, stable connections as routers catch up. Ports are simple but modern: two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports with power and DisplayPort, so you can hook up an external monitor, dock, or storage with the right cable or adapter. Power comes from a 60W USB-C adapter and a 55 Wh battery, which is a good match for this size. You also get 1 year of ProSupport with next business day onsite service after remote diagnosis, which is a step up from basic support. If you want a small, premium Linux laptop with a strong screen, fast modern hardware, and a big discount, this Dell XPS 13 at $949.99 is an easy one to keep on your short list.
