XPS 12 Owners Lounge

Dell XPS 12 (L221X)

DELL WEBSITE

XPS 12 Convertible 12" Touch Ultrabook Details | Dell

SPECIFICATIONS

Base Price $1,199.99
Battery life 8 hours
Card reader No
Hard Drive up to 256 GB SSD
Keyboard - Backlit Yes
Keyboard - Dedicated Home/End keys No
Memory up to 8 GB DDR3
Mode - Laptop Yes
Mode - Stand Yes
Mode - Tablet w/ flat back Yes
OS Windows 8, 64-bit
Ports - Ethernet No
Ports - USB 2 - (2) USB 3.0
Processor up to i7-3517U
Screen brightness 400-nit
Screen IPS Yes
Screen resolution 1920 x 1080
Screen size 12.5"
Size - Height 8.46"
Size - Length 12.5"
Size - Thickness 15 to 20 mm
Size - Weight 3.35 lb
Webcam 1.3 MP

REVIEWS

Laptop Mag

PC Advisor

Engadget

PCMag

Wired

Forbes

CNET Asia

ComputerShopper (thanks IntelUser)

Notebookcheck.net (thanks Mitlov)

PC World Australia

Gizmodo (thanks Bill_P)

InformationWeek

PC World

About.com (thanks southwalian)

 

I'm really considering pulling the trigger today. I'm just really curious/worried about batter life.

 

This or the Yoga, would be nice to see a review of each before deciding. Curious how well the display hinge on the XPS 12 will hold up.

 

Oh, hi again Dayton

Since I already posted this on the Yoga forum, I'll copy again here regarding reliability of the swivel hinge...

That was my initial concern as well. I am considerably solaced on this point however, since learning that Dell has already had on market a convertible design with such a hinge, the Inspiron Duo. That particular product apparently suffered from being ahead of its time, since Windows 8 did not yet exist, and well, in addition it didn't have near the fit and finish of the XPS 12.

One video I watched claimed that Dell has tested the current swivel hinge on a single unit 20,000 times and it ain't broke. That ought to be enough

Re your post concerning Dell extended warranty being more expensive than Lenovo's, thanks for the info. I don't think this will be much of a concern for me since I have never bought or needed extended warranty support for an electronic device in years, but that is probably combination carefulness and luck.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Did Dell not fix the trackpad and heat issues from the XPS 13? Latest review doesn't look so good:
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/1...mpaign=Feed:+wired/index+(Wired:+Top+Stories)

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

 

Thanks for the link, back to concentrating on the Yoga.

 

The XPS 12 got a very positive review from NoteBookCheck.net: Review Dell XPS 12 Convertible - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

I'm going Vaio Duo 11 because I personally prefer their hinge setup and I've had good luck with Sonys in the past, but the XPS 12 sounds like a great offering from Dell.

 

I called my local Dell kiosk again yesterday to see if they had an XPS 12 on display to play with, but not yet! Surprising since today is the official launch of Windows 8 products.

When someone does purchase one of these, please give us some feedback here!

 

Might give my XPS 13 to the wife and get this one for me.

cnet review
Dell XPS 12 Review - Watch CNET's Video & Read Our Review

I love the small size but seems like Dell hasn't learned anything from the cypress trackpad nightmare.

 

Dell quotes 5-6 hours battery life. Most reviews put the battery life at 5-5.5 hours, and this site puts it at 8 hours on light load: Dell XPS 12 Review - ComputerShopper.com

The screen is pretty bright, and 5 hour tests are video playback, so that seems nice.

I pre-ordered one last week, and I'm not worried about the trackpad coming straight from the desktop. Also because Windows 8 has improved touchpad and more importantly, a touchscreen!

 

Thanks for the info. Has your laptop shipped yet or have they given you an ETA?

 

That's one gripe I have hopefully it arrives sometime next week, but the ETA by Dell is saying November 15th! I called and they said its an estimate and anything can change and I hope that's true.

 

Ordered today from Dell UK, and my ETA is 29th Nov. It's going to be a slow three weeks, that's for certain.

Honestly in terms of what I've been looking at, and based on the reviews, this isn't all that expensive for what you get. Just by talking to a Dell sales rep I was emailed a 10% off voucher code which saved me £130, and then I found a free shipping voucher which saved another £17 I think. I was seriously considering the Samsung Series 9, which although is thinner, lighter and has the best battery life of ultrabooks, it's capped at 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM, and that extra screen size makes it a tad less portable for me personally. Add in the touchscreen and ability to become a tablet, and this is exactly what I want.

I also found a Macbook Air 2012, refurbished with the same specs as the XPS 12, but I've read horror stories about the poor battery life when running Windows on one, and there are no Windows 8 drivers yet. It was about the same price, but obviously lacks the unique form factor of the XPS 12, and neither includes nor is it designed to run Windows.

 

Interesting that Dell was one of the first companies to offer preorders on a Windows 8 device, yet clearly they were not on schedule for an Oct 26 release.

Look forward to seeing more reviews when those become available...

 

I think they are, but I highly suspect that companies don't know how successful these devices are and are being very conservative, therefore putting a cap on production. Which IMO, is a stupid thing to do. These aren't even tiny couple of million dollar worth companies. They have the brand recognition and budget to push these things, and at least deliver at a proper time. It's fine to do that if you have virtually no competition, but being supply constrained because they are being conservative might make potential buyers move to a competitor.

Even Lenovo is having issues, so the problem is widespread. The slightly higher price on these devices are probably also due to low volume.

Yea, it seems you lose about 1/3rd of light usage battery life on Windows. So it loses big advantage if you aren't solely running on Mac OS.

As for the touchscreen and convertible, I agree. Windows 8 is a perfect match. I'm one of those that think Windows 8 is horrible for traditional setups but awesome for convertibles like these.

 

Hi All, I have updated the first post with specs and reviews. Will try to add review links as they become available.

One interesting tidbit I found in the PC Advisor review:
We did discover one fault while using the Dell XPS 12 Ultrabook, and this was that the laptop's accelerometer wasn't in the screen itself but underneath the keyboard. This became a bit of a drag when using the screen as you have to tip the whole laptop up to flip the screen's direction.

This doesn't sound like a good design placement for the accelerometer, but will wait to see what other reviewers have to say.

@IntelUser: Would be nice if it were true, but I have not heard or read of any consumers that have received a purchased XPS 12. As far as I can tell only a handful of companies have received pre-release models for initial review.

 

I'm confused by PC Advisor's criticism of the accelerometer placement. Why would you want to change the screen orientation from landscape to portrait when using the XPS 12 as a laptop? When using it as a tablet the keyboard would be closed and the accelerometer placement shouldn't matter. Or am I missing something?

I ordered the entry level XPS 12 on October 18th and the estimated delivery date is November 13th.

 

Thanks for the info on delivery date. That looks like the approximate ETA for everyone at this point, even new orders.

Re the accelerometer, your point is valid about tablet mode. However I think some, like me, were hoping that the screen could simply be flipped and screen automatically re oriented to show something to a person across the table, OR just use the device in "presentation mode" with the screen backwards but still propped up.

Of course all of this is still possible, but putting the accelerometer in the keyboard will now necessitate an extra step for the user to tip the entire device in the desired direction, or maybe alternatively press a shortcut on the keyboard to reorient the screen.

 

I ordered mine on the October 12th, with a delivery estimate on November 5th. Hoping it ships by today or tomorrow.

 

I'm jealous, but it's my own fault for not ordering right away. I had to convince myself that this was the one I wanted and then I had to convince my wife that I really needed it (still a tough sell after 48 years of marriage).

 

I don't know if I believe the notion that there is no accelerometer in the screen. Look at this video: Dell XPS 12 Review - Watch CNET's Video & Read Our Review Obviously the screen rotation is not working exactly as it should, but the mere fact that it tries to rotate to portrait mode when Dan merely begins flipping the screen on its swivel tells me that there is probably an accelerometer in the screen.

In thinking more on this matter, I've also determined a possible advantage in not having the accelerometer in the screen. If it is the case that the accelerometer is in the keyboard portion only, it would allow the user to use laptop, flip screen, close lid, use tablet without ever picking it up off the desk. One can see that if, during that sequence, the screen was re-oriented after the screen flip, the final result would be the tablet on the table with the screen facing the wrong direction.

...OR, maybe that's why Dell incorporated a 2 second delay into the re-orientation. Now I'm really curious to know what the truth on this matter is!

 

Interesting. I've never thought of the Dell XPS 12 as a presentation mode device until someone suggested it, and Dell may not have thought of it as one either: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYWZJU0KkE0

Anyway, I've always thought of the Asus Taichi as the presentation device.

But the I think the video suggests it doesn't have one. What you are saying about orientation when switching between the two makes sense. It's to be seen.

That's what I mean. It seems as they've started building the device when they officially announced the launch. Hence, why almost none of the people have reviews of it(including reviewers) and why the shipping time is so long. It's lack of confidence on the product and themselves. Which is bad, because I think these devices will be met well. That kills the price too, because its limited volume.

BTW, I tried Windows 8 systems at Best Buy. It was pretty awesome. They had couple of Ultrabooks with touchscreens, also AIOs. Even using it on the AIOs didn't bother me, that makes an even less of a issue on Clamshell Notebooks, nevermind these Convertibles. Again, no Convertibles available for display on the Best Buy and Future Shop stores here(Canada).

 

Ah, I must have misunderstood you. I see your point about production. Hopefully the benefit of this approach is that Dell will take into consideration the concerns addressed by early reviewers and have them fixed in the production models (e.g. heat, trackpad bugs, screen orientation).

I agree that Windows 8 looks like a great OS. I have played with the Lenovo Yoga at Best Buy here in the U.S. and it is a very compelling device. The Yoga is very comparable to the XPS 12, with the main differences being in screen resolution, convertible design, and card reader. I think the XPS 12 could be a slightly superior device, depending on how it actually performs in real life.

A note on upgradability... According to the NotebookCheck review, the RAM is soldered into the XPS 12. No news yet regarding SSD upgradability. Yoga users, on the other hand, have already confirmed user-upgradibility to 8 GB of RAM and adding of an additional 256 GB SSD! For some incredible reason Lenovo left an empty mSata slot inside. Fortunate for those folks, because reviewers are noting that the 128 GB SSD is partitioned from the factory so many different ways that there's only ~50 GB of usable space. Hopefully Dell doesn't do this too!

 

i had a chance to play with the xps 12 (3517u, 8 gb ram, 256 gb ssd) at //build/ (the ms dev conference) and walked away REALLY impressed. it's a little too heavy for regular use as a tablet, but the screen, keyboard, swivel, and build quality overall are EXCELLENT. i ran visual studio express on it and compiled the direct3d template, and it chewed through the linking with good speed.

as a tablet, it's a bit too heavy for sustained one-handed use, but the swivel screen seems AWESOME for screen sharing scenarios at work, and the keyboard was FAR FAR better than the vaio's, samsung ativ's, envy x2's, or even the touchscreen zenbooks. (plus it is backlit.) i could actually do work on this thing. also, did i mention how solid the build quality seemed?

pretty sure it has an accelerometer, heh. i saw no issues with screen rotation. i definitely want one of these bad boys, now.

 

Just received word from Dell that my order was delayed due to LCD screen backorder. Was expected on the 14th of November.

 

That doesn't sound good. Mine was suppose to ship today.

 

When did you place your order?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

Dell was never known for making small devices. This is probably as small as they want to go. Maybe thinner and lighter but not smaller.

I agree with what you are saying as a pure Tablet, but it has so much uses as a Notebook-first, Tablet-like experience device. When I want to relax and watch video or do lazy surfing anywhere I want, whether it be a reclining chair, bed, the Tablet mode is perfect. Or even play a bit of Simcity 4 on touch, which is very doable.

I received my Targus Stylus though. LMAO!

 

I ordered mine the 29th of October and the status has not change at all. My expected delivery is 26th of November, almost one month!

I hope it comes earlier but, for now, it seems that if it does arrive before the 26th it won't be that bad... I hope the LCD backorder is solved fast.

 

I am still deciding between the XPS 12 or the XPS 13. Can anyone get a picture with the XPS 12 vs XPS 13 side by side? It seems the XPS 12 is actually bigger than the XPS 13, but I'd like to see the difference.

 

I'm not sure about the size, but I do believe in one of the you tube videos, they said it was close to the same size as the XPS 13 or little smaller.

 

The width is almost the same but the XPS 12 is deeper and thicker (2-3 mm). The XPS 13 is by far the best looking Ultrabook out there, I love the ultra compact design. I would get the XPS 12 though because of the 1080p touch screen, but only if it is doesn't look too bulky.

EDIT:

On DELL website the specs are:

XPS 13 > Height: 6-18mm (0.24-0.71”), Width: 316mm (12.4”), Depth: 205mm (8.1”)


XPS 12 > Height: 8-20mm (0.31-0.79"), Width: 317mm (12.48"), Depth: 214mm (8.43")

 

Yea, but the XPS 12 kicks the 13 to the curb in terms of functionality(you know what I am talking about), build quality, and screen. If I wanted something like the XPS 13, there are lot more options.

Arguably even the XPS 12 has an advantage compared to other devices in the same class.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 - Faltering perceptions of Sony quality and the debatable keyboard and pointer
Asus Taichi - Dual screen might use more power plus the inside screen isn't a touchscreen

The design is better than the Toshiba U925T, and the hinge seems relatively simple and sturdy from reviews. If there's an equal that's the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga.

 

I considered the Lenovo Yoga before ordering the Dell XPS 12. Some of my reasons for choosing the Dell were:

- I didn't like the Yoga's exposed keyboard when in tablet mode.
- FHD display (1920x1080) on the XPS 12 vs 1600x900 on the Yoga.
- Backlit keyboard on the XPS 12.
- Over the years my experience with Dell products and support has been good. I've never owned a Lenovo product.

 

New here so pardon me if I'm jumping in, but I ordered on October 13 (originally I had a delivery date of October 30 while checking out, but it got bumped back to November 6 once I placed the order) and my XPS 12 shipped Friday afternoon for an estimated delivery on the 6th.

Fortunately, FedEx was a little fast! It's currently in NJ with a delivery date of... today, the 5th! For those of you who don't have it yet, I can post an update potentially tomorrow (I'm heading to a concert in the afternoon), though likely on Tuesday afternoon. Really happy to have found some fellow people who liked the design of the XPS 12 and actually made an order.

 

new here as well.
Following this thread here for a while.

Congratulation! Seems you are almost through... Must be exciting.
Also good to see that the first XPS 12 are shipped...

Ordered mine on October 29. Estimated delivery date is November 26.
I had/have little hope that it will arrive pretty much earlier but it seems not - at least in relation to your dates (my order and est. shipping date both is ~ 2 weeks later than yours) Update: shipped
Please post updates... Can´t wait for it.
I´m happy, too that here is a thread for the XPS 12 with some more fans.
There aren´t much reviews out and I am still looking to convince myself that the XPS 12 was the right decision.

My biggest concerns:
- 12.5" is hopefully not too small to work with
- height not too bulky considering being a current ultrabook
- i5 is sufficient for normal use
- screen is not too glossy
- display bezel will be sturdy enough and latching mechanism will work well


Regards,
Michael

Update: Mine should be on it´s way. Portal just said "shipped" and I got a tracking code. Wow!

 

My purchasing history was identical to yours AND I also just got the UPS tracking code although I still can't see any additional shipping information! Mine is shipping to Belgium, does someone know from where they are shipped? I'm very excited about this device although I also still have to convince myself that it was worth the relative premium price. I'll post my findings on this forum.

Regards,
Philip

 

Ahhh! I have the exactly same purchasing history than you but is still in "Work in Progress" not even in production. Did your status change from work in progress to shipped directly? Which model did you order? I have order the i7 8gb ram and 256gb SSD.

I was already expecting it for the end of the month but now I hope to receive it earlier. Keep us updated, please!

PS: Mine is in Europe too, it is shipping to Spain

 

I ordered the model with 256 GB SSD storage, 8 Gb Ram and i5 core. Friday morning it changed from 'work in progress' to 'in production' and this morning I saw the message that the device is on its way. I hope you get the same message soon.

Regards,
Philip

 

Hi all, welcome! Glad to hear some of you will be receiving your XPS 12 today. Looks like Dell has a wonky system for delivery estimates, so will remember to ignore that.

Please post your impressions when possible! Thanks...

 

A nice review just posted by PC World: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/notebooks/dell/xps_12_convertible_ultrabook/440986

Some good news regarding thermal questions:

Cooling is by way of a single fan and there are air intake holes on the bottom, and extraction holes along the spine. An initial unit that we attempted to review had all sorts of thermal issues and the fan even hit the chassis whenever we moved the unit around. However, our replacement unit performed flawlessly and didn't run noticeably hot, either in tablet or regular notebook mode. That said, you have to be mindful of the vents and try not to rest the chassis on soft surfaces that might block them.

And some negative news regarding WiFi connectivity. But I have heard that such problems are widespread with Windows 8, and I'm sure can be fixed by software updates.

With such great reviews of the hardware, this device may shape up to be a success once the little software bugs are fixed.

 

I've been watching this one for a while now and really love almost everything about xps 12. Please guys post some personal feedback on the hardware and overall feel of the laptop when I arrives. Really don't know when it will be available here in Russia, so I might need to grab one from States...

Cannot think of a better design for windows 8. Sure Asus also has touchscreen ultra book as do many other producers but the idea of quickly transforming it into a nice and sturdy tablet is what is keeping my attention on xps 12. I've been thinking initially of waiting until Haswell arrives but after reading many really inspiring reviews I'm getting closer to clicking the Cistomize&Buy button soon.

 

Another note regarding the PC World review:

The screen switches automatically, swiftly, and elegantly to the orientation that it detects, but there is a lock on the side of the chassis so that you can keep the orientation that you desire —perfect when handing the tablet around in a meeting, for example.

An ambient light sensor can control the brightness level of the screen automatically, but this can be disabled through the advanced settings of the power scheme that's in use (look for the adaptive brightness setting).

Sounds like they fixed the previous orientation issues (and surely there IS an accelerometer in the screen portion?!). The inclusion of a light sensor for auto screen brightness is a nice feature I had not taken note of before.

 

Here's another XPS 12 review, this one on Gizmodo: Dell XPS 12 Review: Beautiful Screen, Flimsy Frame

 

I think that review is too critical. The hinge design has been well received by most of the other reviews. "Feeling" filmsy and actually being one is different. I think the mechanism is rather simple and if done well, will last.

About the Yoga. I've read user reviews they say don't mind the keyboard in tablet mode at all. People say its because its held usually at edges, not at middle. And Lenovo is one of the top brands for reliability.

Mine is still estimated to be 15th. I'm in Canada. I'm pretty frustrated that mine is still "In production".

I mean you'd think if you "pre-order" they would be starting to ship on the launch date so you get it few days after right?

My order is the i7, 8GB, 128GB SSD version. I'll do a review when it arrives on the "XPS and Studio XPS" thread.

 

It's on its way! I just received an email from Dell advising that my XPS 12 should arrive on 11/07/2012 via FedEx Express. I'm in Northern California and the email arrived about 8 pm so I imagine the order will actually ship tomorrow. This is good news because the original ETA was 11/13/2012.

 

Wow, I'm jealous. Mine was suppose to be delivered on 11/5/12, but I got a delayed email saying it will be delivered by 11/12/12. Hopefully mine ships soon too.

 

I'm jealous too. My order was October 17th, so a day earlier than Bill. I wonder if its because I'm in Canada, and Canada sucks with having the latest technology for some reason.

The thing is, the October 17th date is 5 days later than expected, too, because my payment went in late. Apparently because of that my delivery went from November 7th to 15th. The pre-order was bit unexpected, so I wasn't prepared.

 

My thoughts exactly when I read this review. Dell needs to be more proactive in advertising that the hinge has been tested over 20,000 times to ensure reliability. Plus it was previously implemented on the Inspiron Duo, so it is not a novel concept.

 

I ordered mine on Oct. 23 eta for delivery is Nov. 15 so I hope that date holds up I am in Canada.

I am really hoping this will take the place of my dead xps m1330 notebook, I purchased the xps 14 but find it too heavy to cart around and I didn't like the screen resolution on the xps 13 but it was a nice notebook.

 

I was trying to find a correlation between the order dates and the shipment dates and I've done this table. I hope it is useful for someone else.

Maybe we can keep it updated until the estimated times get closer to reality. Copy, put your new data and paste it in another post


User--------Order Date-------Estimated Date-------Delivery date---Country----Config

SuperTongue-10-13-12---------10-30-12/11-06-12----11-05-12--------USA-------
IntelUser---10-17-12---------11-15-12-------------xx-xx-----------CANADA-----i7-8-128
jabbok------10-23-12---------11-15-12-------------xx-xx
Regret------xx-xx-xx---------11-05-12/11-12-12----xx-xx-
Bill_P------xx-xx-xx---------11-13-12-------------11-07-12--------USA--------
netrowdy----10-29-12---------11-26-12-------------11-05-12--------
PhilipX-----10-29-12---------11-26-12-------------11-05-12--------BELGIUM----i5-8-256
Lioso-------10-29-12---------11-26-12-------------xx-xx-xx--------SPAIN------i7-8-256