New Dell Inspiron 13 unveiled: fresh colors, upgraded internals and revamped XPS-inspired design

Let’s be honest. Dell Inspiron laptops have been pretty forgettable. 

Not to say there’s anything wrong with them, as they are very capable machines, but design-wise, they never really stood out.

That is until now, however, as Dell’s coming out the gates hard with updates to their entire Inspiron line-up that copies some of the XPS’ homework and adds a nice blue color option to boot.

Of course, those aren’t the only highlights — these new models feature 11th gen Intel Core or 5th gen AMD CPUs, offer display options up to a QHD+ resolution and thermal performance has been re-engineered, to squeeze more power out of the internals.

Dell Inspiron 13: the powerful ultra-portable

The new Dell Inspiron 13 is smaller, thinner and more powerful than its predecessor. You may also be looking at it, thinking it looks more “premium.” I certainly was, but couldn’t put my finger on it.

But then, it hit me — the large chin bezel with the Dell logo on is gone! The design of this entire machine, from the edge-to-edge keyboard to the rounded edges and small display bezels, certainly looks more upmarket. This laptop is even available in an eye-catching rose gold shade named “Peach Dust.”

And that same story continues on the spec sheet. Display options range from a 13.3-inch 16:10 1080p panel, up to a QHD+ screen for ultra sharp resolution. CPUs make the jump to 11th gen Intel Core CPUs, paired with either integrated graphics options or a dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU. 

Multitasking is handled with 8 or 16GB of DDR4 RAM and you can configure storage up to a 2TB NVMe SSD. All of this is kept cool with optimised dual thermal heat pipes and powered by a battery Dell claims will last 11 hours and 16 minutes. 

Inspiron 13 is available now in US across retailers, with more being available from Dell directly on August 3. Prices start at $599.

Dell Inspiron 14: going regular or picking a convertible?

Dell’s brand new Inspiron 14 laptops are available in two hardware flavours: laptop or 2-in-1, both of which share some new improvements like smaller, lighter designs with bigger keyboards for a better typing experience. But, they also bring their own strengths to the table.

Starting with the regular laptop models (5410, 5415 and 5418), they share a lot of the same visual design cues with the Inspiron 13, albeit with new Pebble Green and Mist Blue color options.

Processor options are vast across 11th gen Intel and 5th gen AMD Ryzen CPUs, integrated or dedicated graphics, up to 32GB DDR4 RAM and, surprisingly, no QHD display upgrade available. The 1080p panels can go up to 300 nits of brightness and cover 100% of the sRGB color gamut, but I can imagine a lot of people would be willing to pay extra for that crispiness. Prices start from $549.99 and you can buy one from May 4.

As for the convertible option, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 has a very similar tech spec array in terms of CPUs, GPUs and the display resolution. Only difference is there is no 32GB DDR4 RAM option.

Tech specs are only half the story when it comes to something like this, though. The 1080p touchscreen is attached to a 360-degree hinge for all your classic tablet, tent and flat use cases. The 2-in-1 model drops on the same launch day of May 4 with prices starting at $729.

Inspiron 15: The one most of you will get

For most of us, the temptation of a bigger screen without the bigger cost is just too much to pass up. The new Dell Inspiron 15 gives you that with either touch or non-touch 1080p panels and pricing that starts at the same $549.99.

Business as usual for the rest of the system in terms of configuration options (Intel or Ryzen, up to 32GB DDR4, integrated or dedicated MX450 graphics and up to 2TB storage), that same premium aluminum/plastic construction with drop hinge screen design, color choices and patented ExpressCharge technology to recharge up to 80% in 60 minutes.

And of course, that extra room gives Dell the opportunity to add a bigger trackpad (6.4% larger than the previous generation), and a generously big keyboard with 1.3mm key travel and a number pad.

Inspiron 16 Plus: the new big boy on the block

Well well well! Looks like Dell had a surprise up its sleeves. 

The first ever 16-inch Inspiron laptop packs a lot of power into a portable, premium frame with a huge 3K resolution screen (100% sRGB color gamut and 300 nits of brightness).

How much power? How do configurations featuring an RTX 3060 GPU sound to you? With options featuring GTX and RTX graphics cards, the Inspiron 16 Plus has the capability of being a real workhorse by day and good for gaming by night.

CPU-wise, you will get your pick of 11thgen Intel Core H-Series processors, RAM can be maxed out at 32GB DDR4 and you can enjoy 2TB of NVMe storage. The I/O remains the same as other models in the new Inspiron line (HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2, SD-card reader and 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack.

With these beasty internals, a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, an aluminum exterior and a generously large trackpad, this is looking like a great prosumer choice of laptop. The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is launching on June 3 at $949.

New Dell Inspiron laptops outlook

Inspirons are very much the silent workhorses of the Dell family. You hear the most about their XPS or Alienware gaming laptops, but it is far more likely that you’ll pick up an Inspiron.

That is why we’re happy to see them get some love in the design department, really giving them a more premium look to stand out, while providing some more modest updates under the hood. 

But of course, the stars of the show here are the ultra portable Inspiron 13 for it’s sleek design packing plenty of power, and the brand new Inspiron 16 Plus for being the ultimate beefcake of the lineup — both of which have the more feature-rich spec lists. 

Keep it locked to Laptop Mag, as we will be reviewing these real soon!