Dell XPS 13 VS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

If you are looking for a premium laptop that is thin, light, and powerful, you might be interested in the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. These two laptops are among the best in their class, but they have some differences that might make one more suitable for your needs than the other. In this blog post, I will compare the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano in terms of design, performance, battery life, and price, and give you my recommendation based on your preferences.

Design

Both laptops have a sleek and elegant design that will impress anyone who sees them. The Dell XPS 13 has a CNC-machined aluminum chassis with a carbon fiber palm rest and a white backlit keyboard. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano has a carbon fiber and magnesium alloy chassis with a black soft-touch finish and a red backlit keyboard. The XPS 13 is also thinner at 0.58 inches, where the ThinkPad X1 Nano tapers from 0.55 inches to 0.68 inches. 

However, the ThinkPad X1 Nano wins out in terms of its incredibly light weight at just 1.99 pounds, compared to the XPS 13's 2.64 pounds. The ThinkPad X1 Nano also has a slightly larger screen size at 13.3 inches, while the XPS 13 has a 13-inch screen . Both laptops have a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, but the XPS 13 offers an optional 4K display with touch support. The ThinkPad X1 Nano does not have a touch option, but it has an anti-glare coating and Dolby Vision HDR support.

Performance

Both laptops are powered by the latest Intel 11th-gen processors, but the ThinkPad X1 Nano uses the more energy-efficient Core i5-1130G7 or Core i7-1160G7 chips, while the XPS 13 uses the more powerful Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1185G7 chips . The ThinkPad X1 Nano also has less RAM and storage options than the XPS 13, with up to 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage, while the XPS 13 can go up to 32GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe SSD storage.

The XPS 13 also has better graphics performance, thanks to its Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics card that can handle some light gaming and video editing. The ThinkPad X1 Nano has a weaker Intel UHD integrated graphics card that is more suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and office work. Both laptops have excellent keyboards and touchpads, but the ThinkPad X1 Nano has an additional feature: the iconic red TrackPoint that lets you navigate without moving your hands from the keyboard.

Battery life

Both laptops have impressive battery life that can last for a full day of work or play. The ThinkPad X1 Nano claims to have up to 17.3 hours of battery life with its 48Wh battery, while the XPS 13 claims to have up to 18 hours of battery life with its 52Wh battery. However, these numbers may vary depending on your usage and settings. Both laptops also support fast charging, with the ThinkPad X1 Nano able to charge up to 80% in an hour, and the XPS 13 able to charge up to 50% in half an hour.

Price

The price is where the Dell XPS 13 has a clear advantage over the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. The base model of the XPS 13 starts at $999 USD, while the base model of the ThinkPad X1 Nano starts at $1399 USD. The higher-end models of both laptops can go up to $2000 USD or more, depending on your configuration . However, you might be able to find some discounts or deals on both laptops if you shop around.

Recommendation

So which laptop should you buy? It depends on what you value more in a laptop. 

Dell XPS 13 VS Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

Comparison of two laptops & your recommendation

- Both laptops are thin, light and powerful, suitable for business and personal use.

- Dell XPS 13 has a 13.4-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of up to 3840 x 2400 pixels. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano has a 13-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of up to 2160 x 1350 pixels.

- Dell XPS 13 offers more options for processors, memory and storage, ranging from Intel Core i3 to i7, 8 GB to 32 GB of RAM and 256 GB to 2 TB of SSD. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano only offers Intel Core i5 or i7, 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of SSD.

- Dell XPS 13 has a larger battery capacity of 52 Wh, while Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano has a smaller battery capacity of 48 Wh. However, both laptops claim to have similar battery life of up to 15 hours.

- Dell XPS 13 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a microSD card reader and a headphone jack. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack, but no microSD card reader.

- Dell XPS 13 starts from $999, while Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano starts from $1299.

Based on these comparisons, I would recommend the Dell XPS 13 for its better display quality, more customization options and lower price. However, if you prefer a lighter laptop with a more durable design and a fingerprint reader, you might want to consider the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano.