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Dell XPS 13 9350 Review

XPS 13 · 2025 · Released 2025-01-15 · Tested 2025-09-30 · Test Bench 1.2 · published

8.0/10

Overall · Test Bench 1.2

Best for
Travel, business, everyday use
Not ideal for
Gaming and legacy Windows software
Tested config
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB, 512GB
Current price
$1,499
MSRP
$1,799
Warranty
1-year limited (onsite available)

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BestLaptop.ca Test Team

Reviewed and tested in-house · Updated 2025-09-30 · Test Bench 1.2

How we test →

Quick Verdict

The XPS 13 9350 is a polished, ultraportable Windows laptop with very good battery life thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite chip. It is a strong choice for travel and office work, but the two-port design and occasional app compatibility quirks hold it back.

Pros

  • Excellent battery life
  • Premium, compact build
  • Sharp, comfortable display
  • Quiet under everyday loads

Cons

  • Only two ports
  • Some x86 apps need emulation
  • Minimalist keyboard layout divides users
  • No discrete graphics

Score Breakdown

Each sub-score is weighted to produce the overall score. How scoring works.

Performance(20%)7.6 Good
Display(15%)7.8 Good
Battery life(15%)8.8 Great
Keyboard & touchpad(10%)7.6 Good
Build quality(10%)8.4 Great
Portability(10%)9.0 Exceptional
Thermals & noise(10%)8.4 Great
Ports & connectivity(5%)4.8 Poor
Canadian value(5%)7.4 Good

Use-Case Scores

How this laptop performs for specific needs. Each score weights our test categories differently.

School8.2

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits school use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Business8.4

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits business use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Gaming3.2

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits gaming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Multimedia7.2

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits multimedia use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Workstation6.0

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits workstation use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Programming7.4

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits programming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Travel8.8

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits travel use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Battery8.8

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits battery use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Value7.4

Measures how well the XPS 13 9350 suits value use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Design, Build & Portability

The XPS 13 9350 uses a aluminium chassis, weighs 1.19 kg, and measures 295 x 199 x 15 mm. It earned a build score of 8.4 and a portability score of 9.0 in our testing.

Travellers and office workers who want a light Windows laptop with long battery life.

Display

The 13.4-inch IPS panel runs at 1920 x 1200 (16:10) and 60Hz. We measured 478 nits of brightness, 99% sRGB and 78% DCI-P3 coverage, and a colour accuracy of Delta E 1.6.

It has a touchscreen. See full display measurements →

Keyboard, Touchpad, Webcam & Speakers

The keyboard scored 7.6 in our typing tests. The webcam, speakers, and microphone feed the multimedia score of 7.2, which matters most for video calls and media.

Ports & Connectivity

Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4. Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4. Connectivity earned a score of 4.8.

Performance, Gaming & Creative Work

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Qualcomm Adreno (integrated), the XPS 13 9350 scored 7.6 for performance. It posted a Geekbench multi-core score of 14,100, a Cinebench multi-core score of 12,600, and averaged 18 FPS across our 1080p gaming suite. Our 4K video export test finished in 9.6 minutes.

SSD read/write speeds measured 6,200 / 4,600 MB/s.

Battery Life & Charging

In our fixed-brightness tests, the XPS 13 9350 lasted 15.2 hours of web browsing and 18.4 hours of video playback, earning a battery score of 8.8. It charged to 80% in about 60 minutes.

Thermals & Noise

Under sustained load we measured 38 dB of fan noise (22 dB at idle), a CPU temperature of 84°C, and a keyboard surface temperature of 40°C. Thermals and noise scored 8.4.

Software, Configuration & Upgradeability

It runs Windows 11. RAM (16GB LPDDR5x) is soldered and not upgradeable, so size up at purchase. Storage (512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD) is user-replaceable.

Canadian Pricing & Availability

The XPS 13 9350 carries an MSRP of $1,799 and currently sells for around $1,499 in Canada. It represents solid value at current pricing.

Compared to Similar Laptops

LaptopOverallBattery (web)WeightPrice
Dell XPS 13 93508.015.2 h1.19 kg$1,499
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 128.411.8 h1.09 kg$2,199
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)8.518.4 h1.51 kg$1,649
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)8.18.6 h1.5 kg$2,699

Final Verdict

The XPS 13 9350 is a polished, ultraportable Windows laptop with very good battery life thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite chip. It is a strong choice for travel and office work, but the two-port design and occasional app compatibility quirks hold it back.

Buy it if: Travellers and office workers who want a light Windows laptop with long battery life. Skip it if: Users who depend on niche x86 apps or need many ports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dell XPS 13 9350 worth it?

The XPS 13 9350 is a polished, ultraportable Windows laptop with very good battery life thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite chip. It is a strong choice for travel and office work, but the two-port design and occasional app compatibility quirks hold it back.

Who should buy the XPS 13 9350?

Travellers and office workers who want a light Windows laptop with long battery life.

What is the battery life of the XPS 13 9350?

In our web browsing test at a fixed brightness, it lasted 15.2 hours; video playback lasted 18.4 hours.

How much does the XPS 13 9350 cost in Canada?

It currently starts around $1,499 in Canada, down from an MSRP of $1,799.

Discussion

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