Dell XPS 13 vs HP Spectre x360 14

Two of the best Windows ultrabooks you can buy take very different approaches to what a premium laptop should be. The Dell XPS 13 is all about refinement and restraint — a small, light, beautifully-built machine that focuses on doing the basics exceptionally well. Performance is snappy, battery life is impressive, and it slips into bags and backpacks so easily that you forget it is there. The HP Spectre x360 14 has bigger ambitions, offering a convertible touchscreen with a stylus that transforms it from a traditional laptop into a drawing tablet, note-taking device, or presentation tool depending on what your day demands. The OLED display is stunning whether you are editing photos or watching content, and HP includes the stylus in the box which adds real value to the package. The tradeoff is that the Spectre is a bit heavier and burns through battery faster thanks to that bigger, brighter screen and touch digitizer. If you want the ultimate compact laptop for typing, browsing, and getting work done, the XPS 13 is beautifully focused. If you want versatility and a touchscreen that genuinely changes how you interact with your laptop, the Spectre x360 delivers something the XPS cannot.