It's only been four months since we reviewed the latest Intel version of the XPS 13, but now Dell has released a model built for Microsoft's Copilot AI PC initiative. But with that mobile-focused hardware comes new expectations: More battery efficiency than Intel's x86 chips, as well dramatically faster AI capabilities thanks to its beefier NPU (neural processing unit). As with all Arm-based Windows systems, though, there's also the potential for trouble with older x86 apps, which may run slowly through emulation or simply not launch at all. It's undoubtedly a chaotic time for the PC industry, as chipmakers and PC companies build for an uncertain AI-powered future. For consumers, that just means confusion.

The laptop buzzword of 2024 is "AI PC" -- notebooks that have neural processing units (NPUs) for AI-related tasks. But while it's smart to be aware of those systems, there are far more important things to consider beyond AI-savviness. It turns out buying a computer in 2024 isn't really that much different than in recent years: You'll still want to find something that balances power, weight and screen size with your computing needs. Out of the 11 notebooks we've tested and reviewed in the first half of 2024, we consider Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M3 to be the best laptop for most people. It's powerful enough to handle most tasks (even light video editing); it has a great screen and built-in speakers; and its battery could last around 20 hours (depending on what you're doing, of course). The MacBook Air M3 is also one of the lightest and thinnest systems we've reviewed, and it's dead silent, thanks to a fanless design. While Apple has debuted its new M4 chip in the recent iPad Pro, we may not see it in the MacBook Air until next year. For now, the MacBook Air M3 is still an excellent laptop to buy. As for Windows laptops and Chromebooks, the recommendations are a bit more nuanced and varied. While the aforementioned AI features may dominate the news, the more traditional choices – between Intel and AMD CPUs, and whether or not you want a dedicated graphics chip (or GPU) – still stand. And unlike Macs, your options include systems with touchscreens, 2-in-1 convertible tablets and more.

The Intel-powered Dell XPS 13 was already a letdown next to the competition, and this Snapdragon-powered XPS 13 winds up downgrading most of the package without a meaningful reduction in price. It just makes a disappointing experience worse. The Dell XPS 13 (9345) takes most of what we already saw in the Dell XPS 13 (9340) -- a thin, light, and stylish system that focused a little too much on style and not enough on substance next to its competition -- and loads it with new brains in the form of a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip. While the Intel-powered XPS 13 was already on shaky ground, the shift to Snapdragon only gives this new version even less stable footing to compete with the many great laptops out there. Snapdragon might promise advanced AI capabilities over the current field, but with so many AI capabilities in wait-and-see limbo, it's probably worth waiting and seeing if the impending AMD and Intel mobile chips don't just catch up on the NPU front and then continue to score easy wins in the CPU and GPU department. As it stands, the 1,299 Dell XPS 13 (9345) has a rocky path ahead of it.

Razer just can't quit video games. The Blade Stealth was its exit strategy--or so I thought. Released in 2016, the Stealth was Razer's debut Ultrabook, and brought the larger Blade's sleek, MacBook-like aesthetics and build quality to people who just check their email and type up memos, or whatever. There are three Razer Blade Stealth models for 2020. They differ only in terms of the display, not the internals.

Dell's XPS 13 squeezes more screen, more power and even Windows Hello face recognition into a tiny frame, but trips up over software issues. The XPS 13 is Dell's top-of-the-line compact laptop and starts at £1,349. Various models with different processors, storage and screen resolutions are available. The XPS line is where Dell shows off its design chops. It is a premium Windows 10 rival to Apple's MacBook Pro and more recently Microsoft's Surface Laptop line.

Out of the 4,400 exhibitors in Las Vegas for the massive consumer tech show, here are the best ones we found. As you might expect, covering the massive Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas each year is a thrill for tech enthusiasts, as you get to kick the tires, so to speak, on gadgets and gear not commercially available for months or, sometimes, years. But when you're talking about 4,400 exhibitors, you bet there's no shortage of ho-hum products, blatant copycats, or ridiculous concepts. Still, within the vast convention halls housing CES, there are gems to be mined. When it comes to products I'd actually buy, the following are a few 2019 standouts for me so far.

Over the past several years, CES -- formerly the Consumer Electronics Show -- has shifted its focus from "traditional" consumer tech towards self-driving cars and Internet-connected kitchen appliances. Despite that, PC makes still showed up in droves to this year's CES to flaunt their latest laptops, 2-in-1s, and more. Here's a look at the five best laptops we saw at CES 2018. The XPS 13's nearly edge-to-edge screen and elegant design already made it one of our favorite Windows laptops. But the newest version, which Dell unveiled just ahead of CES in early January, brings some notable enhancements.

PC prices are going up due to a shortage of a number of components, and the situation isn't expected to change in the coming quarters. A shortage of DRAM, SSDs, batteries, and LCDs have conspired to drive up PC prices, Gianfranco Lanci, corporate president and chief operating officer at Lenovo, said during an earnings call on Thursday. It's difficult to pin a number on the price increase because of the number of PC configurations available. The cost of purchasing these components is going up, which is triggering PC prices to also rise, said Lanci, a PC industry veteran. The shortage of components like memory will continue, Lanci said.

Wallpaper-thin TVs, drones that can dive underwater, and a computer the size of a credit card. Those are only a few of the gadgets that have been unveiled this week at the annual CES gadget expo in Las Vegas, where companies in the tech, automotive, and home appliance industries flaunt their latest innovations. Many high-profile tech companies, like Apple and Google, typically hold their own separate events throughout the year to unveil new products rather than debuting new wares at CES. Still, the annual convention, now in its 50th year, often provides a look at the next big trends in tech. The biggest themes at CES this year include self-driving cars, home robots, and tons of integrations with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

Some of the hottest tech coming to CES this year includes home robots, Super UHD TVs, and the latest in PCs. Artificial intelligence in the home has been making big gains at CES over the last several years, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in a statement released Tuesday. CTA projects 2017 unit sales for voice-controlled, stand-alone digital assistant devices with a cloud-based operating system -- including Amazon's Echo and Google Home -- to reach 4.5 million units, a 52 percent increase, and reach $608 million in revenue, up 36 percent. And with home robots, companies at CES in 2017 will be looking to upstage intelligent home assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo. Kuri: This home robot from Mayfield Robotics is all about personality.