The Dell XPS family is one of the most popular brands of laptops and for good reason. For years, they've been some of the very best laptops you can buy, and nowadays, the lineup is bigger than ever. There are now three 13-inch models in addition to the XPS 15 and XPS 17. Each of these five models is different in performance, design, and, yes, the webcam. If you're buying a laptop with webcam quality in mind, this article will help you know more about the webcam in each of the Dell XPS laptops.
Most of the Dell XPS laptops have a 720p webcam
The first thing you'll notice across the Dell XPS family is that the majority of the laptops come with a 720p camera, and that's not great. In 2023 (and even 2022), most premium laptops on the market have upgraded to at least a 1080p webcam and Dell seems to be the only major brand staying behind. You'll notice using a 720p webcam that the image will look less sharp (because they are), and if the sensor is very small, noise can also be a problem.
That's not to say all the Dell XPS's webcams are the same. The latest Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17 have the same designs as before and as such, the same cameras. It's a very small camera sensor that combines both the regular RGB camera and the infrared camera into one. The infrared camera — which is used for Windows Hello — makes the quality of the RGB camera that much less impressive, and on top of the small sensor, this makes for a pretty mediocre experience.
On the other hand, the new Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus have a redesigned chassis compared to previous models. Dell took that opportunity to separate the RGB camera from the infrared camera, so while the resolution is the same, you can expect the webcam quality to be much better than the larger ones. Plus, Windows Hello is still supported.
And then we have the outlier, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. In 2022, this device was redesigned to be a tablet with a detachable keyboard stylus instead of a convertible laptop with a 360-degree hinge, making camera quality more important than ever. On the front, there's a 5MP camera, which supports 1080p video. It's easily the sharpest camera in any XPS laptop. It's great for video calls, while also supporting Windows Hello. But there's also a second camera on the back of the tablet, and this one is an even sharper 11MP camera with support for 4K video. If the camera is a priority, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is definitely your go-to.
Dell XPS laptops are super compact
While the camera quality of most XPS laptops is not amazing compared to other laptops on the market right now, it's worth discussing why it is that way. Dell has always focused on making the XPS laptops compact with extremely thin bezels, which means there isn't a lot of space for cameras. At one point, Dell even put the webcam below the display to make the top bezel even smaller, but that didn't catch on.
That is to say, you probably don't buy an XPS laptop for the best webcam. These are great laptops for portability, so that's where the focus lies. However, this isn't necessarily an excuse, as many other laptops are very portable and still have better webcams.
If you want to buy a Dell XPS laptop and need a better webcam, there are some great options. Dell itself makes the Dell UltraSharp 4K webcam, which is one of the very best webcams on the market. There are also cheaper options like the Logitech C920s Pro.
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Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam
The Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam is one of the best webcams on the market with 4K resolution and Windows Hello support.
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Logitech C920S Pro HD Webcam
$60 $70 Save $10The Logitech C920s is a relatively cheap webcam that supports 1080p video and is a notable upgrade for most Dell XPS laptops.
And that's all you need to know about the webcam on Dell's XPS laptops, and what you can do to work around them if the quality isn't good enough for you. If that's not the solution you're looking for, we have a list of the best laptops with 1080p webcams, which will give you better quality out of the box. Otherwise, you can buy any of the Dell XPS laptops below or check out the best Dell laptops to see some more options.
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Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Operating System
- Windows 11 or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- CPU
- Up to Intel Core i7-1260P
- GPU
- Intel Iris Xe
- Memory
- Up to 32GB LPDDR5
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a futuristic-looking laptop with powerful Intel processors and a great display, including an OLED option.
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Dell XPS 13 (2022)
The Dell XPS 13 for 2022 is even thinner and lighter than its predecessors, plus it comes in a couple of new colors to choose from. It also has an improved webcam.
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Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Due to it being a tablet, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has some of the best webcams in any laptop, especially in the XPS family. It also has Intel processors and a new 13-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio.
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Dell XPS 15 (2022)
The Dell XPS 15 wasn't redesigned for 2022, so it doesn't have the upgraded webcam of the smaller models, but it is a surprisingly compact laptop with very capable specs for content creators.
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Dell XPS 17 (2022)
- Operating System
- Windows 11 Home
- CPU
- 12th-generation Intel Core i5-12500H, or Intel Core i7-12700H, Intel Core i9-11900H, Intel Core i9-1900HK
- GPU
- Integrated Intel Iriis Xe, Nvidia RTX 3050. Nvidia RTX 3060
- Storage
- 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB/8TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery
- 97Wh battery
- Display (Size, Resolution)
- Touch optional, 17-inch FHD+ 1920 x 1200 or 17-inch UHD+ 3840 x 2400
The Dell XPS 17 is essentially a bigger XPS 15, packing in even more powerful graphics and a bigger display.
