The mobile workstation has already done all the hard work to pave the way for a potential XPS 16. Its design and AC adapter would translate perfectly into a 16-inch XPS model if we are to ever see more options in the XPS series.
The XPS design is versatile in the sense that it can be used for multimedia and workstation purposes. On the multimedia side, we have the XPS 15 and XPS 17 with GeForce GPUs. Meanwhile, workstation users get the 15-inch Precision 5550 and 17-inch Precision 5750 with Quadro GPUs based on the XPS 15 and XPS 17 designs, respectively. There’s no XPS 16 just yet, but the 16-inch Precision 5680 could be the first step to such a model.
In our review of the Precision 5680, we noted that it utilizes the same carbon fiber and magnesium materials for its skeleton as do the XPS 15 and XPS 17 albeit in a 16-inch form factor. Its keys, clickpad, and outer lid are unmistakably XPS-inspired meaning the entire chassis can translate into an XPS 16 without major changes.
The Precision 5680 also comes with a small but high-power 165 W USB-C AC adapter whereas the USB-C adapters from other makers are limited to 100 W or 140 W at most. It’s likely that Dell will expand the 165 W USB-C adapter to be compatible with more of its models in the near future especially for those running on H-series CPUs and discrete GPUs. The XPS family in particular would pair perfectly with the new USB-C adapter in this regard.
Dell already offers 16-inch multimedia laptops in the form of the Inspiron 16 series for budget-conscious consumers, but it has yet to offer anything for the higher-end market where an XPS 16 could potentially fit.
Allen Ngo – Lead Editor U.S. – 5118 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2011
After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There’s a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I’m not managing day-to-day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.
Allen Ngo, 2023-08-24 (Update: 2023-08-24)