Head to head

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) vs Dell XPS 13 (2024)

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) leads 4 to 3 on the 7 rankable specs, but Dell XPS 13 (2024) costs $400 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: HP Spectre x360 16 lists 2.8K OLED Touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass (HP sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists OLED InfinityEdge touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: HP Spectre x360 16 lists Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (HP sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: HP Spectre x360 16 lists 32GB LPDDR5x (HP sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: HP Spectre x360 16 lists ~10–12 hours mixed productivity (other published figure, not on maker sheet); Dell XPS 13 lists Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED) (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: HP Spectre x360 16 lists 16.0 inches (HP sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 13.4 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)

$1,6994 spec wins

Swap

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Dell XPS 13 (2024)

$1,2993 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your laptop.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 4 to 3

Buy the HP Spectre x360 16.

Leads 4 of 7 rankable overall specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 3.
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Size: 16.0 inches vs 13.4 inches
Dell XPS 13 is $400 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Check first: the HP Spectre x360 16 weighs over 4 lb (1.8 kg). Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

4 HP Spectre x360 167 rankable of 29 specsDell XPS 13 3

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:HP Spectre x360 16 · No (soldered)Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Clear:HP Spectre x360 16 · HDMI 2.1Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (via adapter)
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Trips:HP Spectre x360 16 · 4.30 lbClear:Dell XPS 13 · 2.6 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Clear:HP Spectre x360 16 · 120 Hz VRRTrips:Dell XPS 13 · 60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

2.8K OLED Touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass

Dell

OLED InfinityEdge touch

Processor≠

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)

Memory

32GB LPDDR5x

Dell

16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)

Claimed battery life

~10–12 hours mixed productivity

Dell

Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

HP Spectre x360 16

Upfront list price$1,699

3-Year Estimated Total$1,699

Dell XPS 13

Upfront list price$1,299

Essential add-ons (USB-C multiport adapter (only 2x Thunderbolt ports, no headphone jack))+$35

3-Year Estimated Total$1,334

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

Real-world travel weight including chargers, bag fit, and lap thermals.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Standard laptop bag sleeve

Dell

Ultra-compact 11.6 in footprint (nearly 11" tablet sized)

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

Bottom intake vents can choke and heat up your lap when used on beds or couches.

Standard hinge exhaust

Dell

Dual fans exhaust at hinge; bottom can warm up under load

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

Always factor in the power adapter when calculating commuter bag weight.

Standard carry weight

Dell

2.60 lb laptop + 60W Type-C adapter = ~3.1 lb total carry

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

HP: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Dell: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Capacitive touch function row lacks physical travel and tactile feedback.
The Escape and media keys are flat illuminated touch surfaces with no haptic click, making touch-typing difficult.
Hardware Quirk
Zero headphone jack and only 2 USB-C ports.
Completely omits the 3.5mm audio jack and legacy USB-A ports, forcing users to carry dongles for wired headphones and USB flash drives.

HP Spectre x360 16$1,6994 wins

Dell XPS 13$1,2993 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

25 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 2-0

Display specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Size	16.0 inches (wins this row: higher)	13.4 inches
Panel	2.8K OLED Touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass	OLED InfinityEdge touch
Resolution	2880 × 1800	2880 × 1800 (3K+ OLED)
Refresh rate	120 Hz VRR (wins this row: higher)	60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	400 nits SDR / 500 nits HDR	400 nits OLED / 500 nits IPS
Color	100% DCI-P3, Low Blue Light	100% DCI-P3
Touchscreen	Yes (Pen & Touch enabled)	Yes (on OLED configuration)

Performance

leads 1-0

Performance specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)
Graphics	Intel Arc Graphics + optional NVIDIA RTX 4050	Intel Arc graphics
Memory	32GB LPDDR5x (wins this row: higher)	16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered)
Storage	1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD	512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Storage upgradable	Yes (1× M.2 slot)	Yes (M.2 PCIe slot)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Weight	4.30 lb (1.95 kg)	2.6 lb (1.19 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Thickness	19.8 mm	14.8 mm (0.58 inches) (wins this row: lower)
Materials	Sandblasted CNC Aluminum	CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3
Keyboard	Full-size backlit nightfall black keyboard	Zero-lattice keyboard with capacitive touch function row
Trackpad	Haptic glass trackpad	Seamless glass haptic touchpad
Webcam	HP Wide Vision 9MP IR camera with temporal noise reduction	1080p FHD RGB-IR camera with Windows Hello
Speakers	Quad speakers tuned by Poly Studio with Audio Boost	Quad-speaker design (2W woofer + 2W tweeter, 8W total)

Ports

leads 1-0

Ports specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	2× Thunderbolt 4 with USB Type-C + 1× USB-A	2× Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C)
HDMI	HDMI 2.1	No (via adapter)
SD card	No	No
MagSafe	No	No
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm combo) (wins this row: has it)	No
Charger	100W USB Type-C power adapter	60W Type-C AC Adapter

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	~10–12 hours mixed productivity	Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED) (wins this row: higher)

Software

1 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is HP Spectre x360 16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Operating system	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home
Repairability	Medium (accessible SSD and Wi-Fi card)	Low-to-moderate

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) source Dell XPS 13 (2024) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)

Versatile 2-in-1 convertible laptop with 2.8K OLED touchscreen and 360-degree geared hinge.

Stunning 2.8K 120Hz OLED 360° convertible touch display
Included rechargeable tilt pen with magnetic attachment
9MP AI camera with night vision and auto-framing

What you give up

Heavy for one-handed tablet use
Battery life decreases in high-refresh OLED mode

Full HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) specs →

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Ultra-compact 13.4-inch premium laptop featuring Intel Core Ultra, OLED touch options, and seamless glass touchpad.

Minimalist sleek design with ultra-thin bezels
High-resolution OLED screen options
Extremely portable at under 2.6 lb

What you give up

Only two USB-C ports and no 3.5mm headphone jack
Capacitive touch function row instead of physical keys

Full Dell XPS 13 (2024) specs →

Best for each use

Travel

In a bag every day: weight, battery, a screen you can read on a train

For travel, buy the Dell XPS 13.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable travel specs.
Claimed battery life: Up to 14 hours vs ~10–12 hours mixed productivity
Weight: 2.6 lb vs 4.30 lb
It is also $400 cheaper.

Heavy work

Video, 3D, compiles or games: CPU, GPU, memory and panel quality

For heavy work, buy the HP Spectre x360 16.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable heavy work specs.
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Refresh rate: 120 Hz VRR vs 60 Hz
Dell XPS 13 is $400 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Longevity

Keep it five years: upgradable parts, repairability, ports without dongles

Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets.

Storage upgradable: Yes vs Yes
Repairability: Medium vs Low-to-moderate

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) spec sheet Dell XPS 13 (2024) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) ↗ · Dell XPS 13 (2024) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the HP Spectre x360 16 or the Dell XPS 13?

Dell XPS 13 costs $400 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the HP Spectre x360 16 or Dell XPS 13?

Both has this deal-breaker: RAM cannot be upgraded. The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.

Which is better for travel, the HP Spectre x360 16 or the Dell XPS 13?

For travel, buy the Dell XPS 13. Leads 3 of 3 rankable travel specs. Claimed battery life: Up to 14 hours vs ~10–12 hours mixed productivity

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 22 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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