We are proud to announce the latest and greatest Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition. The system, which is based on 10th Gen Intel® Core™ 10nm mobile processors, represents the 10th generation of the XPS 13 Developer Edition (see a list of the previous nine generations below).
This 10th generation system features an updated design and comes with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS preloaded. Two areas of note are that the new XPS 13 will be available with up to 32GB of RAM as well fingerprint-reader support. (suppport for the fingerprint-reader support will be available post launch and initially as an update.)
The Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition, 10th generation
The Developer Edition, as well as the 32GB Windows configs, will be available in February (initial Windows configs will be available on January 7). When the Developer Edition launches next month it will be available in the US, Canada and Europe and start at US $1,199.99 (this represents an i5-based Developer Edition with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, an FHD display and with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS preloaded).
But wait, there’s more: Latitudes and monitors
As with the preceding generation, today’s announcement of the latest XPS 13 Developer Edition is not a decoupled event but is part of a broader Dell product unveiling. In addition to the XPS 13 Developer Edition and its Windows counterpart, Dell Technologies is introducing new products and software across its premium Latitude 9000 series and display portfolios.
Dell UltraSharp 43 4K USB-C Monitor
Latitude 9000 series: Featured as the first devices within the new 9000 series, the Latitude 9510 notebook and 2-in-1 laptops represent a new ultra-premium class of products targeted at executives and mobile professionals. The 15” commercial PC delivers 5G mobile broadband capabilities, AI-based productivity capabilities, and targets 30-plus hours of battery life.
UltraSharp 27” 4K monitor: In addition, the new family of monitors includes an 86”4K interactive touch monitor, an UltraSharp 27” 4K USB-C Monitor for creatives with VESA DisplayHDRTM 400 for true color reproduction, and the new Alienware 25” Gaming Monitor with 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.
XPS 13: 32GB, FPR support, larger display & improved unboxing
Returning to the Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition, as mentioned in the opening, many will be happy to know that when it debuts next month, it will be available with up to 32GB of RAM. The addition of an option above 16GB is something is a direct request from the community and we are happy to be able to deliver on it.
Fingerprint-reader support: Another awaited feature is fingerprint-reader support. While not available at launch, support will soon follow, first as an OTA (over-the-air) update and then as part of the preloaded image.
Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition, 10th gen
4-sided InfinityEdge display: What’s also very cool is that the latest XPS 13 boasts the first-ever 4-sided InfinityEdge display, which means it is virtually borderless. In addition, the new display features a 16:10 aspect ratio (up from 16:9 on the prior gen) and while this may seem like a small detail, the extra screen space is noticeable.
Keycaps and trackpad: A larger display, along with larger keycaps, and trackpad are all contained within a form factor both smaller and thinner than the previous generation.
Unboxing experience: As a result of customer feedback, both the XPS 13 Developer Edition and Windows variant will ship with an improved unboxing experience. This experience is cleaner, simpler and based on more sustainable packaging. While all Dell packaging is sustainable, the new design greatly increases the ease of recyclability by eliminating foam and single use packaging.
XPS 13 Developer Edition specs in brief
The 2020 XPS 13 developer edition will be available with
- 10th Gen Intel® Core™ 10nm mobile processors
- Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
- Fingerprint reader support (driver initially available via OTA update)
- Up to 32GB memory
- Up to 3x faster wireless with Killer™ AX1650 built on Intel WiFi 6 Chipset, supports up to 2TB PCIe SSD
- Up to 4K Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) display
Project Sputnik and Dell’s Linux portfolio – from then to now
The first generation of the XPS 13 developer edition debuted over eight years ago and represents the first system in the Project Sputnik portfolio of developer systems. (See the list of the initial nine generations below).
Guided by feedback: Project Sputnik, it began as an exploratory effort to find out what the community wanted in a developer-focused laptop. Since the project’s beginning it has been guided by direct input from the developer community and in fact it was the power of the community that pushed the effort from project to product.
Precision joins: Three years after it launched, the svelte XPS 13 developer edition was joined by a beefy Ubuntu-based Precision Mobile workstation. Within a year this initial power system became a set of four systems and are now in their fourth generation. Today the Sputnik portfolio consists of the 2020 XPS 13 developer edition along with the Ubuntu-based Dell Precision 5540, 3540, 3541, 7540 and 7740 mobile workstations.
150+ Linux systems: While project Sputnik is the most visible Linux-based offerings from Dell, it is only a small fraction of the over 150 systems that make up Dell’s Linux portfolio.
The Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition through the generations
Generation One (L321X) — November 29, 2012
- Ubuntu 12.04LTS
- CPU: 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor (Sandy Bridge)
- RAM: 8GB
- SSD: 256GB
- Display: 1366×768
Generation Two (L322X) — February 18, 2013
New features
- FHD display (1920 x 1080)
- 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ (Ivy Bridge)
Generation Three (9333) — November 15, 2013
New features
- Touch-enabled FHD display
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ (Haswell)
Generation Four (9343) — April 9, 2015
New features
- Ubuntu 14.04
- 5th Generation Intel® Core™ (Broadwell)
- 512GB
- QHD+ touch (3200×1800
Generation Five (9350) — March 3, 2016
New features
- 6th Generation Intel® Core™ (Skylake)
- InfinityEdge™ display — FHD and QHD+ versions available
- 16GB and 1TB
Generation Six (9360) — October 04, 2016
New features
- Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
- 7th generation Intel® Core™ (Kaby lake)
Generation Seven (9370) — January 4, 2018
New features
- Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (launched with 16.04 LTS upgraded to 18.04 in July 2018)
- 8th generation Intel® Core™ (Kaby Lake R)
Generation Eight (9380) — January 23, 2019
New features
- 9th generation Intel® Core™ (Wiskey lake)
- 2TB
- Camera moved to the top of the display
Generation Nine (7390) — August 21, 2019
New features
- 10th Generation Intel® Core, 6 cores (Comet Lake)
Extra-credit reading
- The best Linux gifts to buy in 2019 – ZDNet
- Dell’s Newest XPS 13 Ubuntu Laptop Just Got 16 Additional Configurations – Forbes
- Dell bets big on Ubuntu Linux laptops for developers – ZDNet
- Dell XPS 13 7390 Review: The Best Laptop For Desktop Linux Users – Laptop Capri
- Dell announces new Linux XPS 13 developer edition 7390 laptop – TechBuzz
Pau for now…
Posted by Barton George 
Barton's Blog 