Dell finally nixes the up-nose webcam in the new Dell XPS 13

The new Dell XPS 13 laptop. [credit:
Valentina Palladino ]




No, your eyes do not deceive you. Dell unveiled the newest version of its XPS 13 laptop at CES today, and it fixes arguably the most frustrating problem with the Ultrabook: that pesky up-nose webcam. Dell removed it and instead put its smallest camera yet on top of the device's display, in addition to other new improvements that update the laptop for 2019.
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The new webcam measures just 2.25mm, allowing Dell to embed it in the Infinity Edge bezel on top of the touchscreen. For years, the lower-bezel placement of the webcam marred the XPS 13. While some may not use the webcam on their laptop often, others need it for conferencing and video chats. The old webcam placement made doing those things difficult, as users were always shown at an unflattering angle.
Those days are gone, so the XPS 13 becomes yet another Ultrabook choice for those who require a webcam. However, with such little space to work with above the display, the new XPS 13 won't have an IR camera for Windows Hello. But Dell does offer an optional fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button for those who want a biometric login option.
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