Many people were skeptical of the Microsoft Surface when it first came out, but the 2-in-1 tablet has since risen to become the device to beat when dealing with high-end, productivity-focused tablets. Even Apple decided to release its own Surface Pro competitor in the form of the new iPad Pro, but as far as Windows-powered tablets go, the Surface isn’t facing much in the way of competition. Dell wants to change that, however, as some recently leaked slides show that the company is working on something called the XPS 12, which looks and sounds a lot like Dell’s answer to the Surface.
Dell already makes one of the best Windows laptops you can buy, and now it seems the company is working up its own rival for Microsoft’s Surface tablet. Leaked slides show a new PC that Dell apparently plans to call the XPS 12. It’s a tablet that magnetically latches onto a standalone keyboard, creating a setup that looks very similar to Microsoft’s. Lenovo also recently unveiled its own Surface-like PC. Dell’s keyboard for the XPS12 will feature an illuminated keyboard and what the company promises is a touchpad that “works flawlessly.” That’s always been the weak point of Surface keyboards, so it’ll be interesting to see if Dell can jump out ahead of Microsoft. The information listed on the slides also puts this XPS 12 ahead of the Surface Pro 3 when it comes to the display; Dell’s latest will reportedly feature a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution with an InfinityEdge design that cuts down on bezel size. There’ll be a stylus for it, and other specs include a Thunderbolt 3 port, 10-hour battery life, and cameras on both back and front (8-megapixel on the rear, with a 5-megapixel selfie cam).
