Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition now certified with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

July 21^st 2022 – Canonical is excited to announce the new Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition has been officially certified for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

Starting from August, developers can buy Dell’s flagship XPS 13-inch laptop with the latest version of Canonical’s desktop Linux preinstalled. Also, from today current XPS 13 Plus owners can install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and automatically receive the same hardware-optimised experience that will ship with the new Developer Edition. 

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS brings new features, performance and stability improvements backed by up to 10 years of software updates. 

Ten years of partnership

Dell’s Developer Editions are the official continuation of Project Sputnik, an initiative that began in 2012 to create high-end Dell systems with Ubuntu preinstalled, built for developers and guided by input from the developer community. 

The Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition is the latest release in this long-standing partnership.

“XPS is an innovation portal for Dell – from its application of cutting-edge technology to experimentation of new user interfaces and experiential design,” said Jaewook Woo, Product Manager, Linux Operating System, Dell Technologies. “By bringing the enhanced performance and power management features of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS to our most advanced premium laptop, Dell and Canonical reinforce our joint commitment to continue delivering the best computing experience for developers using Ubuntu.”

“The XPS 13 is a long-standing flagship range for Ubuntu on laptops”, said Oliver Smith, Product Manager for Ubuntu Desktop, Canonical. “It’s fantastic to see the XPS 13 Plus and Ubuntu 22.04 deliver a first-class hardware and software experience for developers, 10 years on from the start of Project Sputnik”.

What is Ubuntu certification?

The Ubuntu certification program ensures that all of the components in a certified computer work as expected, so the user can be sure of the best experience out of the box. Ubuntu certified devices are based on Long Term Support (LTS) releases and therefore receive updates for up to 10 years.

The Ubuntu certification lab continuously tests hundreds of certified devices every day, including all of their key hardware components and functionality. This ensures that devices work (and continue to work) to a high standard throughout their lifecycle. 

Certified devices also include specific software or drivers that differ from the default distribution where required. These are defined in a meta-package that automatically instals the optimal configuration of packages, drivers and kernel to deliver the best experience on that device.

These changes make up the factory images used by partners like Dell, but are also upstreamed to the main Ubuntu distribution, so that certified devices receive the appropriate meta-package, even when users install Ubuntu themselves.

This means that users can install or upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS on an existing certified Dell XPS 13 Plus and benefit from the same high-quality experience as purchasing it pre-installed.

New Features and Highlights of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS delivers a refreshed experience to Ubuntu 20.04.

With the latest version of GNOME 42, users benefit from increased desktop performance with triple-buffering, more control over their power management settings, and intuitive new workspace layouts and touchpad gestures, as well as expanded customisation options.

Wayland ships as the default display server and the updated PulseAudio sound server improves support for Bluetooth audio devices and battery level reporting.

Ubuntu comes with the latest toolchains for Python, PHP, Ruby, Perl, GCC, Go and now Rust. It includes the latest versions of default productivity apps like LibreOffice, Thunderbird and Firefox, with thousands more applications available in the snap store.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS also integrates seamlessly into the workplace with Active Directory integration and advanced policy support for Ubuntu Advantage users. With long-term support, security, enhanced management tooling and access to certified hardware, enterprise developers can integrate tightly with the rest of their organisation’s estate.

For a full breakdown of the new features of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, read the release notes and official announcement. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS users will be invited to upgrade their devices when Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS is released on August 4th.

To find out more about how Ubuntu Desktop supports developers in organisations click here.

Focus on the Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition

Dell’s most powerful 13-inch XPS laptop is up to twice as powerful as before.

Its clean design features a sleek zero-lattice keyboard, capacitive touch function row, a seamless glass touch pad, and edge-to edge interfaces. The modern look is powered by 12th Gen Intel® Core™ 28W processors (up from 15W on the prior generation) and supported by larger fans that provide 55% better airflow without increasing noise or temperature. Additionally, leading battery technology makes sure you can go the distance without disruptions. And with Express Charge 2.0 that gets your laptop to about 80% battery life in less than an hour, you can quickly juice up on the fly.

A few other noteworthy features include:

• Ubuntu Desktop pre-loaded
• Improved quad speaker design resulting in incredible sound for music, movies and conferencing.
• Up to 4K+ resolution or vivid true-to-life colour on an OLED display with Eyesafe® that reduces harmful blue light
• M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Solid State Drive
• Up to 32 GB, LPDDR5, 5200 MHz, integrated, dual-channel
• All-new packaging is made from 100% sustainably sourced or renewable materials with paper documentation that increases its recyclability.

The Dell XPS Plus 13 Developer edition will be available to buy with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS pre-installed in August 2022 in the U.S., Canada and select countries across Europe.