Dell is consuming straightforward pie and bring back the XPS brand name

Practically one year ago to the day, Dell annihilated its durable XPS brand name for milquetoast Costs, And likewise, Pro, and Pro Max names– yet it’s back for CES 2026 The new XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptop want to recoup fans of the “Extreme Effectiveness System” with Dell’s thinnest styles to day, a row of appropriate attribute methods, boosted battery life, and Intel’s brand-new Panther Lake Core Ultra Collection 3 cpus. Dell also reached placing the XPS brand name on the cover, and finally noting the sides of its smooth haptic trackpad with refined glass etching lines.

The XPS 14 and 16 are launching in select arrangements on January 6 th, with entry-level and higher-end configs can be located in February. In the meanwhile, the XPS 14 at launch starts at $ 2, 049 and the XPS 16 at $ 2, 199 99 If you’re increasing substantially Windows-averse, Dell mentions an XPS 14 running Ubuntu 24 04 will certainly come “later this year.”

The brand-new XPS laptop computers sporting activity 3 USB-C/ Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10 W sound speakers, and assess simply 3 added pounds/ 1 36 kg (14 -inch) or 3 65 extra pounds/ 1 65 kg (16 -inch). They’re readied to begin with 1920 x 1200 IPS displays, 16 GB of LPDDR 5 X RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and Intel’s Core Ultra 5 325 chip. Both dimensions can be set up with extra-bright tandem OLEDs (2880 x 1800 for the 14 -inch and 3200 x 2000 for the 16 -inch) that are each a little thinner and lighter, and chip options will definitely boost to Intel’s Core Ultra X 9 388 H (coming later on).

Neither the XPS 14 or 16 offer distinct graphics, yet Dell is announcing these brand-new laptop computers as battery champs, many thanks partly to their 70 Whr cells and variable refresh screens that go from an optimal 120 Hz entirely to 1 Hz when seeing fixed subjects like e-mails and images. (Yes, also the base IPS present screens can reach 1 Hz.)

I had a fast hands-on with the brand-new XPS 14 and 16 laptop computers at an extremely early preview occasion Dell kept in December, where COO Jeff Clarke showed up onstage using an XPS tee, hat metaphorically in hand concerning in 2015’s branding modification. “We have actually been a little bit off-course in our computer company,” Clarke claimed to a space packed with media he was striving to convince. He guaranteed that Dell is more than likely to “return on training course” and “go back to our beginnings.” Onstage Tee tee shirts messaging from officers still makes me flinch, yet the brand-new XPS laptop look motivating.

The all-aluminum improve the extremely early systems really felt truly structured. And just the improvement of the trackpad etchings and physical attribute row have to go element of the means to repairing my several concerns with the last XPS 13 Regretfully, the latticeless key-board I hate is right below to remain on the new styles– though not every one of them.

That’s because Dell is furthermore teasing a brand-new XPS 13 coming later in 2026, and it’s insisting it will definitely be the thinnest and lightest XPS notebook computer ever before, with a density of a lot less than 13 mm. For recommendation, a 13 -inch M 4 MacBook Air is 11 3 mm thick, and the brand-new XPS 14 and XPS 16 are as slim as 14 62 mm when each is furnished with an OLED. One significant modification for the XPS 13 will certainly be a button back to a typical chiclet-style key-board. Dell’s format head, Justin Lyles, informs The Edge it’s “far more expenditure reliable to execute on a chiclet-style key-board.” And Dell is opting for a reduced expense factor with the XPS 13

Dell truly did not totally reverse training course on in 2015’s unpleasant branding adjustment, nevertheless this revitalization of XPS laptop resembles an activity in the best directions. For a number of years, XPS laptop computers were a best alternative for Windows customers that desired a MacBook Pro-like notebook computer for Windows. The brand-new XPS 14 and XPS 16 definitely look the component, and my behind-glass look of the XPS 13 (which I had actually not been allowed to image) was essentially a MacBook Air imitator. If Dell is recalling several of the creative thinking in its designs for better efficiency and more clear branding, I’ll take it.

Digital Digital Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto/ The Brink

Change, January 5 th: Dell changed the launch rates of the XPS 14 and XPS 16 right prior to stoppage time. We have really upgraded the brief post to reveal the new, better launch configuration prices.