Dell brings back the XPS laptop and this time, it’s meaningfully stunning

About a year ago, Dell announced a massive renaming for its consumer PC portfolio. It was pretty confusing, to be fair, but what came as the biggest surprise was that Dell killed the iconic XPS line. Well, at CES 2026, the torchbearer of cutting-edge design at Dell is back, and it looks different, too. 

A stunning return

The new XPS machines, which come in 14-inch and 16-inch flavors, are the thinnest and lightest machines Dell has made to date. The wedge looks are gone, and it has been replaced by a monolithic design with sharp lines and rounded edges. Notably, the 14-inch model actually takes up less desk space than the 13-inch MacBook Air. 

Additionally, the invisible trackpad is gone, and there are now lines that demarcate the touch-sensitive area on the trackpad. Dell has also removed the capacitive button row and replaced it with physical function keys. Dell is touting an industry-leading battery life of up to 40 hours, while the 14-incher model tips the scales at just three pounds. 

Dell is equipping these machines with Intel’s latest Ultra Series 3 processors, while the display also gets the Tandem OLED treatment, which is the same fundamental tech as the one you see on the iPad Pro. But the real surprise is the asking price. 

Later this year, Dell will also release a 13-inch model that will be the slimmest, lightest, and most affordable XPS machine Dell has offered to date. The Dell XPS 14 starts at $2,049.99, while the 16-inch model will be up for grabs starting at $2,199.99 on January 6 in the US market. More affordable configurations will also be launched in the coming weeks.