It feels like only a year ago that Dell killed all branding on its laptops, telling journalists we were wrong when we almost universally told them they were crazy. That's because it was only a year ago, but the company has seen the error of its ways and it's bringing back XPS, starting with a new Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16.

In a CES 2026 pre-briefing, Dell reps didn't mince words. It completely owned the blunder of discontinuing the most recognizable brand in Windows consumer laptops. Also making a return is Precision, called Dell Pro Precision, although Latitude and Inspiron aren't coming back.

Business laptops will remain Dell Pro; interestingly, reps told me that the reason that brand stuck is because that's the one where the company saw real success.

The all-new Dell XPS 14 and 16

Dell wants you to know that it's listening


  		• Dell XPS 14 (2026)Dell XPS 16 (2026)
    CPUUp to Intel® Core Ultra X9 Processor 388H (16- Core, 18MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz)Up to Intel® Core Ultra X9 Processor 388H (16- Core, 18MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz)
    GPUIntel® graphics (post launch) Intel® Arc graphicsIntel graphics (post launch) Intel® Arc graphics
    Display type14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge nontouch display, 500-nits typical brightness, 100% sRGB color gamut, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 176° wide viewing angle +/- 88° / 88° / 88° / 88°, 1-120Hz, Dolby Vision , Eyesafe® technology, anti-glare 14-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED InfinityEdge touch display, 400-nits typical brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 176° wide viewing angle +/- 88° / 88° / 88° / 88°, 20-120Hz, Dolby Vision , Eyesafe® technology, anti-reflective, anti-smudge 16-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge nontouch display, 500-nits typical brightness, 100% sRGB color gamut, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 176° wide viewing angle +/- 88° / 88° / 88° / 88°, 1-120Hz, Dolby Vision , Eyesafe® technology, anti-glare 16-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2000) OLED InfinityEdge touch 400-nits typical brightness, 100% DCIP3 color gamut, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 178° wide viewing angle +/- 88° / 88° / 88° / 88°, 20- 120Hz, Dolby Vision , Eyesafe® technology, anti-reflective, anti-smudge
    RAM16GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 7467 MT/s 32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s 64GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s16GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 7467 MT/s 32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s 64GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s
    Storage512GB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 4) 1TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 4) 2TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 5, SED ready) 4TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 5, SED ready)512GB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 4) 1TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 4) 2TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 5, SED ready) 4TB PCIe 4 SSD (Gen 5, SED ready)
    Battery70Whr battery (integrated), 900ED cells ExpressCharge 1.0 70Whr battery (integrated), 900ED cells ExpressCharge 1.0
    Ports3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C ) with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery Kensington lock supported via USB Type-C ports Universal audio jack3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C ) with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery Kensington lock supported via USB Type-C ports Universal audio jack
    Operating SystemWindows 11Windows 11
    Webcam8MP/1080p HDR webcam Windows Hello compliant, Intel IPU78MP/1080p HDR webcam Windows Hello compliant, Intel IPU7
    Cellular connectivityNoNo
    Wi-Fi connectivityIntel® Wi-Fi 7* BE211 2x2 + Bluetooth 6.0 Wireless CardIntel® Wi-Fi 7* BE211 2x2 + Bluetooth 6.0 Wireless Card
    Dimensions12.19x8.26x0.58in13.88x9.35x0.58in
    Weight3 pounds3.65 pounds
    SpeakersStudio quality tuning with Waves MaxxAudio® MaxxVoice 15 Quad-speaker design with 3W Main x 2 Channel + 2W Tweeter x 2 Channel; 10W total peak output Universal audio jack Dual microphone array optimized with Intelligo High Fidelity Audio Dolby AtmosStudio quality tuning with Waves MaxxAudio® MaxxVoice 15 Quad-speaker design with 3W Main x 2 Channel + 2W Tweeter x 2 Channel; 10W total peak output Universal audio jack Dual microphone array optimized with Intelligo High Fidelity Audio Dolby Atmos
    ColorsGraphite, ShimmerGraphite, Shimmer
    NPUIntel® AI Boost NPU 47 TOPs on 325, 49 TOPs on 355, 50 TOPs on 358H & 388HIntel® AI Boost NPU 47 TOPs on 325, 49 TOPs on 355, 50 TOPs on 358H & 388H

Dell first introduced the XPS 14 and 16 just two years ago, so a complete redesign didn't take too long. Essentially, Dell wants to put the word out that it's listening to consumers.

Most notably, the capacitive function keys are gone. They were something you either loved or hated, but they were pretty widely criticized. New XPS laptops will have proper keys there from now on.

It still has a zero-lattice keyboard, and the haptic touchpad is still almost borderless, adding just a bit that helps your finger to understand where the touchpad ends.

Still made of CNC-machined aluminum, the XPS 14 and XPS 16 weigh in at 3 and 3.6 pounds, respectively, a big difference from their predecessors. The XPS 14 (or Dell 14 Premium or whatever you want to call it), was previously 3.7 pounds. It packed a punch too, delivering more power to differentiate itself from the smaller XPS 13.

This time around, there's no option for dedicated graphics on either model. Whether this is a good idea or not, I truly do not know. Intel is promising that its Panther Lake processors (Core Ultra Series 3) have such powerful integrated graphics that you won't need a dGPU. Indeed, CES 2026 is the show where everyone is showing off laptops with next-gen CPUs. The only problem is that I haven't actually gotten my hands on devices with the new silicon yet, so everything we're seeing are just company claims.

They come with up to 2.8K and 3.2K tandem OLED displays, but the top bezel is a bit larger. It now packs an 8MP webcam, something we've never seen from XPS before.

The Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 are available starting today, starting at $2,049.99 and $2,199.99, respectively.

A new XPS 13 is coming too

No photos yet, but I've seen it

I truly believe that when Dell first introduced the XPS 14 and XPS 16 in 2024, the plan was to eventually eliminate either the XPS 13 or XPS 14. The intention there would be to make sure that people want the XPS 14 more.

That's not happening. The XPS 13 is here to stay, and at 13mm, it's the thinnest XPS laptop ever. That's just about all Dell is saying right now.

At the pre-briefing, Dell had a unit on display behind glass, no pictures allowed. It looks pretty neat.

While there are no specs, such as whether it uses Intel, Qualcomm, or even AMD processors, Dell did say that the new XPS 13 is aimed at making its premium laptops more accessible. It will come in at a lower price point. It's unclear is that means a low price compared to historical XPS starting price points of $999, or the new XPS 14's price point of $2,049.