(Credit: Dell)
TAIPEI—At Computex, Dell revealed a fresh XPS 13 laptop to fill out its new lineup, but not just for size—for budget, too. Dell managed a $699.99 starting price for this version, coming within range of the Apple MacBook Neo.
Dell's XPS line has always focused on high-end consumer and "prosumer" laptops with lots of power and advanced features, with prices to match. (For example, the latest Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 start at $1,889.99 and $2,039.99, respectively.) Bucking that trend, the PC maker remolded the XPS 13, last seen as a high-end ultraportable, into an entry-level option while preserving the XPS design's most important aspects.
The new budget XPS 13 will launch on Intel's new entry-grade Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" processors, helping reduce the overall price, with an upgrade option to Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" set for launch later.
The MacBook Neo shook the budget laptop market earlier this year with a rock-bottom $599 starting price, sending expectations for budget laptops into the stratosphere. Like Apple, Dell will sell the XPS 13 to students for $100 off the list price, but only through the back-to-school season.
Dell's new XPS 13 features much of the iconic XPS design and features for its price, but naturally misses the traditional models' most premium touches. Here's everything we know about the overhauled, affordable XPS 13 so far.
Dell Downsizes the XPS Design
We praised the larger XPS laptops' redesigns in our reviews, but the XPS 13 does not share the same revamp. This affordable model is something of a mix of past and present XPS laptops, and Dell focused on the important elements rather than the flourishes.
(Credit: Dell)In particular, this XPS 13 lacks the seamless invisible touchpad and flush keyboard of its more expensive counterparts, plus some less obvious elements, like a 4K webcam. (This one's just 1080p.) Regardless, Dell delivered on its most crucial XPS design elements: The XPS 13 comes wrapped in a thin and portable, all-aluminum frame with a backlit keyboard and a high-resolution InfinityEdge panel—not bad for $699.99.
In a pre-launch briefing, Dell directly drew comparisons with the MacBook Neo. Dell praised it as a product and for validating this low-cost market as an area worth targeting, but the team was also sure to point out the XPS 13’s advantages.
(Credit: Dell)The XPS 13 is slightly smaller and half a pound lighter than the MacBook Neo, making for a super-portable device measuring 0.5 by 11.7 by 7.9 inches (HWD) and weighing just 2.2 pounds. Despite this, it has a slightly larger display than the Neo, measuring 13.4 inches diagonally rather than 13 inches flat. Its all-metal build is significant in competing with the Neo and carrying on the XPS build quality in a less expensive machine. It's available in "Sky" and "Storm" colors, which are lighter and darker silver variants.
While that key backlighting sounds like a given in 2026, remember that the Neo does not sport any key lighting. It was one of the concessions to get the price as low as it is, but it’s certainly a feature that borders on essential.
The XPS 13 keyboard is a much more traditional chiclet layout compared with the lattice-free edge-to-edge keys in the larger XPS systems. The touchpad, too, is a standard hinge mechanism, but only full testing will reveal how either feels in regular use. Considering those elements are somewhat divisive, some of you may even prefer this more basic approach.
We'll have to wait for some hands-on time to declare whether the XPS quality comes across in this version, but it checks the important boxes on paper.
Specs and Components: Intel Wildcat Lake's Unexpected Debut
Dell's XPS 13 display is a sharp 2,560-by-1,600-pixel (or 1600p) resolution touch panel. This resolution is similar to the Neo’s 2,408-by-1,506-pixel panel, but touch capability gives the XPS 13 something the Neo lacks. The screen also refreshes between 30Hz and 120Hz, which can save battery by running a lower refresh rate when it’s not displaying video content. (The Neo stays at 60Hz.)
(Credit: Dell)Intel's Wildcat Lake or Intel Panther Lake processors serve as the brains of the operation. We haven't seen much of the Core Series 3 Wildcat Lake chips yet, which were announced weeks earlier as an alternative to the Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake silicon. They use the same updated 18A manufacturing process, but are less powerful for budget machines such as this.
In particular, the XPS 13 comes with the Core 5 320 (Wildcat Lake) to start, but you can scale up to the Core Ultra 7 355 (Panther Lake). Note that the Core Ultra option won’t be available at launch; Dell hasn't revealed the price differential for this chip yet either.
The Intel Core version is available with 8GB or 16GB of single-channel DDR5 memory and 256GB or 512GB of solid-state storage. (However, the launch model will have a 512GB SSD for the $699 price.) The Core Ultra model houses either 16GB or 32GB of dual-channel memory and can run up to 1TB of storage.
We have not yet tested any Wildcat Lake systems to know what to expect from these chips, or how they stack up in performance to the Neo’s A18 Pro chip. (Much less Qualcomm's new Snapdragon C budget chips.) We look forward to putting it through its paces once it’s available for testing.
For connectivity, the Intel Core version includes two USB Type-C ports with support for DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery. The Core Ultra model’s USB-C ports are on the Thunderbolt 4 standard. Both versions of the XPS 13 also include Wi-Fi 7 for fast connectivity (BE213 for Intel Core, BE211 for Core Ultra), a welcome inclusion for a budget machine. (The MacBook Neo runs on just Wi-Fi 6E.)
(Credit: Dell)All told, this is an exciting development for the PC space. The MacBook Neo significantly raised the bar for budget laptops, making existing PCs look particularly overpriced in this tier. The traditionally premium XPS brand is an unexpected source of retaliation from the PC camp, but an interesting one.
Like Apple, Dell’s expertise in systems comes into play when targeting what’s important to shoppers in this tier. We’ll have to see how the system feels and performs ourselves, but between the trimmer design, high-refresh touch panel, key backlighting, and Wi-Fi 7, it’s easy to see where the extra $100 over the MacBook Neo comes in. Time (and testing) will tell if Dell hit a budget home run here.