Last year, Dell unceremoniously killed off more than 30 years of branding work by discontinuing its iconic XPS line of laptops.
It was a stupid move that was part of a broader rebrand, which replaced iconic product lines like XPS with generic names like "Dell 14 Premium" and "Dell 16 Premium".
But at CES 2026, Dell admitted it stuffed up.
"We didn't listen to you. You were right on branding," said Jeff Clarke, Dell's Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, during the company's pre-CES briefing.
And so now, the XPS brand is back.
What's new with the XPS 14 and XPS 16
The reborn XPS lineup kicks off with two models: the XPS 14 and XPS 16. Rather than just slap the XPS brand on last year's models, it has completely rebuilt these laptops from the ground up.
These are Dell's thinnest laptops ever, measuring just 14.6mm. The XPS 14 weighs about 1.36kg, which is more than 225g lighter than the previous generation. The XPS 16 comes in at 1.6kg, almost half a kilo lighter than its predecessor.
That weight reduction is partly thanks to some clever engineering decisions. Dell has implemented 900ED (energy density) battery cells for the first time in a laptop, which are smaller and lighter while delivering more power.
The company has also designed what it claims is the thinnest and narrowest 8MP/4K camera ever integrated into a Dell laptop.
The result is that the XPS 14 is now more compact than the MacBook Air 13, taking up less desk space while giving you a larger screen.
Power and performance
Under the hood, both models are powered by Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 processors, paired with built-in Intel Arc graphics featuring 12 Xe cores.
Dell claims up to 57% faster AI performance on the XPS 14 and 78% faster on the XPS 16 compared to previous generations, with more than 50% faster graphics performance across the board.
To support this performance bump, Dell has completely redesigned the thermal system with its largest and thinnest fans yet, delivering better airflow for cooler, quieter operation.
Display options and battery life
The new XPS laptops offer two display options. You can opt for a tandem OLED panel which delivers enhanced brightness, better efficiency, longer lifespan and improved colour stability. Or you can choose a 2K LCD panel that prioritises battery life.
Dell is boldly claiming the LCD models can deliver up to 27 hours of Netflix streaming or more than 40 hours with local video playback.
The LCD display also features a variable refresh rate that drops to 1Hz for static content like reading emails and ramps up to 120Hz when you're scrolling or watching video.
Sustainability improvements
Dell has incorporated some thoughtful sustainability features into these laptops. They include easy-to-remove keyboards and are the first XPS devices to feature modular USB-C ports, making repairs simpler and extending the life of the PC.
The company has used recycled steel in the hinges, plus recycled cobalt and recycled copper in the batteries.
Pricing and availability
The XPS 14 and XPS 16 will be available from the end of January 2026 in Australia and New Zealand. Additional configurations, including a new entry-level option, will arrive in February.
Both models will initially be available in Graphite, with a Shimmer colour option coming later this year. The XPS 14 will also be available with Ubuntu 24.04 later in 2026.
