Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: the new bar for mainstream Windows laptop excellence
The return of the XPS 13 is a triumph of (somewhat) affordable premium portable computing. It’s no powerhouse in terms of performance, but it gets more than enough right to recommend for Windows users who have been looking over their shoulder at the MacBook Neo.
The Dell XPS 13 (2026) review highlights Dell's response to Apple's budget-priced, aesthetically pleasing MacBook Neo. The XPS 13 starts at $699 for an 8GB RAM configuration and $899 for a 16GB RAM version, both equipped with a 512GB SSD and an Intel Series 3 Core 5 320 CPU. The laptop's design is described as refined, with rounded edges, an aluminum chassis, and a slim, mirrored XPS logo.
The XPS 13 is lighter than the MacBook Neo, featuring a single USB-C port with 10 Gbps support for DisplayPort 2.1 and charging. However, it lacks a headphone jack and keyboard backlight, features Apple includes in its MacBook Neo. Dell's XPS 13 performs comparably to the MacBook Neo in Geekbench 6, with the XPS 14 matching the XPS 13's performance under Windows 11 Home. The laptop is not suited for gaming, as its integrated graphics are limited to two Intel Xe cores.
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