I really wanted to love the new Dell XPS 13, but Dell, we need to have a serious chat about your RAM choices

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Two-minute review The new Dell XPS 13 (2026) is a shift from Dell's usual modus operandi, finally bringing the premium-quality XPS line down to a more affordable space.

If that sounds familiar, it's because Apple did the exact same thing earlier this year: the arrival of the MacBook Neo has shaken up the laptop market, and evidently left other manufacturers scrambling to front their own competition to Apple's new wallet-friendly MacBook.

But before I delve into how effective a frontline soldier Dell's new effort is in the never-ending battle between Windows and Mac, it's time for a brief history lesson: the lore of XPS, if you like.

Dell's XPS brand was unceremoniously killed off last year, before being suddenly resurrected at CES 2026 , presumably because their executives realised that shuttering your single most iconic and well-loved brand is a bad idea (shocker, I know).

But as I mentioned above, the return of XPS has seen a paradigm shift; while the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 are still the pricey, high-end laptops I've come to expect from the XPS lineup, the new XPS 13 is an entirely different beast. (Image credit: Future) It's still identifiably an XPS laptop, there's no denying that.

From the ultra-thin chassis to the all-metal casing and minimalist logo on the lid, you'd be forgiven for thinking at first glance that this was just another premium XPS model.

But opening up the laptop betrays its more budget-conscious nature immediately; gone are the giant, edgeless touchpad and zero-spacing keyboard seen on this year's 14- and 16-inch models, replaced instead by more traditional fare.

The touchpad and keyboard here wouldn't look out of place on the average Chromebook .

A peek at the spec sheet further solidifies the new XPS 13's position as a MacBook Neo rival; a lower-end hexa-core Intel Core 5 chip and only 8GB of RAM in the base model all point to this being a more sensibly priced product.

I'll dig into the performance specifics later in this review, but the good news is that the lower-spec hardware doesn't render the XPS 13 dangerously underpowered.

This laptop is perfectly capable of handling everyday work, even if it's not a performant powerhouse like its bigger siblings.

The battery life is also excellent, and the display is very high quality for the price point.

In short, there's a lot to love here.

Unfortunately, there are a few things that hold this new breed of XPS back.