Dell XPS 13 returns as a budget laptop rival to Apple MacBook Neo from July 2026

Dell has made good on its tease from CES and officially announced the return of the XPS 13 as a budget-friendly laptop option.

The device launches in July at a promotional student price of $599, though that introductory deal runs only until September to coincide with the back-to-school shopping season. All other buyers will pay a starting price of $699.

The $599 promotional price directly matches the MacBook Neo's starting price, though students can in fact purchase Apple's budget laptop for $100 less.

That gap means Dell faces a meaningful challenge in demonstrating the XPS 13's value proposition against its rival.

The thinnest and lightest XPS ever made

The new XPS 13 will be Dell's thinnest and lightest XPS to date, measuring just 0.5 inches (12.7mm) thick and weighing 2.2 pounds (1kg).

Like its predecessor — which launched at a considerably higher price point — it features only two USB-C ports and no 3.5mm audio jack.

Higher-end configurations arriving later with Intel Panther Lake chips and Thunderbolt 4 will also forgo a dedicated audio jack, though they will support up to 32GB of RAM.

Entry-level specs and display details

The base configuration ships with a six-core Intel Core 5 320 "Wildcat Lake" chip, 512GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM — a modest specification that will raise eyebrows for Windows 11 users.

Every configuration of the XPS 13, however, will include a 13.4-inch anti-glare touchscreen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, a variable refresh rate of 30 to 120Hz, 500 nits of brightness, and full 100 per cent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space.

The laptop also features a backlit keyboard and a claimed streaming battery life of up to 17 hours. Dell representatives say it should have sufficient endurance to last a student through a full day of classes.

Dell takes direct aim at Apple

There was no ambiguity about Dell's target market. COO Jeff Clarke called out the MacBook Neo by name during an early media briefing.

Whilst the XPS 13 is lighter than the Neo and includes features Apple's budget laptop lacks — such as a backlit keyboard and higher-end configuration options — the 8GB of RAM on a Windows 11 machine remains the elephant in the room.

A larger XPS with discrete graphics teased for Computex

Dell also teased a further announcement set to be unveiled at Computex: the return of an XPS model with discrete graphics.

The device is expected to feature an Nvidia RTX GPU, an extra-bright tandem OLED screen, a dedicated HDMI port, and an SD card slot.

No further details have been shared, though the specification suggests a larger and more powerful machine positioned to compete with certain MacBook Pro models, whilst the XPS 13 takes on the Neo.

The XPS brand continues its revival

The XPS 14 and XPS 16 models Dell reintroduced at CES went some way towards correcting past missteps after the company discontinued the XPS brand in 2025.

Competing at $599 and $699 against the MacBook Neo, however, will prove a sterner test for the revitalised line.