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Dell made the mistake of ending its XPS laptop line in favor of a lineup containing branded models plus, beloved and Pro. He admitted as much Announced last month That he was making the XPS’s absence short. Just a year after they were eliminated, Dell changed its stance and revived its most iconic laptop brand.
Dell was so excited about the return of the XPS that it sent me not one but two models of the XPS 14 to review. I’m excited to research these machines, but I didn’t want to wait until they were fully tested to share my thoughts. So, those are my initial observations as I set up this pair of Dell XPS 14 laptops for testing.
The XPS returns after a year’s absence
The XPS line returns with the XPS 14 and XPS 16 (with the XPS 13 to follow later this year). Dell sent me a pair of XPS 14 laptops. Both are based Intel Panther Lake processorswith the biggest differences being the CPUs (the GPU integrated into each, in particular) and the displays (IPS LCD on one, and OLED touchscreen on the other).
Here’s what I got:
Dell XPS 14 Model No. 1
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7-355 octa-core
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5-7467
- Graphics: Intel Arc with 4 Xe cores
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
- Screen: IPS LCD with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Price: $1,700 (starting February 19)
Dell XPS 14 Model No. 2
- CPU: 16-core Intel Ultra X7-358H
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5-9600
- Graphics: Intel Arc B390 with 12 Xe3 cores
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Screen: OLED tandem touch screen with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels
- Price: $2,200
the Dell XPS 14 It starts at $1,600 with a Core Ultra 5-325 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an IPS LCD screen. Dell tells me the Core Ultra 7-355 is expected to arrive next Thursday, February 19th.
A pair of Dell XPS 14 laptops: IPS display on the left, OLED touchscreen on the right.
Get reacquainted with XPS
The Premium models were direct replacements for the XPS, and were the worst of the new lineup. Due to their extreme design and increased weight, they had a lot of anticipation for the old days of XPS laptops. The XPS 14 corrects two of the Dell 14 Premium’s most glaring flaws: The XPS 14 is noticeably lighter, and the touch-sensitive icons in the function row (which no one liked) are gone, replaced by physical keys.
the Dell 14 Premium It was a laptop tank. It weighs in at 3.8 pounds, making it one of the heaviest — if not the heaviest — 14-inch laptops on the market. I mean it was shockingly heavy. Dell says it’s for “creatives on the go,” but I imagine it’s only for creatives who hit the gym regularly. It was a chore to get around. I traveled with it last year to test it, and it felt like I was carrying lead bricks in my laptop bag. When I handed it to my brother-in-law to take, he asked, “What did they put in that thing?”
Look at that! A function row consisting of physical keys.
The XPS 14 slips in at nearly 3 pounds, a more common weight for a 14-inch laptop. Each model weighs just under 3.2 pounds. (The low-end model with the IPS display weighs 3.18 pounds, and the touch-enabled OLED model is a bit lighter at 3.15 pounds.) Dell made the XPS 14 lighter without sacrificing build quality, either. It feels just as rugged as the Dell 14 Premium.
The XPS 14 is crafted from CNC-machined aluminum that’s virtually flex-free. The laptop pulls off the neat trick of looking sturdier than the 14 Premium while being thinner and lighter. The XPS 14 loses the tapered design of the 14 Premium for a sturdier, panel-like appearance, and looks more like the 14 Premium. MacBook Pro now. It’s slightly thinner and a few ounces lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro at 3.5 pounds.
The Dell XPS 14 is smaller and thinner than the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
One way Dell cut some weight was by shrinking the screen size. The XPS 14 has a 14-inch screen, down from the 14.5-inch screen on the Dell 14 Premium. It’s also slightly smaller than the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro’s screen. Side-by-side, the XPS 14’s screen looks smaller than the MacBook Pro’s, but part of the reason is that the XPS 14 has thinner bezels than the MacBook Pro. For a more compact package and lighter carrying weight, I think I’d be willing to trade up to a 0.2-inch screen size. (I still wouldn’t want to replace MacOS with Windows, but that’s a whole other story.)
After the impressive, shoulder-destroying heft, my least favorite part of the Dell 14 Premium was the touch-sensitive icons that make up the function row. When I want to raise or lower the volume or screen brightness, I want to do so with a simple tap or two on a physical key — not an icon that offers no feedback to tell me if my aim is correct. I also feel comfortable knowing that I have the Esc key active at all times. With the XPS 14, there’s no more guessing when it comes to lining up functions. The physical function keys are back, they were never supposed to leave in the first place.
Thankfully, the excellent touchpad returns with the XPS 14, but it’s no longer limitless. Dell added etched lines to either side of the touchpad so you can see and feel where its active surface ends. The lines are very precise, so if you’re a fan of the minimalist look of the 14 Premium, you’ll appreciate the look of the XPS 14.
The haptic touchpad now has etched lines on each side so you can see and feel its boundaries.
The meshless keyboard also returns, but the keys are firmer than before with snappier feedback. The port selection is the same, with three Thunderbolt 4 ports and an audio jack, but the microSD card slot from the 14 Premium is missing here.
Now, the XPS 14 is back and better than its predecessor, the XPS 14 Premium. It’s slightly smaller but noticeably lighter while correcting the error of the touch-sensitive bar for function row icons. So far, he’s made a good first impression. Check back soon for my full review of performance and battery testing. And for the OLED model with the Intel Core Ultra X7-358H chip and Arc B390 graphics, I’ll run our gaming benchmarks to see how it handles AAA titles.