XPS 14 (2026)

Dell made a bold move at CES 2026 – bringing back the XPS name after years of controversy. The XPS 14 is the result, and it's a solid productivity machine that clearly took inspiration from Apple's MacBook Air while still carving out its own identity.

The design is sleek and professional, with a sturdy aluminum chassis that looks premium in any setting. The 14-inch form factor strikes a perfect balance between portability and screen real estate, making it ideal for professionals on the go. Despite its compact size, the speakers are surprisingly excellent – one of the best we've heard in a laptop this small.

Under the hood, the XPS 14 is one of the first laptops to launch with Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 chips. Our review unit featured the Core Ultra X7 358H, which delivers solid performance for productivity tasks and light creative work. While it won't match the top-tier X9 chip in raw power, the battery life is impressive, easily lasting through a full workday.

The 14-inch display options include a sharp IPS panel and a gorgeous 2.8K OLED touchscreen. Colors are vibrant, contrast is excellent, and the touch response is precise. The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and animations buttery smooth.

Our main complaint is the port selection – or lack thereof. Following in Apple's footsteps, Dell went with three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. It's modern and versatile, but it means you'll need adapters for most legacy peripherals. The lack of a headphone jack on some models is also disappointing.

At $1,768.98 for a well-equipped model with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD, the XPS 14 isn't cheap. However, it delivers where it counts: performance, battery life, and build quality. If you're in the market for a premium Windows ultrabook, this should be at the top of your list.