Dell’s most popular (at least in reputation) laptops have to be its XPS lineup. The sleek and stylish laptops are also a powerhouse and popular among creators who need a portable machine to edit photos and videos as well as code and other productive tasks.
Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicking off next week, the company has unveiled its 2024 XPS lineup — and there are some notable changes. In a blog post, Donnie Oliphant, Dell’s Senior Director of XPS Product Marketing, said that the company is leaning into the design of the XPS 13 Plus that was originally unveiled two years ago and bringing that design language across the entire lineup.
Not only is that design coming to each model of XPS, but the entire lineup is getting a shakeup when it comes to screen sizes. In addition to the 13-inch model, Dell is switching gears and now offering a 14-inch and 16-inch configuration — much like Apple made the switch from 13-inch and 15-inch laptops when it announced its new Apple Silicon MacBooks.
The new XPS designs take a minimalistic approach that elevates the brand. The portfolio is made of CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3, and tone-on-tone colors (available in Graphite and Platinum). The striking, unconventional look has key components that amplify the laptop experience. They feature a touch function row to switch between media and function keys easily, a seamless glass touchpad with haptic feedback and larger keycaps that provide a comfortable and smooth typing experience with every keystroke.
The new models feature InfinityEdge panels with OLED touch options, variable refresh rates, high-resolution options, support for Dolby Vision®, a quad-speaker design, support for Dolby Atmos® and 3D stereo surround from MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves, and a new FHD 1080p webcam. They also come packed with Intel Core Ultra processors and its ExpressCharge technology that the company claims can recharge 80% of battery life in just 60 minutes.
The XPS 16 is the most powerful of the new portfolio, featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (up to the GeForce RTX 4070 GPU). Dell claims that the new 16-inch model can achieve 80W of sustained performance.
The new XPS 14, in comparison, appeals to those who still want power but want something more portable. The new model is 21% lighter than the XPS 16 and, while they don’t come standard, can be upgraded to NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (up to the GeForce RTX 4050 GPU).
Dell is also keeping the 13-inch model in the lineup and changing its name from the XPS 13 Plus to the XPS 13. The new version starts at 2.6 pounds and is the company’s thinnest and lightest XPS. Users can choose between a FHD+, QHD+ touch, and 3K+ OLED touch display.
The new XPS laptops also come with Intel’s new Core Ultra processors which include a neural processing unit (NPU), meaning that they no longer need to use the CPU or GPU for AI processing. They also come with Windows 11 and the company’s new Copilot assistant.
The new XPS portfolio, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, features a built-in AI acceleration engine with the addition of a neural processing unit (NPU). This means the PC no longer needs to rely solely on the CPU or GPU for processing and performance. Imagine you are a creator who is always on the go and editing photos in Adobe Lightroom. The addition of the NPU automatically leverages the right compute engine for your workload—in this case letting you edit images faster than before while preserving battery life.
Dell says that it will reveal more details about the laptops at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week and has not announced release dates, but we do know where the prices will start at least:
- XPS 13, starting at $1,299 (US) and $1,749 (CA), will be available soon.
- XPS 14, starting at $1,699 (US) and $2,299 (CA), will be available soon.
- XPS 16, starting at $1,899 (US) and $2,549 (CA), will be available soon.
