Dell revived its XPS laptop brand at CES 2026, reversing a controversial rebrand that lasted just one year. The company announced redesigned XPS 14 and XPS 16 models with physical function keys, thinner designs, and dramatically improved battery life.
Dell's vice chairman and chief operating officer Jeff Clarke admitted the company "underperformed" and "didn't listen" when it replaced XPS with the "Dell Premium" branding in January 2025. The new XPS 14 starts at $1,649.99 while the XPS 16 begins at $1,849.99, with limited configurations available January 6 in the U.S. and Canada.
Both laptops feature the XPS logo on their lids for the first time, addressing years of fan requests. Dell eliminated the controversial capacitive touch function row that drew criticism from 2022 through 2024, replacing it with physical keys.
The XPS 14 weighs 3 pounds, making it over half a pound lighter than the 2024 XPS 14 and 2025 Dell 14 Premium. The XPS 16 starts at 3.65 pounds, shedding more than a pound from its predecessor. Both models measure 14.6mm thick.
Dell claims the new XPS laptops deliver up to 27 hours of Netflix streaming and more than 40 hours of local video playback. The company attributes this to a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate LCD panel that drops to 1Hz for static content.
The redesigned cooling system features Dell's largest, thinnest fans ever, new insulation gel, and a layout that cuts thermal design power in half. Dell says this results in cooler, quieter machines with significantly better battery life.
Both laptops can be configured with up to Intel Core Ultra X7 processors, Intel Arc graphics, 64GB of RAM, and 4TB of SSD storage at launch. Dell will eventually sell Intel Core Ultra X9 variants.
The company promises more entry-level configurations will arrive in February, along with Ubuntu options. A new XPS 13, described as the thinnest and most affordable XPS ever, will launch later this year.
Dell's 2025 rebrand attempted to simplify its lineup with "Dell," "Dell Pro," and "Dell Pro Max" naming. The move was immediately criticized for being confusing and mimicking Apple's branding structure.
Clarke told reporters in December that Dell noticed persistent search interest in XPS after killing the brand. "I hope it demonstrates our ability to course-correct, to be humble," he said during a media presentation.
The XPS revival represents a rare admission of failure in the PC industry. Dell ships hardware into a 280-million-unit-per-year market, making its public reversal particularly notable.
Beyond the branding changes, Dell redesigned the laptops with CNC aluminum, Gorilla Glass, and modular USB-C ports. The keyboards are now removable for repairs, and the seamless glass touchpad has been etched with lines to define its active area.
The company also engineered the thinnest 8MP/4K laptop camera it has ever shipped and became the first to use 900ED battery cells, which are 23% smaller and 12% lighter than previous designs.
Dell will keep the "Dell" name for mid and entry-level laptops, while "Dell Pro" remains for enterprise products. The XPS brand now occupies the premium consumer space previously held by "Dell Premium."
The XPS 13 wasn't on Dell's roadmap 120 days ago, according to Windows Central. The company fast-tracked its return after the backlash to last year's branding changes.
Dell's global marketing campaign to reintroduce the XPS brand kicks off in February. The company says it will push hard to win back consumers who remained loyal to the XPS name despite its temporary disappearance.
