Dell Technologies has unveiled its most affordable XPS 13 laptop yet, taking aim at Apple’s low-cost MacBook Neo with a student-focused price cut, lighter design, and premium hardware pitch aimed at budget-conscious buyers.
TL;DR
- Dell’s new XPS 13 starts at $699, with a temporary $599 student price for eligible buyers aged 16 and older.
- The laptop is positioned as a direct rival to Apple’s MacBook Neo, which Apple launched in March 2026.
- Dell says the XPS 13 is its thinnest and lightest XPS yet, with Intel Core Series 3 models arriving soon and Core Ultra Series 3 variants coming later this summer.
- The launch comes as PC makers face a more price-sensitive market and tighter memory-chip supply.
Dell is bringing the XPS 13 back into a much more aggressive consumer PC market.
The company unveiled a new XPS 13 starting at $699, with a student price of $599 for buyers aged 16 and above during the back-to-school season. Dell said the model with Intel Core Series 3 processors is arriving soon, while the XPS 13 with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and the Storm color option will arrive later this summer.
The move puts Dell directly against Apple’s MacBook Neo, which debuted in March 2026 as Apple’s most affordable laptop. Apple’s MacBook Neo features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, A18 Pro chip, up to 16 hours of battery life, and starts at INR 69,900 in India, with education pricing at INR 59,900.
For Dell, the new XPS 13 is not just a lower-cost laptop, it is a statement about where the Windows PC market is headed. The company is targeting students and young professionals who want a premium design without moving into higher-priced Windows ultrabooks or Apple’s Mac ecosystem.
Dell’s own product page describes the new XPS 13 as its thinnest and lightest XPS laptop yet, starting at 2.2 pounds and measuring 0.50 inches thin. It also lists up to 17 hours of streaming battery life, a CNC aluminum chassis, touchscreen, backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 7, Intel Core processors, and up to 16GB of memory with 512GB SSD storage.
The Verge reported that the entry-level configuration includes a six-core Intel Core 5 320 Wildcat Lake chip, 512GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. It also noted that every configuration includes a 13.4-inch anti-glare touchscreen with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 30Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, and full DCI-P3 color coverage.
Dell Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke framed the launch as a response to the growing demand for quality devices at accessible prices.
“Premium shouldn’t be optional. The new XPS 13 is the thinnest, lightest XPS we've ever made, and the most attainable. Students and consumers shouldn't have to choose between quality and price. Now they don't,” Clarke said, according to Dell’s product page.
Reuters reported that Clarke also acknowledged Apple’s role in validating the market for more affordable premium laptops, saying, “I'll give them credit. It’s a good product and it validates the market we've been talking about. Students and consumers deserve better options at accessible price points, and we agree.”
The timing is notable. Dell had already signaled at CES in January that it wanted to compete across consumer PC price points, and the new XPS 13 follows that strategy while memory-chip costs remain a pressure point for PC makers.
Apple’s MacBook Neo appears to have changed the pricing conversation around entry-level premium laptops. However, Dell is trying to counter with a lighter Windows device, a larger touch display, and configurations that can scale beyond the base model.
The real test will be whether students and young professionals see enough value in Dell’s hardware and Windows ecosystem to choose the XPS 13 over Apple’s newly affordable MacBook.
