Dell Revives XPS Brand With New Ultra-Thin Laptops in Bid to Reignite PC Demand

LAS VEGAS, Jan 5 — GeokHub Dell has brought back its iconic XPS laptop lineup, reversing a decision made just a year ago to retire the premium brand, as the company seeks to stimulate demand in a sluggish global personal computer market.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Dell unveiled the XPS 14 and XPS 16, its thinnest laptops to date, and confirmed plans to launch a lighter XPS 13 later this year.

A Strategic Reversal

The move marks a clear U-turn after Dell last year folded XPS into a simplified branding strategy under “Dell,” “Dell Pro,” and “Dell Pro Max.” According to company executives, feedback from customers and partners prompted a rethink.

“I owe you an apology,” Dell Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke said during a media briefing. “We didn’t listen. You were right on branding.”

Originally launched in the 1990s, XPS helped Dell break into the consumer market after years of focusing primarily on enterprise customers. Its revival signals renewed focus on the premium laptop segment.

Premium Specs, Premium Pricing

Limited configurations of the new models go on sale this week in the U.S. and Canada:

• XPS 14 starting at $2,049.99
• XPS 16 starting at $2,199.99

Both devices are powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with built-in Arc graphics. Dell says the chips deliver up to 78% faster AI performance and more than 50% improved graphics compared with previous generations.

Competition and Market Challenges

Dell is positioning XPS to compete more aggressively with premium offerings from rivals such as HP and Lenovo, even as the PC market struggles to rebound.

Clarke acknowledged that artificial intelligence features have not yet driven the surge in demand Dell anticipated, and he offered limited detail on how the company plans to absorb rising memory costs that analysts warn could lead to industry-wide price increases.