The Dell XPS 13 is the first real competitor to the MacBook Neo

<figure> <img alt="A sky colored Dell XPS 13 (2026) laptop sitting on a wood surface with bright sunlit greenery in the background." data-caption="Welcome back. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268732_Dell_XPS_13_2026_review_ADiBenedetto_0006.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> Welcome back. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">Dell's last XPS 13 was meant to be a farewell before the company <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24325799/dell-pro-max-premium-plus-ces-laptop-pc-rebrand-announcement">sunset the entire XPS brand</a>. But <a href="https://www.theverge.com/reviews/611176/dell-xps-13-laptop-review-9350-intel-lunar-lake">it was a bitter ending</a>, and an overpriced one as well. Earlier this year, Dell resurrected the XPS name with the excellent (and very expensive) <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/944360/dell-xps-14-2026-review">XPS 14</a> and 16. And now, it's reinvented the XPS 13 as a much more affordable thin-and-light to take on the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/891741/apple-macbook-neo-a18-pro-review">MacBook Neo</a>. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Call it another comeback.<br><br>The 2026 XPS 13 has the nicest hardware you'll find in a new $700 laptop outside of Apple's Neo. The core components - the screen, keyboard, trackpad, and speakers - are all great or excellent. It's an exquisite package in a sleek and <em>very</em> thin ultra-portable.</p> … <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/994636/dell-xps-13-2026-intel-wildcat-lake-8gb-16gb-review">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>