Dell Wins Editors' Choice for $699 XPS 13 as Budget Laptop Challenges MacBook Neo
Updated
Updated · PCMag · Aug 13
Dell Wins Editors' Choice for $699 XPS 13 as Budget Laptop Challenges MacBook Neo
3 articles · Updated · PCMag · Aug 13
Summary
$699.99 gives Dell's revived 2026 XPS 13 an Editors' Choice win as a budget Windows ultraportable positioned directly against Apple's MacBook Neo.
The base model pairs an all-aluminum 2.2-pound chassis, 13.4-inch 1600p 120Hz touch display and 512GB SSD with an entry-level Intel Core 5 320 chip, helping Dell hit a low price despite high component costs.
8GB of RAM is the main trade-off: the review said the laptop handled everyday tasks and topped 20 hours of battery life, but failed some benchmark runs and can struggle with apps such as Photoshop.
A 16GB upgrade lifts the price to $899, where the value case weakens against rivals like HP's OmniBook 14, while later Core Ultra versions are expected to push the XPS 13 line toward $1,000.