Dell XPS 13 targets MacBook Neo with Intel's Wildcat Lake — $699 starting price, $599 for students

Dell has finally brought back the XPS 13, its famed system that introduced the InfinityEdge display and was once widely considered the best Windows laptop on the market. This time, though, the device is facing a very different market, and Dell is using it to target Apple's MacBook Neo and the newfound battle for the entry-level PC market.

The XPS 13 will start at $699, with a $599 deal for students 16 years and older, "for the back to school season." That's competitive for the specs, but $100 more than Apple's pricing on the Neo (and Apple's student pricing is year-round).

Swipe to scroll horizontally CPU Intel Core 5 320, Intel Core Ultra 7 355 (after launch) Memory 8GB - 32GB LPDDR5x-7467 MTs

Intel Core: 8 - 16GB, single channel

Intel Core Ultra: 16 - 32GB, dual channel Storage 256GB - 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSDs (256GB post-launch) Display 13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600, InfinityEdge, touch 500 nits, 30-120 Hz variable refresh Wireless Intel Wi-Fi 7 (BE213 with Intel Core, BE211 with Intel Core Ultra) Battery 52 WHr Ports 2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Intel Core) or Thunderbolt 4 (Intel Core Ultra) Camera 2MP/1080p, IR Starting weight 2.2 pounds (1 kg) Release Date June 2026 Starting Price $699, $599 in temporary student deal

For that, you get Dell's thinnest and lightest XPS laptop to date, starting at 2.2 pounds and 0.5 inches thin, lighter than the Neo (2.7 pounds). The system has a CNC aluminum shell. Unlike the Neo, Dell is offering a backlit keyboard, albeit with a shallow 0.8 mm of travel (Dell is moving back to chiclet keys on this machine, which I appreciate). The company is also using a standard mechanical trackpad, like Apple has opted for. There will be just two color options, "sky" and "storm," with the latter coming sometime after launch.