Dell Unveils $599 XPS 13, Undercutting Apple With 2.2-Pound Student Laptop
Updated
Updated · Mashable · May 31
Dell Unveils $599 XPS 13, Undercutting Apple With 2.2-Pound Student Laptop
13 articles · Updated · Mashable · May 31
Dell introduced the new XPS 13 at Computex 2026 with a $599 student price through Nov. 2 and a $699 standard price, positioning it as the brand’s most accessible XPS yet.
At 2.2 pounds, the laptop is Dell’s thinnest and lightest XPS, adding a 2.5K touchscreen, WiFi 7 and keyboard backlighting—features Dell says Apple’s MacBook Neo lacks.
Battery life is rated at up to 17 hours of video streaming, about two hours longer than the Neo, while the base model pairs Intel Core Series 3 chips with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage.
The launch comes despite a global RAM shortage that has pushed PC prices higher; Dell said the lower-cost XPS required a rethink of the line’s premium-only positioning after first teasing it at CES in January.
Later this summer, Dell plans higher-end Panther Lake versions and a second finish, broadening a budget push that also answers Apple’s spring MacBook Neo and limited rival offerings from Acer.
As the AI boom devours global memory, is Apple's MacBook Neo or Dell's XPS 13 the smarter long-term buy for students?
Are 2026's new budget laptops a good deal, or a memory-starved trap designed to force expensive upgrades later?