Dell’s $699 XPS 13 targets MacBook Neo with 1kg design

Dell introduced a new XPS 13 laptop that weighs about 1 kilogram and has a 13.4-inch touchscreen. The model starts at $699 and will be available to students for $599 beginning in July. Dell framed the product as an accessible option in its XPS lineup and compared it directly with Apple’s MacBook Neo.

The new XPS 13 is the company’s lightest and slimmest XPS to date. It measures 12.7 millimeters thick and is listed at roughly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). Dell said the machine is smaller overall and about half a pound lighter than the MacBook Neo while offering a slightly larger display.

The base configuration ships with a six-core Intel Core 5 320 “Wildcat Lake” processor, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Memory is configurable up to 32GB. Dell noted future configurations will include Intel Ultra Core “Panther Lake” chips but did not provide a timetable for those options.

Ports and connectivity include two USB-C ports (USB 3.2 Gen 2) and Wi‑Fi 7. The laptop supports Windows Hello, has a backlit keyboard and quad speakers. The model does not include a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The screen is a 13.4-inch touchscreen with 2560 x 1600 resolution and a variable refresh rate from 30Hz to 120Hz. Dell described the panel as a 2.5K touch display that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The company listed streaming battery life at up to 17 hours and said the system automatically adjusts refresh rates to conserve power.

Dell highlighted price and spec comparisons with Apple’s MacBook Neo, noting both devices start with 8GB of RAM. Dell’s entry-level model includes 512GB of storage, while the Neo ships with 256GB at its base level. Analysts note that Apple’s in-house chips and closer hardware-software integration can yield higher performance from lower RAM counts in some workloads.

Dell identified students and small businesses as key customer groups for the XPS 13 and described the price band as a response to demand for premium design at lower price points. In its announcement Dell stated, “The lightweight and durable chassis is built to the same standard as every XPS, because a lower price shouldn’t mean a lesser build.” The company also called the MacBook Neo “a capable machine” while outlining how it defines premium for this price range.

The XPS 13 is available now at a $699 starting price. The $599 student offer is scheduled to begin in July. Dell announced future CPU and configuration updates but did not provide specific release dates.