Shopping for a Dell XPS laptop recently got complicated. Looking at Dell's website reveals a confusing mixture of "New XPS (2026)," "XPS (2025)," and "XPS (2024)." The hardware is identical to what was on sale a month ago, but some of the names have changed.
Earlier this year, Dell resurrected the XPS brand. The new XPS 14 and new XPS 16 marked the triumphant return of the iconic XPS family of laptops.
Dell redesigned the new XPS laptops from the inside out. They feature the familiar zero-lattice keyboard and haptic trackpads that have become synonymous with the lineup, but they were also rebuilt in the name of durability, simplicity, and usability.
They're gorgeous laptops that I was happy to see unveiled, and I was especially thrilled when they were discounted shortly after launch (though most deals have ended or shrunk since then).
In addition to being great laptops on their own, the new XPS 14 and new XPS 16 mark the end of Dell's flirtation with one of the weirder naming schemes in tech.
Dell abandoned its non-gaming laptop brands for over a year, leaving XPS behind. In its place were "Dell Premium" laptops.
Those PCs were essentially XPS laptops in everything but name, but the new naming scheme didn't catch on. In 2026, Dell brought back the XPS brand.
That left the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium in a strange spot. They were XPS laptops in everything but name, but they were sandwiched between the XPS lineup from 2024 and newer XPS laptops in 2026.
For a few months, Dell discounted the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium heavily under their original names. But over the last month, Dell renamed both and officially made them XPS laptops.
If you look back at an archived version of Dell's website, you'll see a toggle to view XPS & Dell Premium laptops. Now, the same site simply says XPS.
All the laptops from before remain available, they're just all XPS laptops now. The specific product pages for the renamed laptops have a small note along the lines of "Dell 16 Premium Laptop is now XPS 16 (2025)."
Dell Premium vs. Dell XPS
I never liked the Dell Premium name, so I'm happy to see it go away. I also thought dropping the well-known XPS brand was the wrong decision. Dell seems to agree, as evidenced by the company shifting back in one release cycle.
It's a bit strange to see laptops made into XPS machines retroactively, but the Dell Premium laptops were always secretly XPS devices anyway.
The timing of the name swap is interesting. I wonder if sales of the Dell Premium laptops dipped and inspired Dell to make the switch.
The result of the name change is that you can officially get a Dell XPS 14 that's only one year old for almost $900 off. I bet that's more enticing than the same discount on a "Dell 14 Premium," even if they are the same laptop.
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