Dell’s XPS brand is back from the dead, and it’s a clear admission that last year’s decision to kill it was a major misstep. The company is now course-correcting in a big way for 2026, resurrecting its iconic laptop line with a renewed focus on what made it great. Last year, Dell replaced the XPS name with generic labels like Premium, a move widely criticized as a step backward. The XPS brand had spent over a decade building a reputation for excellent design, quality engineering, and top-tier performance, consistently landing at the top of best Windows laptop lists. Replacing that established, award-winning identity with a bland descriptor felt reductive and confusing. Dell’s goal was to simplify its portfolio, but COO Jeff Clarke recently acknowledged the plan backfired. The simultaneous introduction of Dell Pro and Pro Max lines, aimed at enterprise customers, further muddied the waters for consumers. The rebrand also saw the elimination of many budget models, pushing buyers toward more expensive mid-range Plus systems or forcing them to wait. Now, Dell is getting back to its roots. The company announced at a CES preview that it is building its broadest PC portfolio ever, with the XPS line once again at the forefront. The comeback will include a completely new, ultra-thin XPS 13, alongside fully redesigned XPS 14 and XPS 16 models. Dell hinted at even more XPS systems in the future. The revival is not just in name. Dell is also addressing specific user feedback on recent designs. The new XPS laptops will mark a return to segmented touchpads instead of seamless glass slabs and will bring back physical function keys, ditching the capacitive touch keys that drew criticism. Internally, Dell is restructuring to place its consumer device team under Clarke’s direct oversight. The branding strategy is being clarified: XPS will be the undisputed flagship consumer brand, with its logo prominently featured on laptop lids. The Alienware brand continues for gaming, and the Dell Pro family will be strictly for enterprise, professional services, and education. Underpinning this entire reset is a straightforward philosophy from Clarke: great products win. While last year’s strategy was a self-inflicted wound, Dell’s willingness to publicly acknowledge the mistake and chart a clear path forward is commendable. Based on its plans, the iconic XPS line appears poised for a significant comeback.
