Dell’s XPS revival is a welcome reprieve from the “AI PC” fad

Summary

The XPS 14’s deck. Credit: Dell The XPS 14’s deck. Credit: Dell Dell’s about-face comes as it manages ongoing declines in its consumer PC revenue and global PC market share. It also represents a divergence in Dell’s messaging to computer shoppers. Last year, Dell, as well as many other computer makers, committed to convincing people that they not only needed to buy a new computer, but that they needed to buy a new “AI PC.” Corporate desire to leverage newly mainstream interest in AI to push PC sales was part of the reason Dell made new brand names for its 2025 computers. “The AI PC market is quickly evolving,” Kevin Terwilliger, VP and GM of commercial, consumer, and gaming PCs at Dell, told reporters last year when announcing the new branding. “(E)veryone from IT decision makers to professionals and everyday users are looking at on-device AI to help drive productivity and creativity. To make finding the right AI PC easy for customers, we’ve introduced three simple product categories to focus on core customer needs,” he said. But this week, as Dell unveils its ultralight laptop lineup, AI is taking a backseat. “We’re getting back to our roots with a renewed focus on consumer and gaming,” Clarke said in a statement accompanying Dell’s announcement today. Clarke holding the upcoming XPS 13. Credit: Dell Clarke holding the upcoming XPS 13. Credit: Dell The website for the new XPS laptops makes an obligatory nod to Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC program but is primarily focused on the computers’ thin build, low weight, battery life, and display. It seems Dell has accepted that these are the things that the average person cares about in their primary laptop, not the computer’s ability to run AI locally. The XPS 14 launched today starting at $2,049, and the XPS 16 launched with a starting price of $2,200. A Dell spokesperson told Ars Technica that Dell will release additional configurations in February that are “well under $2,000.” Dell hasn’t shared final specs, pricing, or a r...