Dell’s 2026 XPS 14 marks a strong comeback for the brand’s premium laptop range, delivering outstanding construction within a slim frame and capable performance driven by Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake processors. One welcome change is the removal of the prior Premium Plus label. The XPS lineup feels revitalized once more.

This model shows a notable shift from the XPS 13 examined last year, which appeared destined to close out the series on a low note. The updated XPS advances in almost all respects, including a dedicated physical function row, upgraded audio output, and impressive endurance on a charge. The downside remains its high cost.

Verge Score

$2000

The Good

Outstanding battery performance aided by variable refresh rate displays
Superior build quality
Welcome addition of a physical function row

The Bad

High cost, particularly after recent adjustments
Keyboard offers good feedback yet its gapless layout may not suit all users
Trackpad haptics and palm rejection perform adequately at best

Two XPS 14 units arrived for evaluation: the base $1,999.99 configuration equipped with an 8-core Intel Core Ultra 5 325 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and a 1920 x 1200 IPS panel, plus a $2,899.99 OLED touchscreen variant featuring a 16-core Core Ultra X7 358H chip, stronger graphics capability, and twice the memory and storage. Both include three Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Component report card

Screen (OLED): A
Screen (IPS): B
Webcam: B
Keyboard: C
Trackpad: C
Port selection: C
Speakers: B
Number of ugly stickers to remove: 1

Construction quality stands out. The laptops measure only slightly thicker than a MacBook Air yet weigh about a third of a pound more, giving a sturdy, solid impression. A key difference from earlier XPS models is the presence of subtle textured edges on the haptic trackpad and a full physical function row on the keyboard. The days of an invisible trackpad and touch-only Escape and F-keys are over.

These updates bring relief, though minor issues persist. Even with boundary indicators, the haptic trackpad registers clicks inconsistently at times, sometimes requiring firmer pressure or producing unintended double inputs during light taps. Palm contact during typing can also trigger stray clicks.

The gapless keyboard delivers only 0.8mm travel but feels somewhat deeper due to its distinct tactile response near the top of each keystroke. Despite this feedback, typing speed suffers and error rates rise. The physical function row helps, yet the overall layout remains less than ideal for some users.

The 8-megapixel 4K webcam performs well under strong lighting but softens in lower light or backlit conditions. Audio quality exceeds expectations for the chassis size, offering balanced output that scales cleanly, though bass remains limited.

The OLED version’s display commands attention with its 2880 x 1800 tandem OLED touchscreen, which achieves high brightness alongside rich contrast and vibrant hues. The 1920 x 1200 IPS panel on the base model appears more ordinary, reaching 500 nits with solid glare control yet lacking the OLED’s depth. The IPS screen stands out for its variable refresh rate spanning 120Hz down to 1Hz during static viewing, while the OLED reaches 120Hz but bottoms out at 20Hz.

1/5

The keyboard remains unappealing overall, though the added function row improves usability.

These low refresh rates contribute to strong battery results on both models. The OLED unit sustained over 10 hours during mixed workloads involving numerous browser tabs, media streaming, and video calls. The IPS configuration exceeded 14 hours under similar conditions thanks to its lower resolution and 1Hz capability, with potential for further extension under lighter use. It also achieved 26 hours in a continuous rundown test, surpassing several Arm-based competitors. Such panels merit wider adoption as they conserve power during document viewing.

Intel’s Panther Lake processors enhance efficiency without sacrificing speed. Thermal management keeps fan noise low even during demanding tasks, and the chassis underside warms while the keyboard area stays mostly cool. The higher-end OLED model with its X7 chip and 12-core integrated GPU handles graphics workloads such as Blender rendering effectively and supports light AAA gaming, achieving around 50fps in Battlefield 6 at 1920 x 1200 on low settings with XeSS in Ultra Performance mode.

Dell XPS 14 (2026) / Intel Core Ultra X7 358H / 32GB / 1TB	Dell XPS 14 (2026) / Intel Core Ultra 5 325 / 16GB / 512GB	MacBook Pro 14 / Apple M5 / 16GB / 1TB	MacBook Air 15 / Apple M5 / 16GB / 1TB	Asus Zenbook A16 / Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme X2E94100 / 48GB / 1TB	Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) / Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (Panther Lake) / 32GB / 1TB
CPU cores	16	8	10	10	18	16
GPU	Intel Arc B390 (12 cores)	Intel Graphics (4 cores)	Apple M5 (10 cores)	M5 (10 cores)	Adreno X2-90	Arc B390 (12 cores)
Geekbench 6 CPU Single	2880	2612	4208	4175	3643	3009
Geekbench 6 CPU Multi	16728	11027	17948	16567	22044	17268
Geekbench 6 GPU (OpenCL)	54473	23129	49059	47661	41101	56839
Cinebench 2026 Single	505	463	736	727	628	528
Cinebench 2026 Multi	2973	2047	4486	3413	6327	3993
PugetBench for Photoshop	9976	6823	12354	11513	10931	8773
PugetBench for Premiere Pro (2.0.0+)	30517	Not tested	71122	61861	Not tested	54920
Blender classroom test (seconds, lower is better)	49	145	44	46	198	61
Blender cosmos test (seconds, lower is better)	165	Not tested	Not tested	Not tested	670	204
Premiere 4K Export (lower is better)	5 minutes, 40 seconds	6 minutes, 21 seconds	2 minutes, 47 seconds	2 minutes, 53 seconds	6 minutes, 38 seconds	3 minutes, 3 seconds
Sustained SSD reads (MB/s)	6540.39	6808.93	7049.45	7049.45	7092.91	6762.15
Sustained SSD writes (MB/s)	5707.5	5177.14	7317.6	7480.55	5694.94	5679.41
3DMark Time Spy graphics score	4902	2770	Not tested	Not tested	5289	6654
Price as tested	$2,899.99	$1,999.99	$1,949	$1,499	$1,699.99	$2,699.99

More affordable MacBooks surpass the XPS 14 in raw speed. A fanless 15-inch M5 MacBook Air outperforms the base XPS 14 and edges ahead of the OLED model in most non-graphics tests. The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro widens the gap further while adding HDMI and SD card ports.

Pricing presents the largest concern. The entry-level IPS model rose from $1,600 at launch to $2,000, while the OLED X7 version increased from $2,200 to $2,900 amid broader component cost pressures. These figures feel steep relative to delivered performance. Dell has introduced a more accessible XPS 13 at $700, yet the OLED XPS 14’s price hike matches the cost of that entire new model.

1/3

Comparing the panels shows the IPS display (right) offers greater brightness while the OLED (left) provides superior color and contrast.

Such pricing is disappointing. The OLED XPS 14 at $2,200 seemed reasonable given its premium build, but $2,900 changes the equation. An Asus Zenbook Duo with dual 14-inch OLED screens and a stronger Panther Lake chip costs $200 less. The Zenbook A16 undercuts even the base XPS 14 while delivering triple the RAM and a 16-inch OLED in a lighter body. Apple’s options further highlight the XPS 14’s weaker value proposition.

Dell deserves credit for correcting course and restoring the XPS series after earlier missteps. Even with these gains, the current pricing makes the laptops harder to recommend.

2026 Dell XPS 14 specs (as reviewed)

Display (OLED): 14-inch (2880 x 1800) 20-120Hz OLED touchscreen, 400 nits
Display (IPS): 14-inch (1920 x 1200) 1-120Hz IPS LCD, 500 nits
CPU (OLED): Intel Core Ultra X7 358H
CPU (IPS): Intel Core Ultra 5 325
GPU (OLED): Intel Arc B390 (12 cores)
GPU (IPS): Intel Graphics (4 cores)
RAM (OLED): 32GB LPDDR5X (soldered)
RAM (IPS): 16GB LPDDR5X (soldered)
Storage (OLED): 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Storage (IPS): 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
Webcam: 8-megapixel / 4K HDR
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0
Ports: 3x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery), 3.5mm combo audio jack
Biometrics: Windows Hello face unlock
Weight: 3.0 pounds / 1.36kg
Dimensions (OLED): 12.19 x 8.26 x 0.58 inches / 309.5 x 209.7 x 14.6mm
Dimensions (IPS): 12.19 x 8.26 x 0.60 inches / 309.5 x 209.7 x 15.2mm
Battery: 70Wh
Price (OLED): $2,899.99
Price (IPS): $1,999.99

Photography / The Verge

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Antonio G. Di Benedetto

The Good

The Bad

Component report card

Dell XPS 14 (2026) / Intel Core Ultra X7 358H / 32GB / 1TB

Dell XPS 14 (2026) / Intel Core Ultra 5 325 / 16GB / 512GB

MacBook Pro 14 / Apple M5 / 16GB / 1TB

MacBook Air 15 / Apple M5 / 16GB / 1TB

Asus Zenbook A16 / Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme X2E94100 / 48GB / 1TB

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) / Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (Panther Lake) / 32GB / 1TB

2026 Dell XPS 14 specs (as reviewed)