Dell XPS 13 at $699: Who is the best budget laptop?

Dell announced the new XPS 13 around June 1st 2026. It starts at $699, and a student promotion drops it to $599 from July. Students were highlighted as the main target audience by Dell, according to ITPro.

However, Apple raised the price of the MacBook Neo from $599 to $699 on June 25th. Reuters, via Khaleej Times, noted that with the increase the Neo lost its $100 price advantage over Dell's $699 XPS 13. SlashGear confirms that both laptops now start at $699.99.

On paper the Dell offers more for the same money: a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen, a larger 2.5K display, 512GB of storage and a lighter body. The MacBook Neo counters with faster CPU results in several benchmarks. T3, which reviewed the XPS 13, calls it overpriced and underpowered but still recommendable.

Overall, the XPS 13 has a lighter design, longer battery life, and more features for the same price. However, the MacBook Neo will feel faster. Both are not high performing laptops and are designed for studying, browsing, writing and video calls.

This guide will look at both laptops, including price, specifications, battery life, performance, screen, ports and keyboard. There are some discrepancies in reviews and we have not tested either device.

The XPS 13 was announced around June 1st 2026. According to Expert Reviews it was unveiled at Computex in Taipei. The base model has a starting price of $699, with a student promotion of $599 due to it being a back to school offer. According to Expert Reviews, it is expected to be available before September.

Dell's CES 2026 pledge, quoted by ITPro, was to compete at every price point. On the Neo, Dell says it differs in what it thinks premium means at this price, and that a lower price should not mean a lesser build. It calls the XPS 13 its lightest and most accessible XPS to date.

T3's review, published on August 24, 2026, lists regional prices: $699.99 in the US, 899 pounds in the UK, 1,049 euros in the EU and $1,399 in Australia. Student pricing is 699 pounds in the UK and $599 in the US. T3 notes that Dell's frequent discounts could bring the price down quickly.

Some headlines in the search results show the price as $599, such as a Boing Boing headline about a $599, however this is due to the student promotion. Be sure to read the fine print.

The XPS 13 has a 13.4 inch IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, refresh rate of 30-120Hz, 500 nits and 100% DCI-P3. The MacBook Neo has a 13 inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2,408 x 1,506, refresh rate of 60Hz and 500 nits.

The XPS 13 has an Intel Core 5 320 CPU. This is a lightweight CPU from the Core Series 3 range called Wildcat Lake, according to Expert Reviews. The Neo has Apple's A18 Pro chip, which is the same as the 2024 iPhone 16 Pro, according to SlashGear.

The XPS 13 has 8GB or 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, with up to 1TB planned. The Neo has 8GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage. The Dell has 8GB RAM as standard and can be upgraded to 32GB, according to ITPro. The XPS 13 can be upgraded to 16GB RAM for 200 pounds in the UK, according to T3. It cannot be upgraded from 512GB to 1TB. These details conflict on how far memory can go, so check what Dell sells in your region.

The XPS 13 has a 52Wh battery, with up to 17 hours of battery life. The MacBook Neo has a 36.5Wh battery, with up to 16 hours of battery life. The lightest XPS 13 weighs 2.2lbs, whereas the Neo weighs 2.7lbs. Both are approximately half an inch thick.

Both have 2 USB-C ports, however the Neo has a 3.5mm headphone jack. The XPS 13 does not have a headphone jack according to ITPro. Both have a 1080p camera, however the Dell has Wi-Fi 7 and the Neo has Wi-Fi 6E, according to Expert Reviews.

SlashGear collects two sets of independent tests. Tom's Guide measured 14 hours 26 minutes for the XPS 13 and 13 hours 26 minutes for the Neo in a Wi-Fi web surfing test. PCMag measured 21 hours 51 minutes for the XPS 13 and 15 hours 35 minutes for the Neo in a battery rundown.

The Neo had just under 12 hours of battery life in a local video playback test according to Expert Reviews, therefore the XPS 13 would outperform the Neo with its 17 hours of battery life. However the tests were performed using different methods.

Overall, the XPS 13 outperforms the Neo on all tests, with one test showing it lasted an hour longer, and one showing it lasted over 6 hours longer. This is largely due to the larger battery with 52Wh verses 36.5Wh.

Keep in mind these are lab tests, and depending on how bright you have the screen, what apps you are running and how many times the screen is on 120Hz, your battery life will vary. The Dell has variable refresh rates between 30-120Hz to help reduce power consumption.

SlashGear reports that the Neo wins most CPU tests. Tom's Guide found that the Neo had an overall better CPU performance in HandBrake and Geekbench 6. It had better performance in gaming, although the XPS 13 outperformed the Neo in Blackmagic SSD. PCMag found the Neo ran faster on Geekbench and 3DMark, but slower in HandBrake. The Neo was slower than both XPS 13 variants in HandBrake and behind the 16GB XPS 13 in Cinebench.

T3 is blunter on the Dell. It says the Core 5 320 is fine for browsing and word processing but multitasking with heavy workloads feels sluggish, and it lists the absence of Intel's Panther Lake chip as a con. It expects a Panther Lake version with the Core Ultra 7 355 to be stronger, though its price is unknown.

ITPro adds a useful caution. Apple's in-house chips, operating system and storage may let the Neo get more performance from 8GB than comparable Windows machines can. That is the author's view, not a test result.

Neither laptop are designed for intensive tasks such as gaming.

The XPS 13 will have up to 32GB of RAM with the Core Ultra Series 3, according to SlashGear. At the moment it only has one option of the Core 5 320. The Panther Lake variants will be available later this year, according to Expert Reviews and ITPro.

The XPS 13 has an excellent design. It has an all metal build, it is very slim and compact and does not taper. It weighs almost exactly 1kg. T3's reviewer calls it the best design of any Windows laptop tested in years. The screen is lovely with very thin bezels and a strong anti-reflective coating.

The XPS 13 is 12.7mm thick, weighs less than 1kg, has an aluminium CNC chassis and comes in Sky and Storm colours. It has a backlit keyboard, according to Expert Reviews. The Neo does not have a backlit keyboard.

The XPS 13 has a tenkeyless keyboard with traditional, spaced out keys. It has a great typing experience. The trackpad is nothing special but performs well.

The XPS 13 is smaller and weighs half a pound less than the Neo, according to Dell. It has a larger screen. According to SlashGear's table, it weighs 2.2lbs.

Both have a screen brightness of 500 nits. The XPS 13 has a touchscreen and wider colour support. The Neo has a 60Hz screen and does not support True Tone or wider colour support like the XPS 13, according to Macworld's previous comparison.

Both lack good ports. The XPS 13 has very few ports, according to T3. It does not have a headphone jack, according to ITPro. The Neo has 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB 3 and 1 USB 2 port. It can only support one external display, according to Macworld.

The Neo has 8GB of RAM, which cannot be upgraded, according to Macworld. The XPS 13 has configurable RAM, according to ITPro and SlashGear. T3 says upgrading to 16GB cost 200 pounds in the UK at purchase and lists no upgrade path from 512GB storage to 1TB.

If you are keeping your laptop for 5 years then the amount of RAM and storage you have will be a bigger concern. The 16GB XPS 13 and 512GB Neo will be a better investment in the long run. Although the difference in price may be minimal.

The same goes for storage. The 512GB storage will fill up quicker than you think. The XPS 13 starts with 512GB storage, according to ITPro and Expert Reviews. The Neo starts with 256GB, according to Macworld. However the 512GB Neo is now $799 due to the increase in price.

This means if you wanted 512GB storage on the Neo it will cost you an extra $100. Whereas the XPS 13 has it as standard. Dell makes the same argument in its own marketing, according to ITPro, which quotes it on offering 512GB against the Neo's 256GB at the same 8GB memory base.

We were unable to find any sources that tested how the laptops performed with lots of tabs and apps open.

The XPS 13 launched into an unusual market. Reuters, in the Khaleej Times report, says Apple raised prices on June 25th because of a memory chip shortage, with AI data centre demand pulling supply away from consumer electronics. DRAM prices increased by up to 98% in the first quarter of 2026, according to TrendForce. They will increase by an additional 58-63% in the following quarter.

IDC expects PC sales to drop by 11.3% this year and smartphone sales to drop by almost 14%. The XPS 13 range may appeal to small businesses looking for affordable hardware due to increased RAM prices, according to ITPro.

This means the price of $699 with 8GB of RAM is a safe middle ground. Neither company have gone above 8GB of RAM at this price. Analysts claim RAM prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon, according to Reuters. If you are keeping your laptop for a long time then paying a bit more for 16GB would be a good idea.

The XPS 13 often goes on sale, according to T3. This could make it cheaper than the MacBook Neo. We did not look into any deals.

The battery life results varied slightly. Tom's Guide ran a web browsing script over Wi-Fi and found the XPS 13 had an hour longer battery life. PCMag ran a battery rundown test and found the XPS 13 had over 6 hours longer battery life. Battery rundown tests involve playing videos or running a light script until it runs out of battery. This favours laptops with energy saving features when idle. The XPS 13 has variable refresh rates.

The performance results look like they would be a big difference, however both laptops are great for web browsing, emailing and documents. The XPS 13 is "a great laptop for web browsing, emailing and documents", according to T3. The difference is seen in exporting videos, large spreadsheets and gaming. The Neo outperformed the XPS 13 on most tests, according to SlashGear.

The XPS 13 had a better SSD score. It outperformed the Neo in Blackmagic SSD, according to Tom's Guide.

To be sure, run your own routine. Most retailers will have a return period so you can run your usual apps for a week.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the operating system. Whilst this is a very broad statement, your apps, files, phone and habits will play a bigger role.

If you use an iPhone and Apple services then the Neo will fit in well. If you require Windows apps, touchscreen or pen then the XPS 13 is the way to go.

Both will work with the latest software from their manufacturers. The Neo is on the macOS 27 list, which we have covered in our companion article.

Students should check what software they require from their school. Some courses require Windows only apps.

T3 gives its verdict without a numeric score. It calls the XPS 13 overpriced and underpowered but still recommendable, possibly with a cult following for its design. Its pros are an impressive design, extremely light weight and a lovely display. Its cons are the missing Panther Lake chip, a price that does not add up and almost no ports.

T3 lists alternatives: the MacBook Neo, which it calls cheaper though heavier and less premium, and the Dell XPS 14, listed at $1,999. The Neo's price at the time of that review was affected by Apple's June increase, so T3's cheaper description may not hold in the US.

No battery life was covered in the review so we used the summary from SlashGear, using Tom's Guide and PCMag.

Buy the XPS 13 if you want a lighter laptop, backlit keyboard, touchscreen, prefer Windows and want a laptop with good battery life. If you qualify for the student price then it will be $599.

Buy the MacBook Neo if you want a faster CPU for the price, are in the Apple ecosystem or want a headphone jack. It does suffer from limited RAM (8GB and cannot be upgraded) and no backlit keyboard.

If you can, wait. Dell mentions Panther Lake versions will be coming and they will likely perform better. Both may change in price. Apple mentioned more products will increase in price and Dell are known for frequent sales.

Students should take extra care. The Dell's $599 offer starts in July, according to ITPro, and Macworld lists education pricing of $599 for the Neo after Apple's increase. At that level the two cost exactly the same for eligible buyers, so the decision comes down to the operating system and the features above.

If you are buying for a younger student then you should consider how easy it is to repair. A slim metal laptop can be difficult to repair. Neither company mention anything about the repairability of these models in the sources we looked at. Be sure to check the warranty.

Whichever you choose, consider the 16GB/512GB models.

Memory limits: ITPro says up to 32GB, SlashGear says 8GB or 16GB. We could not reconcile them.

Headphone jack: ITPro says none on the XPS 13, SlashGear says the Neo has one and lists only two USB-C on the Dell, which agrees.

Multitasking: No sources tested both laptops.

Future Panther Lake XPS 13 price: Not announced.

No testing was done.

T3, Dell XPS 13 (2026) review, August 24, 2026: https://www.t3.com/tech/laptops/dell-xps-13-review-2026

SlashGear, Dell XPS 13 vs MacBook Neo: How do the laptops compare?, August 20, 2026: https://www.slashgear.com/2236939/dell-xps-13-vs-macbook-neo-laptop-specs-features-comparison/

ITPro, Dell sets the stage for a MacBook Neo showdown with budget XPS 13 laptop range: https://www.itpro.com/hardware/laptops/dell-sets-the-stage-for-a-macbook-neo-showdown-with-budget-xps-13-laptop-range

Expert Reviews, Dell's new XPS 13 is a $699 rival to the MacBook Neo: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/technology/laptops/dell-xps-13-699-unveiled

Khaleej Times (Reuters), Apple raises prices of MacBooks, iPads as memory costs skyrocket: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/tech/apple-raises-prices-of-macbooks-ipads-as-memory-costs-skyrocket-2

Macworld, MacBook Air vs MacBook Neo compared: https://www.macworld.com/article/667144/macbook-air-vs-macbook-pro-neo-compared.html