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.

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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If you look back at an archived version of Dell's website, you'll see a toggle to view XPS & Dell Premium laptops.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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Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.