Dell's new 14-inch laptops take on the MacBook Neo in a new way — ports and colors

(Image credit: Dell) Dell has been spending its year taking on the MacBook Neo and settling in as a staunch advocate of the mid-range laptop. The Dell XPS 13 debuted at $699 to take on Apple's budget device with a higher end screen and lighter chassis, but ahead of IFA, Dell has a new strategy: colors.The company announced the new Dell 14S (model DS14270), which, like the XPS 13, it's aiming at students and young adults and professionals looking for an "accessible" price tag. The system comes in four color options: linen (a light gold), dusty rose (a subtle pink), washed denim (a light sky blue), and velvet green (a barely teal shade)."Color is not simply a finishing touch on the Dell 14S," Dell head of product Matt McGowan said in a press briefing ahead of the announcement. "It is the design story." The system is made of aluminum and starts at 2.65 pounds (1.15 kg). It measures 0.48 inches (12.21) mm at the thinnest point and 0.58 inches (13.5 mm) at the thickest. Swipe to scroll horizontally CPU Intel Core 5 350 or Core 7 350 Graphics Intel Graphics (integrated) Memory 8GB or 16GB LPDDR5x-7647, single-channel, soldered Storage Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD Display 14-inch, non-touch, 1920 x 1200, 60 Hz, 300 nits or 2880 x 1800, 120 Hz, 450 nits Ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 GBps), HDMI 1.4, 3.5 mm headphone jack Battery 61.2 WHr Networking Realtek Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.3 or MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.4 Webcam 2MP, (IR for Windows Hello optional) Release Date Fall 2026 Dell claims the 14S is the first laptop with a 750 ED PNCM battery (an optional upgrade), with a cell that stays cool and discharges more slowly. McGowan promised 21 hours of Netflix streaming. (Image credit: Dell)The 14S has more ports than the XPS 13, including two 10Gbps USB-C ports, an HDMI output, and a headphone jack. The XPS 13 only features a pair of USB-C ports. But where the XPS 13 has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for wireless connectivity, the 14S relies on older Wi-Fi 6 and 6E standards, as well as older variants of Bluetooth 5.The base 1920 x 1200 display is lower-resolution than the Dell XPS 13 (and lacks touch), but the high-end 2880 x 1800 version surpasses the XPS, further entangling the commonalities between the budget systems.The Dell 14S will launch later this fall, with Dell promising pricing will be announced closer to availability. McGowan said to expect the 14S to be "priced complimentary to the XPS 13." Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds. Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and BlueSky @andrewfreedman.net. You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01