Dell XPS 14 (2026) Review: A Worthy Windows Counterpart to the MacBook Pro

The XPS line has had a rocky few years, but the 2026 XPS 14 feels like Dell found its footing again. The new Core Ultra 9 (Series 3) chip delivers a meaningful jump in both CPU and NPU performance, and Copilot+ features like Live Captions with real-time translation and Windows Recall (with its improved privacy controls) actually feel useful day to day rather than gimmicky. The 3.2K OLED display option we tested was vibrant and color-accurate enough for casual photo editing.

Battery life is solid for a Windows laptop, though it doesn't quite catch the MacBook Pro — expect a comfortable workday rather than two. Build quality is excellent, with a rigid CNC-machined aluminum unibody that feels every bit as premium as the price suggests. Our biggest gripes are the limited native port selection (you'll want the included Thunderbolt dongle for anything beyond USB-C) and fan noise that becomes noticeable under sustained compile jobs or video exports.