Dell's new 14-inch laptop clearly takes aim at the MacBook Neo but I'm worried about the price

Date:
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:50:40 +0000

Description:
This Dell laptop looks to be a smart rival for Apple's MacBook Neo, but some question marks remain over pricing.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Dell has unveiled a new 14-inch laptop at IFA 2026 The Dell 14S is aimed at students and comes in vibrant colors like the MacBook Neo Dell has yet to reveal the price tag, which is a crucial missing piece of info with a wallet-friendly laptop like this Dell
has revealed a new 14-inch laptop over at IFA 2026 and it's clear that this is a Windows 11 take on Apple's MacBook Neo formula.

The Dell 14S is a smart-looking, compact laptop which is aimed at students, and it comes in a selection of vibrant colors. That includes a rather
striking green (velvet green as it's dubbed), as well as a light pink (dusty rose), beige (linen) and light blue (washed denim). It'll be no great
surprise to learn that the 14S is powered by Intel 's Core Series 3 (Wildcat Lake) CPUs, which are performant but affordable chips that do a good job on the power-efficiency front. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

RAM and storage start at 8GB and 256GB, but a higher-tier model offers 16GB and a 512GB or 1TB SSD.

The pitch is essentially a lesser version of Dell's XPS 13 for 2026 , so you don't get quite the same thinness or lightweight nature (though the 14S is still 13.5mm thin and 1.15kg, so pretty trim). You may like Lenovo IdeaPad leak shows a new laptop with strong MacBook Neo vibes The best Dell laptop 2026 I cant believe Im saying this, but the MacBook Neos $100 price bump
means budget Windows 11 laptops are now the better buy

The screen on the Dell 14S isn't touch-enabled either it's a more basic 1920 x 1200 resolution display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 300 nits of brightness (with the XPS 13 you get 120Hz VRR and 500 nits). There is a fancier screen, mind, on the upper-tier model of the Dell 14S, which sharpens the resolution to 2880 x 1800 and gives you 120Hz.

How much is the Dell 14S? Well, that's really the crucial question when it comes to a MacBook Neo rival like this, and the answer is: we don't know because Dell isn't saying yet. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Dell 14S: The Laptop That Matches Your Vibe - YouTube Watch On Analysis: a growing no-price-at-launch trend It makes me a bit nervous
that no official price is forthcoming with this IFA unveiling, but we have
got a hint behind the scenes of how much the Dell 14S might cost. According
to The Verge , Dell reps are saying that this laptop will be "close" to the starting price of the XPS 13 which is $700 in the US but "slightly more accessible", which makes sense given the student target market, of course.

Indeed, based on the spec downgrades, I would hope it's cheaper, but the use of the word 'slightly' suggests that there's not going to be much difference. Although to be fair to Dell, the XPS 13 is level with the MacBook Neo's price tag (since Apple hiked the price from the launch MSRP) over in the US. That said, in other regions, the XPS 13 can be a good bit pricier than the Neo in the UK currently it's 10% more, and it has been a heftier premium than that
in the past. We'll likely see a similar scenario with the Dell 14S.

What compounds this concern is the RAM crisis, which is really kicking up a gear, and is expected to make hardware more expensive as 2026 continues (and matters are likely to worsen in 2027). Is Dell keeping quiet on the MSRP of the 14S right now because it's expecting further price pressures to exert themselves by the time it comes to this laptop's launch? I don't think we can rule that out.

Maybe I'm overthinking this, granted, and I like the look of the Dell 14S and the general pitch of this notebook. It just makes me a touch suspicious when we have a product that's built around being wallet-friendly, yet we don't get an MSRP, which, for this category of laptop, is an absolutely key consideration.

Hopefully my fears will prove unfounded, and it's worth noting that Dell
isn't alone at being shy about revealing prices, with manufacturers avoiding pinning a recommended price on their offerings at launch being something of a trend of late (one that was noticeable at Computex). This is a symptom of the RAM crisis, of course, and component inflation on various fronts, all of
which is predicted to get more severe as this year rolls into next . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets
Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows-laptops/dells-new-14-inch-laptop-c learly-takes-aim-at-the-macbook-neo-but-im-worried-about-the-price


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)