Buh-bye XPS and Inspiron—Dell has completely reset its computer branding
Here’s what you need to know
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Dell is trading in its much-loved and highly-respected XPS and Inspiron brand names in favor of a slightly different approach. In what could be the most confusing rebrand ever, Dell announced during CES 2025 that it’s ditching those famous lines for all-new ones, called Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. That's right, Dell is taking a page out of Apple's playbook with the Pro and Pro Max branding—all in the name of a more streamlined lineup that, unfortunately for Dell, is actually a whole lot more perplexing.
Why, you ask? Well, within those lines, there are tiers of models—including a base tier, a “Plus” tier, and a “Premium” tier. The end result: Later this year, Dell will have a computer called the “Dell Pro Max Plus.”
Struggling to wrap your head around the rebrand and what the different models are within those new lines of computers? We spent the hours pouring over Dell’s announcement to figure it all out so that you don’t have to. Spoiler alert…we’re still scratching our heads as to why Dell chose this route, but here’s a rundown of the new lineup and a look at the models on offer now, and set to launch in the future.
Dell
The base tier of Dell's new computing lineup is simply called Dell, but it will eventually include a number of different models, including both laptops and desktops. Dell says that models in the “Dell” lineup are built for “play, school, and work.” Indeed, eventually, it seems as though models in the “Dell” line will replace lower-end Inspiron machines all the way up to XPS laptops.
At launch, however, the selection is a little limited, only including the “Dell 14 Plus,” “Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1,” Dell 16 Plus,” and “Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1.” In other words, you can choose between 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, and from basic laptop or 2-in-1 form-factors—but you’ll get similar specs no matter what. These are kind of mid-tier devices that should perform well enough for most use-cases.
Under the hood, the laptops in the Dell Plus line are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, but Dell says that AMD and Snapdragon X models will be launched later this year. Customers will get the option between an Intel Core Ultra 5, Ultra 7, or Ultra 9 processor, coupled with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM and between 512GB and 2TB of storage. Ports on the Dell Plus models include an HDMI 2.1 port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB-C 3.2 port, and one USB-A 3.2 port, along with an audio jack.
Eventually, Dell will launch base laptop and desktop models simply called “Dell,” a Dell Plus desktop, and a Dell Premium laptop. We don’t yet know exactly when that will happen though.
All four of the announced laptops in the Dell line will be available starting on February 18. The Dell 14 Plus will start at $1,099, while the 14 Plus 2-in-1 will start at $999. The Dell 16 Plus will start at $1,149, while the Dell 16+ 2-in-1 will start at $999.
Here's a more simple breakdown of the announced models in the Dell line, but you can expect more over the next few months:
Dell 14 Plus: Starts at $1,099, available February 18 Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Starts at $999, available February 18 Dell 16 Plus: Starts at $1,149, available February 18 Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: Starts at $999, available February 18
Dell Pro
The Dell Pro line of machines is perhaps the most built-out in Dell’s new lineup so far. That's because Dell is announcing base Dell Pro laptops and desktops, Dell Pro Plus laptops, and Dell Pro Premium laptops. In other words, all three of the laptop tiers in the Dell Pro line are being announced, along with the base desktops.
There are multiple size options for each of those laptop tiers, too. Customers will be able to choose from 14- or 16-inch Dell Pro laptops, 13-, 14-, or 16-inch Dell Pro Plus laptops, or 13- or 14-inch Dell Pro Premium laptops. The machines in the Dell Pro line seem to largely replace the entire Latitude line of laptops, which range in price.
The specifications range dramatically depending on which model you go for, but in general, customers can expect to find options for Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen chips, but no Snapdragon X options just yet. Not only that, but Dell says that the Dell Pro 14 Premium is the first commercial laptop with a Tandem OLED screen, though it’s not exactly clear how it figures, given the fact that its own previous-generation XPS 13 Copilot+ laptop had an option for a Tandem OLED display. Regardless, tandem OLED tech means that the display will be brighter than traditional OLED screens while offering the same deep black levels.
The Dell Pro desktop has a range of options as well. It's available in micro, slim, and tower form factors and also comes with Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen processor options.
Not to make things too simple, Dell has announced different availability for different models in the Dell Pro line. The base Dell Pro laptops will be available in early April, while the Dell Pro Plus 14- and 16-inch laptops will be available starting on January 6, and the Dell Pro 13 Plus starting on February 25. The Dell Pro Premium laptops will also be available on January 6. Pricing has been announced for most of these models, and we don’t yet know pricing or availability for the Dell Pro desktop.
Here’s a list of the models announced in the Dell Pro lineup.
Dell Pro 14 and Dell Pro 16: $1,899 and $1,699 respectively, available by April with Intel, and within the first half of 2025 with AMD. Dell Pro 14 Plus and Dell Pro 16 Plus: both $1,649, available starting January 6 with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 V chips. Available by April with Core Ultra Series 2 U chips, and within the first half of the year with AMD Ryzen chips. Dell Pro 13 Plus: Pricing TBD, available February 25 with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 V chips. Available by April with Core Ultra Series 2 U chips, and within the first half of the year with AMD Ryzen chips. Dell Pro 13 Premium and Dell Pro 14 Premium: $1,829 and $1,899 respectively, available January 6.
Dell Pro Max
Dell Pro Max is the name given to Dell's top-tier lineup of computers, but the company is only announcing a few models right now. So far, all that it's announcing are the Dell Pro Max 14 and 16 laptops. They're both expected to be released by the end of April with Intel chips or by the end of the first half of the year with AMD chips.
The Dell Pro Max machines are built to replace Dell's Precision line, offering the best of the best in performance for professionals who need it. The laptops will come with Intel Core Ultra 9 processors, along with discrete NVIDIA graphics cards, ranging up to the NVIDIA RTX 2000 series for the Dell Pro Max 16. These machines won't necessarily be as lightweight as some of the others that Dell has announced, but again, they're built for professionals who need a true workhorse.
Again, we're expecting the Dell Pro Max line to expand in the future to eventually include Dell Pro Max Plus and Dell Pro Max Premium machines along with desktop computers.
Pricing has yet to be announced for the Dell Pro Max 14 and 16, but they’re expected to ship by the end of April. Here are the only models in the Dell Pro Max line right now.
Dell Pro Max 14: Pricing TBD, available by the end of April with Intel chips, available first half of 2025 with AMD chips. Dell Pro Max 16: Pricing TBD, available by the end of April with Intel chips, available first half of 2025 with AMD chips.
Confusion abounds
As you can tell, Dell's attempt at simplifying its lineup is anything but simple. This is largely due to a branding issue. Dell isn't going to be able to change the concept of a Pro and Pro Max device, given the fact that branding was set by Apple, and in that case, the difference between Pro and Pro Max is essentially just size. That's not to mention the fact that it may be a shame the company is willing to get rid of its recognizable Inspiron, XPS, Latitude, and Precision brands, brands that actually stood for something that wasn’t ultra-vague.
That's not to say that the machines won't be any good, of course. In fact, on the contrary—they almost certainly will be excellent options for those looking for a new laptop or desktop computer. Hopefully, that's something that won't change as we head into a new era of Dell computers.