Dell unveiled its latest XPS 13 laptop this week, directly positioning it against Apple's MacBook Neo with aggressive pricing and feature comparisons. The Windows machine starts at $699 for consumers and $599 for students, undercutting Apple's entry-level offering by $100 while claiming superior hardware across multiple categories.

Dell highlights six specific advantages its laptop holds over the MacBook Neo: a touch screen, backlit keyboard, faster USB-C port at 10 GB/s versus 480 MB/s, Wi-Fi 7 support compared to Wi-Fi 6E, Windows Hello facial recognition, and four speakers instead of two. The display also delivers up to 120Hz refresh rate with full DCI-P3 color coverage, surpassing the MacBook Neo's 60Hz panel and sRGB limitations.

Both machines pack similar base specifications with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, but differ significantly in thermal design. The XPS 13 uses Intel Core Series 3 processors and requires dual fans, while Apple's A18 Pro chip enables a fanless MacBook Neo design. Dell's machine matches the thickness at 12.7mm but weighs 2.2 pounds, making it notably lighter.

This competition stems from Apple's rumored June 2025 MacBook Neo launch, which Dell acknowledges pushed the entire Windows PC industry to respond. The company's CES commitment to compete across all price points appears to be driving real product differentiation in the premium budget segment.