Dell XPS Brand Revival: Inside the Comeback Plan to Reignite PC Sales
Dell admits it ‘got off course’ and is reviving the iconic XPS brand with new aluminum-clad laptops and a $100 million campaign to win back premium buyers.
The Prodigal Brand Returns
LAS VEGAS—Jeff Clarke didn’t mince words on stage. “We got off course,” Dell’s vice-chairman told a hushed ballroom at CES, moments before pulling the veil off a silver-and-black laptop that looked familiar yet somehow new. The logo on the lid read simply: XPS.
For the first time in five years, Dell is resurrecting the XPS brand as a standalone marquee, betting that nostalgia, premium design and raw performance can resuscitate a PC division that has hemorrhaged market share to Lenovo, HP and Apple.
How XPS Lost the Plot
Insiders trace the drift to 2019, when Dell began folding XPS into a broader “premium” portfolio. Without its own P&L, the line lost focus—thicker chassis, slower refresh cycles, and confusing overlaps with Alienware and Inspiron. Global shipments of Dell consumer PCs fell 17 % last year, according to IDC, the steepest slide among the top-five vendors.
"We chased volume and forgot why XPS mattered," one senior engineer conceded over coffee. "It was the anti-MacBook, the power user’s dream. Then it became just another SKU."
The Revival Playbook
Clarke outlined a three-act comeback:
- Act I: Reclaim flagship status—new 14- and 16-inch XPS laptops built from CNC-milled aluminum and Gorilla Glass, starting at $1,299.
- Act II: First-mover advantage on Intel Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” chips, promising 25 % longer battery life and on-chip AI acceleration.
- Act III: A $100 million marketing blitz—Dell’s largest since 2013—anchored by YouTube tech creators and March-Madness ads.
Can It Sell in 2024?
Analysts are cautiously optimistic. "Dell still has supply-chain muscle and corporate relationships most rivals would kill for," said Mikako Kitagawa of Gartner. "But premium Windows buyers now eye Snapdragon and Apple Silicon. Execution has to be flawless."
Pre-orders open Friday. Shipments begin February 6. If the gamble works, Clarke told reporters, "XPS won’t just be back—it will define what ‘premium PC’ means again."