Dell (DELL) Stock; Dips 3% Following CES Reveal of New XPS Laptops

TLDRs;

• Dell stock drops nearly 3% after unveiling new XPS 14 and 16 laptops at CES 2026.
• XPS 14 and 16 feature Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with Copilot+ branding.
• AI adoption slower than expected, with software gaps limiting demand for NPU apps.
• Dell plans a lighter XPS 13 later this year, targeting premium laptop buyers.

Dell has officially relaunched its XPS laptop series, presenting its thinnest models yet, the XPS 14 and XPS 16, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 5. The announcement marks a return to the XPS brand after the company had discontinued it last year in favor of other product lines.

Investors reacted cautiously, sending Dell stock down nearly 3% to close at $X.XX on the day, reflecting concern over the high starting prices of the new XPS laptops and uncertainty about AI-driven PC demand. Market analysts say the stock dip underscores investor wariness despite the brand’s revival.

The XPS 14 starts at $2,049.99, while the XPS 16 is priced from $2,199.99, with limited configurations initially available in the US and Canada starting January 6.

Premium Specs and Copilot+ Features

The new XPS laptops are powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, which Dell says enable Copilot+ PC experiences. These laptops include advanced features such as 8-megapixel 4K cameras designed for Windows Studio Effects.

Dell Technologies Inc., DELL

However, Dell has not provided details on the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance in Trillions of Operations Per Second (TOPS), an important metric for AI-intensive workloads. Experts suggest that PCs targeting advanced AI applications generally need 40+ TOPS to run efficiently.

While Copilot+ branding highlights AI capabilities, Dell acknowledged that AI adoption in the PC market has been slower than expected. “Demand for AI features did not meet our projections last year,” a company representative said, emphasizing the continued importance of software development in driving NPU usage.

Software Bottlenecks Limit AI Adoption

A key factor holding back AI-driven PC growth is the scarcity of NPU-accelerated software. Independent developers have started shipping apps that leverage NPUs, such as Luminar Neo for AI-powered photo editing and DaVinci Resolve for enhanced video editing performance.

Other tools include Generate by Iterate.ai for document generation and McAfee’s Deepfake Detector for security purposes.Despite these innovations, gaps remain in productivity-focused software, including spreadsheets, presentations, and coding environments.

Developers can deploy small language models using Microsoft Foundry Local and the AI Toolkit for Visual Studio Code, allowing offline execution and reduced reliance on cloud APIs. Early collaborations with OEMs, like McAfee on Lenovo AI PCs, demonstrate the potential for bundled solutions to boost AI PC adoption.

Looking Ahead: Lighter XPS Models

Dell also announced plans to introduce a lighter XPS 13 later in 2026, signaling a continued focus on premium laptops that blend performance with portability.

The company is moving away from tiered naming conventions, positioning mainstream and entry-level devices under the Dell brand, premium laptops under XPS, and gaming machines under Alienware.

Analysts note that while Dell is doubling down on premium hardware, investor sentiment remains cautious. Rising memory costs, combined with the slower-than-expected AI adoption, may continue to weigh on short-term stock performance. Still, the XPS relaunch positions Dell to compete strongly in the high-end laptop market if software and AI ecosystems catch up with hardware innovations.

Conclusion

Dell’s CES debut of the XPS 14 and 16 underscores the company’s commitment to the premium laptop segment, even amid headwinds in AI adoption and memory pricing.

While the stock’s near-3% dip reflects investor caution, the return of XPS and upcoming lighter models signal a long-term strategy focused on performance, design, and emerging AI experiences.

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