XDA Developers85
Calls it a superb laptop at any tier, with a strong redesign, good battery life and good screens.
Dell XPS 14 (2026)
7 expert reviews#5 of 6 laptopsChecked 1 Nov 2026
Quick answer
The Dell XPS 14 (2026) has a critic score of 82 out of 100 from 7 professional reviews, including XDA Developers, Engadget and TechRadar. 4 of 7 recommend it, and scores range from 71 (PCWorld) to 89 (TechRadar). 2 of the scores are printed by the outlets and 5 are our estimates from the review text. Most praised: design (6 of 7); battery life (5 of 7). Most common complaints: price (4 of 7); battery life (2 of 7). It ranks #5 of the 6 laptops we score.
Reviews checked 1 Nov 2026
Photo coming
Best for: Best Intel Windows pick
Our verdict
7 professional reviewers tested the Dell XPS 14 (2026), and 4 recommend it. Most praised: design and battery life. Most common complaint: price.
The catch: The keyboard feels shallow, and the price is high.
Critic agreement: High
Scores run from 71 to 892 printed scores, 5 estimated · printed scores only: 82
5 of these 7 outlets print no score. We estimated theirs from the review text and corrected for the known tendency of estimates to run high.
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What do critics say about the Dell XPS 14 (2026)?
Engadget78
A gorgeous, light and powerful laptop, but the reviewer found the keyboard drops quickly typed keys so often that it keeps the machine from greatness.
TechRadar89est.
One of the best Windows laptops available, with a handsome redesign, strong performance and a fine OLED option.
Techaeris89est.
The reviewer calls the revived XPS 14 a triumphant return and an early laptop-of-the-year candidate, praising its screen, build and efficiency.
Tom's Hardware83est.
Dell is on the right track and the reviewer can recommend it again, thanks to a light design, good speakers, webcam and standout battery life on the LCD model.
IT Pro77est.
Love for the design, keyboard and exceptional battery life, but the tested entry config has a poor IPS screen and slow SSD writes, and the reviewer struggles to recommend it at this price.
PCWorld71est.
The entry-level XPS 14 looks great and has excellent battery life, but its modest Core Ultra 5 CPU and graphics are poor value against cheaper rivals.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict. How we score
What critics praise most
Design6 of 7
Battery life5 of 7
Picture quality2 of 7
What critics dislike most
Price4 of 7
Battery life2 of 7
Alternatives
Not sure about the Dell XPS 14 (2026)?
Photo coming
Best for creative work
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)88
7 reviews · agreement highPhoto coming
Best overall
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)87
6 reviews · agreement highPhoto coming
Best budget pick
Apple MacBook Neo86
20 reviews · agreement highPhoto coming
Best for Windows on Arm
Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition)85
5 reviews · agreement lowCommon questions
Is the Dell XPS 14 (2026) worth it?
Critics are divided: 4 of 7 recommend it. The keyboard feels shallow, and the price is high.
Do critics agree about the Dell XPS 14 (2026)?
Agreement is high: scores range from 71 (PCWorld) to 89 (TechRadar), a spread of 18 points across 7 reviews. Reviewers broadly agree.
What do critics dislike about the Dell XPS 14 (2026)?
Price (4 of 7 reviews), Battery life (2 of 7 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Dell XPS 14 (2026)?
The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) (critic score 88), best for creative work.