Manufacturer or Full Name/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
The MacBook Neo was a total disruption to the consumer PC landscape, bringing premium-tier features to a competitive $599 price point. But its reign as king of the hill is being challenged. PC makers are responding with laptops that overtly compete with the Neo by one-upping its weak points.
Case in point: the new Dell XPS 13 — starting at $599 for students and $699 for general consumers — is the thinnest and lightest XPS yet, lighter than the Neo, with a bigger display, and better connectivity (and a backlit keyboard, to boot).
Also: Watch out, Neo: Dell’s new XPS 13 costs $599 and retains premium features
How does it achieve this? A combination of lightweight hardware (8GB up to 32GB of RAM) and Intel’s new “Wildcat Lake” Core Series 3 chips, battery-efficient processors designed for budget PCs that trade in raw power for a more accessible price point.
Let’s break down the differences between the MacBook Neo and Dell’s new XPS 13, keeping in mind that I have not yet gone hands-on with the XPS 13 and these points are based on specs only — not general use over an extended period.
Specifications
Apple MacBook Neo
Dell XPS 13 (2026)
Display
13-inch non-touch, 60Hz refresh, 2408 x 1506 resolution, 500 nits
13.4-inch touch, 30-120Hz variable refresh, 2560 x 1600 (2.5K) resolution, 500 nits
Weight
2.2 pounds
2.7 pounds
Processor
Apple A18 Pro
Intel Core 5 or 7
RAM/Storage8GB / 256GB-512GB8GB-32GB / 256GB-1TBBattery52Whr36.5Whr Camera2MP/1080p HD +IR webcam
1080p FaceTime HD camera
ConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6Price Starting at $599 for students, $699 general
Starting at $599 for students, $699 general
Ports and I/O
Winner: XPS 13
The MacBook Neo has two USB-C ports, and they both support charging, but they’re both on the same side, and they’re a USB 3 and USB 2. This means they’re capped out at 10Gb/s and 480Mb/s respectively. That’s typically enough for the everyday user, but anything beyond that is going to feel slow.
Also: Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo hands-on: This budget laptop makes me worried for Windows
The XPS 13 has two USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) ports as well, but it one-ups the Neo by placing one on each side, and both are equally fast. Additionally, they both support charging and Display Port 2.1. Having that right-side charging port can be a huge quality of life improvement when you’re traveling — something both of these laptops will be doing.
Note, however, that the Neo has a 3.5mm headphone jack and the XPS does not. But forthcoming configurations of the XPS 13 will also support Kensington lock slots, which personally, I’d rather take over the audio jack.
Integrations
Winner: MacBook Neo
MacBooks have a leg up on Windows laptops when it comes to pairing with your iPhone, and the Neo doesn’t sacrifice any of those features. It runs the same operating system as the newest, high-end MacBook Pro (MacOS 26 Tahoe) and offers users all the same capabilities: Phone Mirroring, FaceTime, Messaging, and seamless file transfers with AirDrop or iCloud. If you’re already part of Apple’s ecosystem, the Neo is a budget device with little trade-offs.
Cool factor
Winner: MacBook Neo
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Let’s face it, the Neo mogged the budget PC market so hard because it brought some color and personality to a space dominated by gray, uninspired design. The Neo comes in four colors (when was the last time you saw a yellow laptop?) where the XPS 13 comes in gray and… a darker gray. Seriously, both the “Sky” and “Storm” colorways are so similar it’s hard to tell them apart.
Customizability
Winner: XPS 13
The XPS lineup was already known for being highly customizable, and that’s still the case here. The XPS 13 comes 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM, and storage anywhere from 256GB up to 1TB. The Neo, on the other hand is much more locked down: 8GB of unified memory and either 25GB or 512GB storage. Note, however, that neither are upgradeable.
Dell
The XPS 13 is also not limited to the lower-end “Wildcat Lake” processors; additional configurations will launch later this year with the more powerful Intel Core Ultra “Panther Lake” chips, potentially bringing even more memory, storage, or other hardware (OLED display? Haptic touchpad?) options.
Portability
Winner: XPS 13
Dell must have seen the dimensions of the MacBook Neo as a personal challenge, because it one-upped each metric individually. The XPS 13 manages to be smaller in length and width yet still have a slightly larger display (13 inches vs. 13.4 inches). The XPS is also half a pound lighter, a testament to the XPS line’s fantastic build quality. Note, however, that both are the exact same thickness, at 0.50 inches.
Also: Dell XPS 14 (2026) review: A Windows laptop I wouldn’t mind returning to from Mac
All of these metrics ultimately come down to millimeters. In practice, both of these laptops are exceptionally portable and lightweight, and will feel very similar in everyday use.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The 2026 Dell XPS 13 was only just announced, so I have not yet gone hands-on with it. However, based on the released specs and experience with dozens of other XPS laptops, it’s safe to say it will be a polished device with a premium build, despite the low price. However, the XPS 13 that competes with the Neo is really just one configuration out of several different options.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say “the cheapest” XPS 13 is a Neo competitor, where options with high-end processors could potentially cost as much. The MacBook Neo may have less configuration options, but that’s also the point: it has a clear vision that’s easy to communicate. In that sense, the Neo is the more “true” budget laptop, and the one I’d recommend to consumers seeking just that.
