I just tested the Dell XPS 16 and it’s my new favorite Windows laptop

The Dell XPS 16 (2026) follows the same comeback story of its 14-inch sibling. Like the Dell XPS 14 (2026), this laptop resurrects the iconic branding and features the latest components you’d want in one of the best laptops. The XPS is back, and I couldn’t be happier.

Dell delivers another gorgeous notebook featuring a CNC-machined aluminium chassis with rounded corners, and that's lighter than its predecessor, the Dell 16 Premium. Yes, the new XPS 16 resembles a MacBook Pro, but I consider that a strength. This is especially true since it means we get physical function keys and a visible haptic touchpad — things the previous two models lacked.

Other key features include the gorgeous 16-inch OLED (2880 x 1800) InfinityEdge tandem touch display, fast Intel Panther Lake-driven performance, and incredible battery life for a Windows laptop. Whether it’s for work or play, the XPS 16 has you covered.

Though this model lacks a microSD card slot and its screen is nearly half an inch shorter than before, it’s hard to knock a laptop that gets so much right. Because of that, it’s not only one of the best Windows laptops I’ve reviewed, but a machine I highly recommend to anyone seeking the next best thing to a MacBook. Find out more in my full review!

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Dell XPS 16 is a larger version of the Dell XPS 14, featuring the same component options and a brand-new design.
• Who is it for? For Windows users looking for a 16-inch laptop alternative to the MacBook Pro.
• What does it cost? The Dell XPS 16 starts at $1,749 on Dell’s website. As configured, our review unit is valued at $2,349.
• What do we like? We like the new slick design, powerful Panther Lake performance, long-lasting battery life, and stunning tandem OLED panel.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like that it no longer has an SD card reader and that the display is nearly half an inch shorter than its predecessors’ panel.

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: Specs

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: The ups

The new Dell XPS 16 is a brilliant return to form, thanks to its redesigned chassis. It retains the vivid display and excellent performance we’ve come to expect, along with epic battery life.

Lovely design

I never hated the “XPS Plus” design of the two previous models, but I’m also not sad to see it replaced with something practical and fresh. As with the 14-inch model, Dell drew clear design inspiration from the MacBook Pro. Not only does it look great, but its smooth aluminum chassis feels good to hold.

Weighing 3.6 pounds and measuring 13.8 x 9.3 x 0.6 inches, the XPS 16 isn’t exactly light and small. That said, our test unit is a full pound lighter than last year’s Dell 16 Premium. It’s also a tad lighter than the 3.8-pound base model due to our review unit’s OLED panel. While you’d certainly have an easier time carrying the 14-inch XPS 14 around, this 16-inch model isn’t all that cumbersome to travel with. Port-wise, the XPS 16 has three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The capacitive touch row is gone, replaced by physical function keys—which is a godsend for touch typists like me. The tightly-spaced “Zero-Lattice” keycap design remains. I know some aren’t fond of this aspect, but I find the keys deliver a satisfying typing experience, especially on this larger keyboard deck.

Speaking of making things more tangible, the haptic touchpad has subtle tactile etching to define its boundaries. Thanks to the visible touchpad, you won’t have to guess where to place your fingers. It’s still a seamless sheet of glass integrated into the palm rest, and is as responsive and precise as ever. This, combined with the redesigned keyboard, makes typing on the XPS 16 more intuitive.

Vivid display

Dell wisely kept the tandem OLED option of the previous model, which offers a fantastic viewing experience on the 16-inch InfiniteEdge touch display. The panel delivers inky blacks, vibrant whites, and contrast levels give you an overall vibrant image. As before, you’re treated to one of the finest screens on a Windows laptop.

I fired up a 4K OLED video on YouTube, and was stunned by how rich everything appeared. The colorful meadow and clouds are a marvel to behold. Hues tend to be oversaturated, but it makes for a true feast for the eyes.

Our lab testing confirms what my eyes saw. As you can see in the table above, color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) is indeed oversaturated as both values are well over the 100% targer. Color accuracy (Delta-E) is on par with that of other laptops.

The display doesn’t get as bright as last year’s model, but that’s likely because Dell tuned this panel for power efficiency rather than raw peak brightness. However, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip literally outshines both of its Dell competitors in SDR and HDR brightness.

Stellar performance

The Dell XPS 16 is another excellent showcase for Intel’s Panther Lake chip. The unit I reviewed packs an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, just like the 14-inch model I tested. Due to that, it has similar performance across the board, meaning it’s more than capable of handling everyday work and even some creative tasks.

This laptop didn’t break a sweat when tackling my workload, which typically involves dozens of open Chrome tabs, Slack, email, and the occasional photo edit. During my usual 8-hour work day, the XPS 16 never lagged or stuttered, even with all those CPU-draining Chrome tabs open. I also barely (if ever) heard the fans running, which is a nice bonus.

On Geekbench 6, which tests overall CPU performance, the XPS 16 pulled in a solid multi-core score of 16,927. That’s a nice bump over last year’s Dell 16 Premium, showing Panther Lake’s efficiency gains in real-world sustained work.

The MacBook Pro with its M5 Pro chip decimates its rivals here, thanks to its beefier processor. You could argue that the MacBook Pro M5 with the M5 chip is a fairer comparison, but given how the M5 Pro-driven notebook is comparably priced and has a 16-inch display, this comparison works.

In our Handbrake test (transcoding a 4K video to 1080p), the XPS 16 finished in 4 minutes and 32 seconds. That’s 22 seconds longer than the previous generation but still within the same range. However, the MacBook Pro completed the task nearly three minutes faster.

On the BlackMagic Disk Speed test, the XPS 16 did wonderfully, with 3,570 MBps write and 4,600 MBps read. It’s not as quick as the previous model on paper, but in everyday use (opening apps, copying large files, booting Windows), you won’t notice a difference. Of course, the MacBook Pro left both Dell laptops in the dust.

Great gaming performance

While the Dell XPS 16 isn’t a gaming laptop, its Panther Lake chip can run even graphically demanding titles fairly well, with the right settings. It won’t replace one of the best gaming laptops, but it can perform better than you’d expect for a machine without a discrete GPU.

At medium graphics settings and 1080p resolution, games didn’t perform as well on the new XPS 16 as they did on the Dell 16 Premium. However, the latter packed an RTX 5050 GPU, which accounts for the difference in performance. The MacBook Pro’s integrated graphics also help it deliver solid gaming performance on games optimized for Apple silicon.

I should note that you’ll have a better time playing games on the XPS 16 if you enable Intel’s XeSS upscaling and frame-boosting tech. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 ran at 67 frames per second at 1080p with XeSS 3 Upscaling on. In other words, don’t forget to enable XeSS in the games that support the feature. It makes a huge difference.

Epic battery life

The Panther Lake laptops I’ve reviewed have all had stellar battery life, and the Dell XPS 16 is no different.

In our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing with the Wi-Fi set to 150 nits of brightness, the Dell XPS 16 lasted for 13 hours and 8 minutes. That’s almost twice the endurance of the previous generation, and is on par with the other Panther Lake-driven OLED Windows laptops I’ve tested, like the Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro.

While it certainly doesn’t last nearly as long as the MacBook Pro, I doubt many will complain about a laptop that can last for more than a workday.

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: The downs

There’s no denying that the XPS 16 is a phenomenal laptop. However, it has the same drawbacks as its 14-inch sibling.

Smaller display

This likely won’t matter if you have no experience with the previous model, but the new Dell’s display is actually smaller, going from 16.3 inches to a standard 16 inches. While that’s a bummer, the smaller display does shave some of the weight and bulk off the chassis, which is no doubt why this model is nearly a pound lighter.

I personally don’t mind the reduced screen size since it helps keep this laptop more portable. While I don’t see this as a major deal-breaker, it’s worth noting if you were expecting the same screen size as before.

No MicroSD card slot

Since this XPS is a larger version of the 14-inch model, it also lacks a microSD card reader. This is perplexing given how there’s more than enough room on this laptop to accommodate that slot.

This is another thing I’m not too bothered by since I rarely use microSD cards for work. However, if you’re a photo or video editor, this omission could be extremely detrimental. If you need quick card access, you’ll need an external device for that task.

Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: Verdict

“Bigger is better” might be a cliched saying, but it’s appropriate when discussing the new Dell XPS 16. You get the same vivid display, fast performance, and enduring battery life as the 14-inch model, only in a larger form factor. And like that laptop, this XPS is a triumphant return to form for the legendary brand.

If you absolutely need an SD card slot reader or would prefer staying in the Apple ecosystem, the 16-inch M5 MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro is a solid alternative. However, if those things aren’t important, the Dell XPS 16 is hard to top. Right now, this is arguably the Windows laptop to beat.

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