In contrast to the XPS 14 and XPS 16, the 2026 XPS 13 has been redesigned from the ground up for a significantly lower starting price of just $699 or even $599 with education discounts. The move is especially notable as the XPS series has always been home to pricier prosumer models often retailing for 2x or 3x as much. Our test unit is the most basic configuration with the Intel Wildcat Core 5 320 CPU and 8 GB of soldered RAM. The Intel Wildcat XPS 13 was designed to be the Windows alternative to the all-popular MacBook Neo. Other competitors include budget-oriented models like the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 series, HP Pavilion series, and other budget-conscious laptops retailing for under $1000.