Dell has unveiled the 14S, a budget-friendly laptop aimed at students, unveiled at IFA 2026. It slots in below the recently launched XPS 13, giving Dell another affordable option at a time when most laptop prices continue to rise, and it echoes recent MacBook design trends by coming in four colours rather than the more muted finishes typical of the XPS range.

The 14S starts with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, configurable up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB or 1TB SSD, and is available in linen, dusty rose, washed denim and velvet green. It is thicker and heavier than the XPS 13 but adds an HDMI port and a headphone jack, which the XPS 13 lacks, alongside two USB-C ports. Display choices are a 300-nit 1920×1200 60Hz LCD or a 450-nit 2880×1800 120Hz panel, neither touch-enabled, while chip options are limited to the Intel Core 5 320 or Core 7 350. Other features include a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello, and Dell claims up to 23 hours of battery life for video streaming. Pricing has not been confirmed but is expected to sit close to, though slightly below, the XPS 13's $700 starting price, with full details due closer to its launch later this autumn.