Dell has unveiled the 14S, a new mid-range laptop pitched as an affordable alternative to Apple's MacBook Neo, following the recent refresh of its XPS 13 with a similar aim. The move underlines how rival manufacturers are moving quickly to capture some of the attention and market share generated by Apple's newest entry-level machine.

The Dell 14S comes in four colours, mirroring the Neo's options, and features a 61.2Wh battery that Dell says will last all day. It is powered by up to an Intel Core 7 processor, offers two 14-inch display choices (FHD or 2.8K resolution), up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, while weighing just over 2.5 pounds—slightly lighter than the Neo. Pricing has not yet been confirmed, with Dell saying details will come closer to its autumn launch, though it would need to land near $700 to genuinely rival Apple's cheapest model.