Dell 14 Premium: New name, same old excellence

When Dell decided to retire the XPS 14 name, many questioned the move. Rebranding a respected line as "Premium" feels like trading a distinctive identity for something forgettable. Yet behind the new badge, the Dell 14 Premium proves that the qualities which made its predecessor a favourite are still intact.

The design remains unchanged from last year's XPS 14, which was already great. The aluminium chassis is elegant, with clean lines and Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the surface. At 1.66 kg to 1.72 kg, it is slightly heavier than some rivals, but the difference is minor. It retains practical touches such as three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a headphone jack, and a microSD slot — features missing from the smaller XPS 13.

According to Engadget, the glass wrist rest and invisible touchpad blend seamlessly into the deck, yet the generous tracking area makes navigation easy. Speakers on either side of the keyboard deliver balanced audio. Less successful are the touch-sensitive buttons replacing physical Escape and Delete keys, which may frustrate some users.

The base model features a 14.5-inch 2K 120Hz IPS display, but the optional 3.2K OLED upgrade impresses with richer colours and deeper contrast. Performance is equally strong, thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. Higher configurations add up to 32GB RAM, 1TB storage, and an NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU, making it capable of light gaming and creative workloads.

Battery life reaches 8.5 hours in Engadget's testing — solid, though not class-leading. Pricing starts at $1,650, with the OLED version at $1,850, and occasional discounts available.

Despite the uninspired name, the Dell 14 Premium remains one of the finest Windows ultraportables available. It combines style, performance, and thoughtful features into a laptop that feels both refined and dependable.