Dell XPS – Dell’s XPS 13 enters the same slice of the market as the MacBook Neo—starting at $699, or $599 for students—with a familiar low starting-spec strategy. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s business Surface Laptop push is raising eyebrows for starting as low as 8GB RAM on a
A MacBook Neo for less is starting to feel less like a bargain and more like a blueprint—and Dell is now moving to match the shape of it.
Dell’s XPS 13 is priced at $699, or $599 for students. Like the MacBook Neo, it begins with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It also starts with a slower Intel Core 5 processor, and the distinction matters: it’s Intel Core 5, not Intel Core Ultra.
That doesn’t mean Dell is trying to win on raw specs. The question most likely to follow this launch is how the day-to-day experience compares—especially performance and battery life—against the MacBook Neo.
Dell, though, is also leaning into what Apple already proved could work. The MacBook Neo uses a slower iPhone chip instead of an M-series laptop-grade processor. Dell is clearly taking notes on that general idea, even if it’s doing it with a different kind of hardware trade-off.
Where the XPS 13 starts to feel more flexible is in how far you can take it after the base configuration. The MacBook Neo is capped in both storage and memory, but the XPS 13 can be configured up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
That choice lands in a broader market that’s been churning through $500-to-$600 laptops lately. Acer. Lenovo. and HP have been trying to compete with the MacBook Neo-style audience using a more conventional Windows approach—bigger starting RAM (16GB) and more powerful chips. The catch is that those machines. at least in this comparison. haven’t challenged the MacBook Neo on display quality and chassis materials.
Still, there’s a reason some models don’t quite belong in the same conversation. The mention of the HP OmniBook 3 sits alongside a simple idea: it doesn’t target the same audience as the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Neo.
And the market’s temptation is now obvious—someone else wants to follow the same script without necessarily understanding why it works.
Last week, Microsoft announced two versions of its Surface Laptop for Business PCs: a higher-end 13.8-inch model and a cheaper 13-inch device. The 13.8-inch model is described as a more standard refresh, using Intel’s new Core Ultra X7 368H “Panther Lake” chip—and it still starts with 16GB of RAM.
The smaller 13-inch model is where the eyebrows rise. Even with a starting price of $1,200, the 13-inch configuration only comes with 8GB of RAM. The argument could be that business PCs come with upcharges anyway, so price alone can mislead.
But the RAM starting point isn’t a side detail. In contrast to the Dell XPS 13’s strategy, Microsoft isn’t pairing the lower starting specs with thinner chassis design or a screen upgrade. Instead, it’s just giving less computing power and calling it enough.
Microsoft says the optional 8GB model is coming later this year, separate from 16GB and 24GB versions. That timing is what keeps this from being a single harsh verdict. Still. it feels difficult to ignore the underlying tension: it’s hard to imagine Microsoft being willing to sell an 8GB laptop in 2026 if Apple hadn’t paved the way.
Even without a 2025 Surface Laptop 13 for Business to compare directly. the consumer version of the Surface Laptop 13 started with 16GB of RAM. For many buyers. this will land like a straight generational downgrade—especially when the promise of the new business lineup seems to be repositioning for performance while the baseline memory steps backward.
The race over the “right” specs isn’t just about chips and numbers. It’s about what people are willing to trade away for the things they notice every day: battery life. display quality. build materials—and the confidence that a thinner. simpler starting configuration won’t feel like a compromise when it’s time to work.
Dell XPS 13 MacBook Neo Surface Laptop for Business Intel Core 5 Core Ultra X7 368H Panther Lake 8GB RAM 16GB RAM 256GB storage 1TB storage
So Dell just copied Apple’s cheap idea? I don’t trust it.
Wait it starts at $699 but students get $599? That’s not even that cheap when it’s still 8GB RAM. Like why would I pay for “future upgrade” stuff.
I read this like the XPS 13 uses an iPhone chip or something? Because it says “Neo uses a slower iPhone chip” so I figured Dell also did the same trick. Then they talk about Intel Core 5 not Core Ultra and I’m lost. Either way if it’s 8GB base I’m out.
Honestly Apple is still gonna win battery life just because… reasons? And $699 for a laptop that starts with 8GB RAM feels like a scam even if you can bump it to 32GB later. Also this “Core 5 not Core Ultra” thing sounds like marketing fluff. I bet the day-to-day is basically the same and everybody’s just paying for the logo.