During CES 2025, Dell announced plans to get rid of all of its existing computer brands, including the iconic XPS line of performance laptops. Also gone are Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, and other brands. The entire lineup will now be divided into three categories: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. The strategy, clearly inspired by Apple, was created in hopes of simplifying the product catalogue, but in the short term, some confusion is warranted.
In theory, it is simple, and brings the focus on Dell, the company, rather than sub brands. But there are two issues. The "Pro" and "Pro Max" brand names are already done to death, and not just by Apple. Second, every Dell brand will have three tiers, so now you are looking at nine different combinations only to find a new computer. It is a mess, but we can hopefully help you make sense of it when you step into the big box store and are confused with all the new Dell-speak.
Let's start with some general definitions:
Standard Dell machines are mainstream computers aimed at general consumers. You'll find them sold at big box stores, and they are designed for school, work, and casual gaming.
The Dell Pro line, which is primarily intended for businesses, and designed for productivity work.
The Dell Pro Max line is designed for maximum performance and features higher-end computer and workstation builds.
Thankfully, the Dell strategy doesn't extend to Alienware, so all the gaming laptops and monitors from that brand are safe, at least for now.
But, the rebranding doesn't stop there: Within each of these three families, there are three different product tiers: Base, Plus, and Premium.
As you'd expect, the Base model lineup across Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max will all be entry level machines, albeit with increasingly beefy specs, befitting their classification as standard, Pro, or Pro Max. So far, so good.
Things start to get a bit more confusing with the Plus and Premium tiers: The Plus tier serves as a mid-range option, while the Premium label will be reserved for the most powerful machines.
Dell says that the rebranding is going to be a slow process, and the phasing out will only happen when new models are released and older models are discontinued, which may extend through the end of 2025. How will you be able to spot the new laptops? The old machines featured a Dell logo with a circle around it, while the new laptops just read "Dell," sans the circle.
Wondering which new machines will match the former, budget-friendly Inspiron and Inspiron Plus laptop lines? They are now called Dell (Base) and Dell Plus, respectively. Yes, that means a laptop called Dell 15—that's it. It's weird. But these are the models most consumers will be looking for if they want a cheaper but still capable laptop.
If you're looking for the former XPS models, you should now look at the Premium tiers in Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max. For example, the new Dell Pro 13 Premium is a Copilot+ PC, designed for business users, and it will come with an industry first Tandem OLED option later this year.
Business users should look at the Dell Pro Plus range, available in 13-, 14-, and 16-inch models. These are equipped with system BIOS that simplifies management for IT professionals, and they offer USB, HDMI, and Thunderbolt port options. They can even be equipped with optional 5G Modems (only in the Plus and Premium configurations). The regular Dell Pro range is where you'll find cheaper business laptops.
The Dell Pro Max range is reserved for high-performance workflows, people who are working with CAD models, AI, engineering apps, and more. The Dell Pro Max devices will shop with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 and will support NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Laptop GPUs.
If you're really curious to see what the new models look like, Linus Tech Tips has a sponsored video where they walk you through the changes and a couple of important new models.
All this rebranding does come with a couple of nice changes. First of all, the USB-C ports on all the machines are modular, and can be replaced with a couple of screws. This is a huge win for sustainability and longevity of laptop use, especially in business. Second, the top of the line Dell Pro Max computers are getting full-size SD card slots and dual Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Yes, this rebrand is confusing, and losing out on the XPS brand is, for this tech enthusiast anyway, actually quite sad. XPS did what Sony VAIO couldn't do: create a premium PC brand, and keep it going. XPS was the first to pioneer bezel-less laptop displays, way before Apple even got into the game.
Alas, all good things come to an end, and if you believe Dell, this is all for the ultimate good.
For the TL,DR, here are the specifics one last time:
Choose Dell and Dell Plus PCs if you're looking for everyday, run-of-the-mill laptops.
The Dell Pro and Dell Pro Plus lines are where all the business laptops are (what used to be Latitude series).
XPS laptops are distributed across in the Premium tier, so you'll find them in Dell Pro Premium, and Dell Pro Max Premium. (Generally, Dell Pro Max is the new branding for high-end machines offering the fasted processors, and cutting-edge technology.)
[Dell]
