Dell’s 2025 kicked off with a serious New Year’s resolution: to reset its entire brand identity. New Dell computers will focus on the “Dell” name and eliminate its well-known sub-brands XPS, Inspiron, Precision, and Latitude.
Dell’s goal? It hopes that this change will make buying decisions easier for newcomers to the Dell brand. And it might. But the droves of longtime Dell fans will have to get up to speed with what’s what.
Each of Dell’s laptop and desktop product lines will now fall into simpler categories known as “Dell,” “Dell Pro,” and “Dell Pro Max.” These new names encompass every Dell PC line you knew from years past. (One exception: Dell has no plans to drop the Alienware branding on its gaming products.) I’ll explain below how the XPS and Latitude models of old (and everything else) fit under these new brand umbrellas.
Dell’s newly branded products are being released in staggered fashion this year. First up were the Dell Pro 13, Dell Pro 14 Plus, Dell Pro 14 Premium, and Dell Pro 16 Plus business laptops. Those were followed by the Dell Plus consumer laptop line, which launched in February. Dell hasn’t yet issued pricing or release timing for the successor to its XPS line, Dell Premium.
With Dell’s new computers adopting all these different names, here’s how to tell them apart in 2025.
The New Dell Tiers: Same Look, Same Feel, New Names
Before discussing the new Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max—the overarching family names that Dell is adopting—it’s important to note that each one is further divided into tiers denoting features and performance expectations. Those are “Base” (which will not appear on the packaging, but rather just as plain old “Dell”), “Dell Plus,” and “Dell Premium.” Here’s a line-by-line explanation of how the new family names and tiers interact…
Unlearning Inspiron and XPS: Meet Dell Base, Plus, and Premium
The straight-up Dell laptops of 2025 will be the same Dell Inspiron budget laptops and desktops you have known for years. These are considered the Base tier of Dell PCs, though again, you will not see the word “Base” on any packaging or promotional materials.
This is the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, which was an Inspiron Plus 2-in-1 last year. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Next up the stack is Dell Plus, which will be the equivalent of the Inspiron Plus laptops we’ve gotten to know over the past few years. These include standard clamshells and, in some models, 2-in-1 laptops. When you see them in stores and shopping online, these will indeed contain the word “Plus” in the name.
Finally, the Dell Premium name will replace the storied XPS, perhaps Dell’s best-known brand name next to Latitude. This new, more straightforward name will appear when looking for Dell’s highest-end ultraportable laptops and sleek desktops.
From “Dell XPS” to “Dell Premium”: See? Even the keyboard and seamless touchpad are, so far, unchanged. Just a new name. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
New Commercial Models: Latitude and Precision Are Now Pro and Pro Max
Moving on to Dell’s professional-grade lines of PCs, the naming conventions are simpler. The new Dell Pro line covers all of the company’s former Latitude business-PC products. The Base, Plus, and Premium tiers also apply here; they will equate, respectively, to the older, more esoteric 3000, 5000, and 7000 classifications that Dell used to use, denoting better features and performance as you climb the stack.
Dell’s Pro 14 Premium used to be a Latitude 7000 series. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The same applies to the new Dell Pro Max name, which replaces the Precision workstation name you may have grown used to for the past few decades. These models will also follow the same tiered naming conventions in place of the number values (the old 3000 to 7000 giving way to Base, Plus, and Premium) that previously denoted the levels of features and performance. For instance, a “straight” Dell Pro Max will not have as many features, or as high a performance ceiling, as a Dell Pro Max Plus.
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Of course, all the products released under these new family names will have updated internals, notably new silicon options from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. All three major PC chipmakers have new processors in store for the year, focused on boosting efficiency and AI performance, with Qualcomm primarily targeting laptops.
The Dell Pro Rugged 14 used to be a 14-inch Latitude Rugged model. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The Takeaway for Dell’s 2025
Given the increasingly competitive climate in the PC market, Dell’s decision to simplify its product branding is understandable, especially as Apple continues to challenge the leading x86-based chipmakers on performance with its M3- and M4-series chips. The need to reduce friction on the road to a PC purchase is stronger than ever.
To be sure, this will require returning customers (not to mention frequent business buyers) to double-check that they’re buying the Dell laptop or desktop they actually want, versus what those PCs were called a year ago. And, yes, Dell was arguably among the least egregious offenders when it came to esoteric product names (looking at you, Acer and Asus).
Whatever the product line, all Dell laptops will continue to say just “Dell” on the lid. (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
However, for people who may know the Dell name but not know Dell’s PCs intimately, or for younger shoppers less familiar with the brand, this rebranding should make the purchasing process smoother and give a better up-front idea of the expected out-of-box experience.
Of course, Dell’s ultimate goal is to grow its PC market share, and reducing ambiguity is a fine way to do that. Ultimately, however, success will depend on the quality of Dell’s new PC products, whatever they’re called. And that will only bear out in thoroughly tested reviews. Stay tuned to PCMag for those throughout the new year.
Dell’s New Computer Names Explained: Say Goodbye to XPS, Latitude, and All the Rest
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About Joe Osborne
Deputy Managing Editor, Hardware
