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At Computex 2026, Dell and Acer unveiled impressive new laptops, the XPS 13 and the Swift Air 14, both aiming to compete directly with Apple's anticipated MacBook Neo. We dive into the specs, design, and performance of these sub-$700 contenders to see who will reign supreme in the affordable laptop market.
Transcript
00:00Apple might not be at Computex 2026, but the MacBook Neo's presence was very much felt in some of the
00:06thin and light competitors on the show floor.
00:08In fact, Dell proudly displayed Apple's viral mobile chip-powered clamshell right alongside its new XPS 13 model, which will
00:15be available for the same $699 price tag.
00:19Billed as the most accessible laptop of its type, the new XPS 13 retains the premium feel, finish and functionality
00:25of its previous generation models, just without the four-digit price tag.
00:29It weighs in at just one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, which is notably 22% lighter than the Neo.
00:35On the specs front, the new Dell XPS 13 starts with an Intel Core Series 3 CPU, with support for
00:41up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 355.
00:44Storage options start at 256GB, up to 512GB, and 1TB with a Gen 4 PCIe SSD.
00:52Despite the sub-$700 price tag, the new XPS 13 retains the premium display of other small form-factor
00:58ultrabooks.
00:59It has a 13.4-inch 2.5K touchscreen with display HDR 400 and a 500-mit total brightness.
01:06Battery life is another area this laptop could really take on the MacBook Neo.
01:10The 52-watt-per-hour battery is 42% larger than the 36.5-watt-per-hour battery of Apple's
01:16budget machine.
01:17On average, that's between 4 and 10 hours playback for light to moderate use.
01:21The Acer Swift Air 14 is another MacBook Neo challenger that will launch at the same $699 price.
01:27It comes with an all-metal chassis, so again, this is an affordable laptop that looks and feels more expensive
01:32than you might expect.
01:33It runs on the latest Intel Core Series 3 processors and should offer around 19 hours of battery life, which
01:39is a similar ballpark to the MacBook Neo.
01:41Its 14-inch display features a 120Hz refresh rate and accurate 100% sRGB color reproduction, so it could also
01:49give the screen of the MacBook Neo a run for its money.
01:51The screen can be pushed back 180 degrees as well, which the MacBook Neo can't do.
01:55Are these enough to topple the MacBook Neo from its affordability throne?
01:59Let us know in the comments down below.
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