Branding is key. Corporations spend millions of dollars each year ensuring that words like “Tacoma” and “Sleep Number” resonate with people. Dell has also invested decades in making terms like “XPS,” “Inspiron,” and “Latitude” recognizable.

However, starting in 2025, Dell laptops and desktops will simply be… Dell. “There’s only one brand,” says executive Sam Burd. “Dell.”

Only Dell

The designs Dell has been developing aren't going away. For example, the XPS 13, which has been a benchmark for premium laptops for years, won't be discontinued, nor will it even be replaced by a new model. The 2025 version will simply be called the "Dell 13 Plus." (Though there won't be a 13-inch model available at launch; the 14-inch model will be the smallest in Dell's lineup, which isn't superlative.)

Dell also won't be killing off the Alienware sub-brand, which it bought in 2006. Alienware gaming models will apparently keep their specific names, such as “Area 51” and “Aurora.” The monitor names will also remain unchanged, so the “UltraSharp” line will continue to exist.

Plus, you'll continue to see older designs sold under their original name as Dell liquidates its current lines — the 2023 and 2024 XPS 13 and Inspiron 15 models will continue to be sold under those names for now.

Now, let's analyze Dell's new and supposedly simpler branding. In total, you'll see three product levels going forward: Dell (without extras or superlatives), Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max.

Dell's regular category is aimed at everyday consumers and students, "designed for play, study, and work." It will include machines that previously carried the Inspiron label or didn't have a specific branding even before this change. The Dell Pro is "designed for professional-grade productivity." (Funny that "work" was included in the previous category and not here, but oh well...) This is where the Latitude line and similar products will appear. On the other hand, the Dell Pro Max will be the crème de la crème and will be Dell's corner of "maximum performance" designs.

Dell

Sounds pretty clear, right? Not so fast!

Under each level, computers will also be divided into three more sub-categories. Base It is, therefore, the base model with no extras (although it will presumably still be customizable to some extent using Dell's long-standing online ordering system). Plus It's a step up, for pre-configured machines that have a few extras like a better display, RAM, CPU, storage, and maybe a discrete graphics card. Premium It will be the high-end model at each level, presumably maximizing each configurable category.

If you remember your elementary school multiplication tables, there are nine different labels for Dell computers as of 2025, ranging from simply “Dell Base” (if those models will even be differentiated) to “Dell Pro Max Premium.” This doesn’t even include the differentiator for a specific model. In other words, the flagship business-focused laptop that also has the most power and capability would apparently be the “Dell 14 Pro Max Premium.” Hooray, it’s that simple!

And if you think the “Pro” and “Max” extras make Dell’s new product line look unnervingly like a fruit-branded competitor, you’re not alone. During a presentation, a fellow tech journalist pointed out the similarity to Apple’s distinct Pro and Max labels for its desktops, laptops, and accessories; and in response, Dell executives dismissed the concern, noting that they’re universal terms consumers are already familiar with.

The new Dell laptops in 2025

For the initial 2025 launch, there will be seven “new” laptop models (many of them modified from previous designs to varying degrees), further also several updated Plus and Premium models of the same design.

Most will be launched by the end of February, with additional new models announced later in the year.

Dell 14 Plus

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1

Dell

Dell 16 Plus

Dell

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1

Dell

Dell Pro 13, Pro 13 Plus, Pro 13 Premium

Dell

Dell Pro 14, Pro 14 Plus, Pro 14 Premium

Dell Pro 16, Dell Pro 16 Plus

Dell

Look at that list. It's a mess, just begging for confusion that could lead you to buy the wrong laptop model, or even the wrong laptop altogether. And despite being supposedly different, all these laptops look extremely similar. Frankly, I'm not a fan of this. 🤷‍♂️

A confusing change for everyone

It seems like most of the Dell products we cover will fall under the standard Dell branding (no Pro or Pro Max) since we primarily focus on consumer-focused designs. But the mere fact that Pro and Pro Max models exist will signal to some consumers that they're not getting the best possible experience, even if they don't actually need any kind of upgrade to a faster processor or more RAM. As with similar labels applied to phones, some will want "the best," even if they'll never use those features; and I wonder if there's an intention behind that decision.

I also wonder what the point of having Base, Plus, and Premium subdivisions is when Dell didn't need them before its controversial decision to add "Plus" to the XPS line to denote a more streamlined chassis. Maybe Dell plans to make more than one 14-inch laptop in each category and simply needed a point of differentiation... which would only undermine this attempt at simplicity.

Which of the seven new models is this? I have no idea. This is an official image from Dell.

Dell

With adjectives indicating different product categories and target audiences, and separate but similar adjectives further dividing these categories, it's a lot to process. And I don't see it as any less confusing than "Inspiron" versus "Latitude."

I don't think this is any easier for consumers to understand, and even those with a basic understanding of computers can stumble. It doesn't help that all of Dell's non-Alienware laptops seem to be moving toward a unified, utilitarian design language, with very little to visually distinguish the Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max laptops from each other.

Perhaps I'm biased here. I'm a professional technology writer who has obsessively followed PCs for decades. I live and breathe this stuff. And I've been using Dell computers of some variety for a good portion of that time. Perhaps I'm demonstrating a visceral reaction, rejecting the unknown simply because I don't want to let go of a lingering attachment to these terms.

But I don't think that's the case. I think Dell is undervaluing the work it's put into these brands. I think it would be better to simplify the lineup with fewer models and more options within the upgrade configurations for each. There's a good chance Dell will backtrack on this, especially for the XPS label, before too long.

On the other hand, no one is paying me a lot of money to make branding decisions that affect product lines that sell millions of units. So take this opinion for what it's worth (not much), and we'll see how this strategy plays out in the new year. 🚀