In this exclusive CES 2026 interview, Michelle Gillespie from Dell Technologies joins theCUBE’s Savannah Peterson to discuss the highly anticipated return of the XPS brand. Gillespie reveals the strategic decision-making process behind bringing the line back, citing critical feedback from analysts, press and search data that underscored the community's deep passion for the brand. She emphasizes Dell’s shift toward becoming a "listening organization," illustrating how consumer response directly influenced the company's roadmap to prioritize premium quality and customer loyalty.
The conversation also explores the technical advancements of the newly launched XPS 14 and 16 models, which feature significant weight reductions and a seamless, vent-free design. Gillespie details the engineering behind the devices' impressive battery life, highlighting the implementation of variable refresh rate technology that adjusts between 1Hz and 120Hz to maximize efficiency. From OLED display options to the practical benefits of unplugged creativity for up to 24 hours, the discussion showcases how Dell is combining high-performance hardware with user-centric innovation.
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Michelle Gillespie, Dell Technologies
In this exclusive CES 2026 interview, Michelle Gillespie from Dell Technologies joins theCUBE’s Savannah Peterson to discuss the highly anticipated return of the XPS brand. Gillespie reveals the strategic decision-making process behind bringing the line back, citing critical feedback from analysts, press and search data that underscored the community's deep passion for the brand. She emphasizes Dell’s shift toward becoming a "listening organization," illustrating how consumer response directly influenced the company's roadmap to prioritize premium quality and customer loyalty.
The conversation also explores the technical advancements of the newly launched XPS 14 and 16 models, which feature significant weight reductions and a seamless, vent-free design. Gillespie details the engineering behind the devices' impressive battery life, highlighting the implementation of variable refresh rate technology that adjusts between 1Hz and 120Hz to maximize efficiency. From OLED display options to the practical benefits of unplugged creativity for up to 24 hours, the discussion showcases how Dell is combining high-performance hardware with user-centric innovation.
In this exclusive CES 2026 interview, Michelle Gillespie from Dell Technologies joins theCUBE’s Savannah Peterson to discuss the highly anticipated return of the XPS brand. Gillespie reveals the strategic decision-making process behind bringing the line back, citing critical feedback from analysts, press and search data that underscored the community's deep passion for the brand. She emphasizes Dell’s shift toward becoming a "listening organization," illustrating how consumer response directly influenced the company's roadmap to prioritize premium quality and...Read more
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What were the factors considered in assessing the importance of the XPS brand?add
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>> Hey nerd fam and welcome back to our exclusive CES coverage with Dell Technologies. My name's Savannah Peterson. Very excited to be having a conversation next that everyone has been dying to have, I think, ever since announcements were made last year Dell's bringing XPS back. And everyone is excited. Who better to tell us than Michelle? Thank you for coming to hang out today.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yeah, anytime. You make this easy. I'm very, very excited to bring XPS back to you guys. We have heard so much about how much this brand means to folks. And I think it was a year ago.
Savannah Peterson
>> It was.
Michelle Gillespie
>> When we were like, we're going to commit, but it's just going to be for . And it didn't go over super well. And we were like, we heard you. We can listen. We can do it better. We saw in the research we underestimated the passion folks had for the brand of XPS.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah, so here we are.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Here we are, yeah.
Savannah Peterson
>> I love that. So, talk to me a little bit about what those conversations were like. I was in the room last year when you made the announcement. I heard the groans. But there's generally a little resistance when there's any branding updates. But clearly your community is so passionate about XPS. What did they say that catalyzed you to actually make the decision to return the line?
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yeah, I think there was really three things we looked at. It was analyst, press feedback, influencers. We heard you guys last year. Okay, they're still saying it a year later. Let's listen to that, right? Number two was search data.
Savannah Peterson
>> Interesting.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Honestly, if you're in a room and you're trying to convince folks that brand is important, the number one still to this day searched Dell term is XPS. And so, we're like, "Well, they say SEO is a big deal, so let's not ignore it."
And then, three was really like, as we're looking at our product portfolio, we're like, this commitment to consumer and really innovation, it's like... How did you get rid of the brand that stood for those things?
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah.
Michelle Gillespie
>> So, let's dive in. Let's bring that back.
Savannah Peterson
>> And it's such a premium product. XPS has always stood for the highest quality in laptops for a long time now. So, tell me about what consumers can expect this year and how they can get their hands on these new machines. You've got a couple models coming out, right?
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yes, yes, yes, yes. So, we have an XPS 14 and 16. Here in the US, you can go early order one today. So, everyone, Dell.com, my plug, you guys go do that. And really, it is the most improved XPS we've had. Our 14 is a half pound lighter than it was a year ago. Our 16 is a pound and a half lighter. It's so thin.
Savannah Peterson
>> It's a dramatic decrease, just to call that out.
Michelle Gillespie
>> It is. A pound and a half is a lot of weight. And really, it has the craftsmanship that you have to get your hands on it to even appreciate it. There are no vents. Everything is seamless. They're one-handed opening. It is truly something that I want to walk around with and be like, look how sexy my computer is.
Savannah Peterson
>> I was just going to say it's sexy. I'm glad you used that lexicon. The keyboard's also really lovely. There's a lot of details that went into the design I noticed when I was playing around with it that show that you've thought about that feeling, that quality feeling, from every keystroke all the way to what's inside. What are some of the things that you have loved learning about from the community in the ways that people use their XPS? Any fun use cases?
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yeah, absolutely. So, we're seeing more and more the creator is on the go and I don't have my charger. And I know this is like a tails old as time. Battery life, we're seeing it. But folks are like, we're on a plane for 24 hours and I want to be accomplishing all of the things. And how many times you're on an airplane, your plug doesn't work?
Savannah Peterson
>> Right.
Michelle Gillespie
>> You're like, great, what do we do now?
Savannah Peterson
>> Right.
Michelle Gillespie
>> And so we don't have to worry about the XPS. You can actually work on this system with your 24 hours of battery life, which is really leaps and bounds of like what we could do before. And you can do it all faster.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah, you can. And the battery life, this has been the thing that I've actually been the most impressed with with Dell across your portfolio of PCs over the last year and a half or so is that battery life. When we say 24 hours, I think most people think of a day. The reality is most people only use their laptop seven to nine hours a day. So, you're getting almost the better part of a week off one charge. That means you can be creating literally anywhere and still having that quality experience without having to plug in or even think about it. I mean, it's incredibly impressive. I bet it's something that you like. Let's talk a little bit about, there's two different models where I can trade off some of my features for longer battery life, right? Tell us about that.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yes, yes. Based on the screen, we have an OLED screen and a 2K screen. The OLED screen will give you your brightest colors, that most immersive experience. It all has the Infinity edge. It's absolutely stunning, but the 2K screen is also beautiful while we have plugged in the background some battery-saving technology. It's the first variable refresh rate computer you'll find out there. So, what I mean by that is like, if you are checking email, it all moves down to one hertz. If we are now streaming, we have 120 hertz. And you're not going to notice all this is happening. All you're seeing is your beautiful 2K screen and your battery life is still eight hours. So, I think that just makes the ease of use so seamless.
Savannah Peterson
>> And it makes sense. I mean, variable refresh, it's not something I thought about until today, honestly, until we started. I'm serious, until we started talking about it and I was getting the demo and I thought, "Oh my gosh, that's so smart."
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yeah, same.
Savannah Peterson
>> I mean, really, you're not just innovating in terms of memory or RAM or the things that we used to talk about innovation when it came to PCs and just specific compute. That compute is getting smarter and that's really exciting. Do you think that everyone is going to be mobbing you throughout the course of the show at CES because they're so excited to see their XPS?
Michelle Gillespie
>> I hope so. I hope so. And I've completely forgotten my chargers, but it's going to work no matter where I am, which will be great. But yeah, I think that it's just so cool and I'm so thrilled.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah, the energy, you can tell everyone's excited.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Well, I know last year when we got groans, this year we got cheers.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah.
Michelle Gillespie
>> And you're like great.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yay.
Michelle Gillespie
>> I was like, we love to hear that.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah, no, absolutely. Absolutely. You and the team have done a really great job and done this very quick. I mean, hardware development lifecycle was on a good year back in the day. It had to be at least nine months. It was like getting a baby out. Let alone for you to get this feedback, bring the line back, put that logo front and center right on the front. She is sexy.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yes, which we've never done before. That was also a conversation and just a, "Hey, if we're going to do it, let's really do it. Let's go back to CES." Everyone needs to walk down the Strip and see the giant 3D XPS ads because they look fantastic.
Savannah Peterson
>> I can't wait to see them.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Go check them out. They're amazing. And so, we're doing that also globally and just truly investing in not only the product, but the marketing and making sure we can all see and experience this.
Savannah Peterson
>> There definitely is a newfound... There was always love for the consumer, but I felt like there was a real focus on consumer right now. And it's refreshing.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Yeah.
Savannah Peterson
>> It's good to see that energy back. Last question for you, Michelle. What do you wish, if there was one thing you could wave a magic wand and everybody in the world knew this thing about Dell, what would that thing be?
Michelle Gillespie
>> I think right now, and we're really pushing everyone to truly trust us, is we are a listening organization. And we have learned, we have pivoted, so keep your feedback coming. Because you never know. You could complain about something or suggest something great and you'll see it in the next set of product lines. I really want folks to know we're putting the consumer, the customer, first. Give us your feedback and we take it very seriously.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yeah, I love that. And you're listening even sitting here talking to me right now. No, it's definitely a thing. Michelle, thank you so much for hanging out.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Thank you, Savannah. This has been great.
Savannah Peterson
>> Yes. And congratulations to you and the team on bringing back the fan favorite.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Okay.
Savannah Peterson
>> I think it was definitely the right call.
Michelle Gillespie
>> Good.
Savannah Peterson
>> Thank all of you for tuning in to our fantastic coverage here at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. My name's Savannah Peterson. You're watching The Cube, the leading source for enterprise tech news.
