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For much of 2026, I figured HP had the midrange laptop market on lockdown. Over the past year or so, the company has released one impressive low-cost notebook after another, from the OmniBook 7 to the OmniBook 3. I almost thought the race was over. Then I received the new Dell 14S and my mind changed. HP has stiff competition.
Also: The best Dell laptops of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed
The Dell 14S doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, the laptop excels at the fundamentals. The device pairs a premium, lightweight design with dependable hardware, an outrageous battery life, and one of the best OLEDs you’ll find at this price. The result is a work laptop that feels as premium as a machine twice the price. At a time when laptop prices continue to climb, this PC provides exactly the kind of value buyers are looking for.
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Looking cool
I’m a big fan of the laptop’s aesthetics. It is a sleek, lightweight computer completely adorned in a Celestial Blue finish — at least, my review unit was. The colour shifts between hues depending on how the light hits the device. You can see this change in the image below. Under bright outdoor light, the Dell 14S takes on a deep midnight blue, but under warmer indoor light, it’s more of a dark gray.
Open the lid, and you’ll find the keyboard deck in the same finish, creating a clean, cohesive design. Combine the color with rounded corners and gentle edges, and you get a form factor reminiscent of an Apple MacBook. Looking down, the touchpad sits slightly off-center toward the right. This design lets you comfortably control the cursor with your left hand. I tried navigating with my right hand, and felt more cramped since there was less room to move my wrist naturally. This setup isn’t a major deal-breaker, but prospective buyers should be aware of the approach.
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In fact, I do have a few nitpicks about the design. As much as I love the Celestial blue finish, it’s a fingerprint magnet. The colored finish smudges very easily. Also, I wish the lid had either a lip sticking out or a small indentation. The Dell 14S’s weight is evenly distributed, so it passes the one-finger test. I can lift the lid, and the laptop doesn’t move around. However, getting a good grip on the lid is a little tricky. The edges of the device are so smooth that I had to hold the device down before I could lift the display.
Vibrant screen
The Dell 14S is a perfect example of why display-enhancing software matters. On paper, the screen specs don’t seem super impressive, but its supportive features help elevate what could’ve been an average panel to a great one.
The laptop sports a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200 pixel) display running at a 60Hz refresh rate. Neither spec is particularly exciting in 2026, but Full HD+ is adequate. Zoomed-in high-resolution images retain their quality, but they don’t offer the same level of detail as higher-end screens. Likewise, the refresh rate is fine for general productivity, but lacks the smoothness found on better displays. The screen’s peak brightness is only 300 nits, making it hard to see in bright environments. The panel’s glossy finish compounds visibility issues.
Also: I’m recommending this 14-inch HP laptop to almost everyone in 2026 – even with the RAM crisis
I had a difficult time taking photos of the Dell 14S for this review because the screen’s glass reflected so much light. So many of my shots had a window or my face in the reflection.
That said, it’s not all bad. In fact, I would say it’s mostly positive. The Dell 14S boasts a 14-inch OLED panel that covers the entire DCI-P3 color gamut and supports Dolby Vision. With all these components working together, the visual output is wonderful. The OLED technology delivers strong contrast between highlights and shadows and Dolby Vision ensures the colors stay true to life. Online content, from movies to YouTube videos, looks top-notch. Like other Dell laptops, this model supports ComfortView Plus, which actively reduces the amount of blue light sent out to reduce eye strain.
Performance
My review unit came equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, putting this machine firmly in the midrange category. To put its capabilities into perspective, I compared the Dell 14S against similarly positioned laptops in the same price and performance categories. I wanted to focus on systems that potential buyers would consider alongside Dell’s model. And against its rivals, the 14S holds up quite well, delivering top-notch performance at a lower price.
And it’s here where the Dell 14S shines: delivering reliable performance without costing an arm and a leg. The device is incredibly responsive, waking instantly when the lid is opened. I used this PC while writing my article comparing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Razr Fold, having connected the device to an external monitor. Even with a dozen browser tabs open, music streaming in the background, and multiple applications running (including WPS Office), the laptop ran smoothly with no noticeable slowdowns. Thanks to the CPU’s strength, photo editing was another major strength. I was able to make adjustments to high-resolution photographs in GIMP comfortably.
The laptop consistently performs well for extended periods of time without major thermal throttling — so long as you’re easy on the hardware; Dell’s device has its limits. The laptop became quite warm while running the benchmark tests and editing my 4K test video project. I could barely the keyboard because it was so hot. That said, it is unlikely that the average Dell 14S owner will experience overheating during lightweight productivity tasks.
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Battery life is awesome. For the first time that I can remember, I have a Dell laptop that can last as long as HP’s recent releases. Dell laptops traditionally offer respectable battery life, around 18 hours, but fall short of the endurance of HP laptops, which can last over 20 hours. The Dell 14S changes that balance, having lasted roughly 22 hours on a single charge. That kind of longevity makes the 14S an excellent choice for commuters, students, and professionals who need a laptop that can easily last through a full workday.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Prices for the Dell 14S start at $1,000 for the base model, and Dell offers a wide range of customization options. You can get my review unit for $1,469. Among PC laptops, I firmly believe that this laptop delivers some of the best overall value. The device is dependable, has a sleek design, and an exceptional battery life.
Does the Dell 14S provide the best value among all laptops? No, I believe that honor goes to the MacBook Neo (for now). Although not as powerful as the 14S, it’s not too far off in performance, and it’s cheaper. The 2026 Dell XPS 13 is another option, as Dell’s response to the Neo. It sacrifices a little bit of power but keeps the solid Dell build for an extremely competitive price of $699.
