The XPS and Inspiron are among the most popular brand names in the world of laptops. The name "XPS," for example, is so popular that you could just mention it, and most people will recognize that you're talking about a Dell device.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Dell is rebranding its PCs. The new names may seem familiar, as they use terms like "Pro" and "Max," which are commonly associated with high-end devices. Dell’s XPS and Inspiron brands will be replaced with the simpler names: “Dell,” “Dell Pro,” and “Dell Pro Max.”
According to Dell's COO, Jeff Clarke, the reasoning behind the rebrand is to make it easier for customers to buy Dell products without wasting time trying to figure out what various sub-brands the company offers stand for. As he puts it, customers should not spend time "figuring out our nomenclature, which at times has been a bit confusing."
When questioned on the similarities between Dell's rebrand and how Apple brands its iPhones, Clarke defended his company, saying that the decisions surrounding the rebrand were backed by research from thousands of customers.
The rebrand likely also has something to do with Dell's push into the growing AI market. At CES 2025, both AMD and Intel made announcements around their Copilot+ PC chips, with Dell actively jumping into the AI scene to suggest how many could be upgrading to an AI PC once their old Windows 10 device becomes unsupported. Alienware will be exempt from the change, though.
Dell's not the only company that has built a stellar brand over a decade, only to throw it all away for something "simpler." Back in 2023, Intel did something similar. They decided to drop the 'i' in the processor branding. No more Core i3, i5, i7, that sort of thing.
Instead, the company decided to go with Core 3, 5, and 7, with the more powerful versions having an "Ultra" label slapped on top of them. Like Dell, this rebrand was likely the result of customer feedback and numerous requests to simplify the brand names for its processors.
Then we have Elon Musk, who forked out $44 billion for Twitter, renamed it to X, and took the recognizable bird on a blue background and replaced it with a giant X on a black background, although many people still staunchly call it Twitter.
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