Dell ditches established names and adopts an Apple-inspired rebranding strategy

During the CES 2025 event, the manufacturer Dell announced a change that caused many controversies in the tech industry.

The American company has decided to abandon its established brands such as XPS, Latitude and Inspiron to adopt a new product naming strategy, structured into three main categories: Dell, Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max.

A decision criticized for lack of originality

Jeff Clarke, COO of Dell, claims that this change is based on an extensive study involving tens of thousands of participants.

However, right from the moment the announcement was made at the CES press conference, attendees noted the obvious similarities to the branding strategy used by Apple for iPhones.

Dell getting rid of the Inspiron, XPS, and Latitude product names is great, because they were terrible.

But why did they replace them with the exact same names Apple uses? It’s bizarre. So many people must have been involved with this change—and none of them had the power,… pic.twitter.com/p85YF2zmST

— dustin curtis (@dcurtis) January 7, 2025

How the new product categories are divided

The new branding structure will include three main product lines.

The Dell Pro Max, for example, will be dedicated to maximum productivity, while the Dell Pro will be aimed at professionals.

The standard range will be intended for general use: for school, work and entertainment. In addition, each category will have three sub-tiers: Base, Plus and Premium, which can lead to combinations such as Dell Premium, Dell Pro Base or Dell Pro Max Plus.

Gradual transition for Dell

The company will continue to market the existing models under the old names until stocks last.

Later, they will be gradually replaced by the new models that will bear the updated names.

A notable exception is the Alienware gaming line, which will retain its distinct name even after this rebranding.

Dell’s response to Apple similarity criticism

The representatives explained that the terms “Pro” and “Max” are widely used in the industry and are not the exclusive property of any company.

They pointed out that “Pro” was already a term used in the industry long before Apple started using it, being present in products such as Windows, AMD Ryzen or Intel vPro.

Despite Dell’s arguments, the community tech remains skeptical of this change.

Critics argue that the new naming system could become confusing for consumers, especially because of the multiple subcategories. However, Dell is adamant that this simplification will make the purchasing process more intuitive for customers in the long run.

Availability of new Dell laptops

The first seven models to carry the new names are scheduled to be launched by the end of February 2025.