Between the Spectre x360 14 (2025) and XPS 16 (9650), the Spectre x360 14 (2025) comes out ahead in claimed battery life and weight, while the XPS 16 (9650) wins on cpu cores and battery. Overall, the Spectre x360 14 (2025) scores 63.1 and the XPS 16 (9650) scores 76.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XPS 16 (9650) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 13.6 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Spectre x360 14 (2025) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are claimed battery life, weight.
Pick the XPS 16 (9650) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are cpu cores, battery, screen size, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, storage, refresh rate, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the XPS 16 (9650) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why HP - Spectre x360 14 (2025) wins
- ▲Claimed battery life — 23.08% more. 16 h vs 13 h.
- ▲Weight — 0.74 kg less. 1.39 vs 2.13.
Why Dell - XPS 16 (9650) wins
- ▲CPU cores — 100.00% more. 16 vs 8.
- ▲Battery — 46.32% more. 99.5 Wh vs 68 Wh.
- ▲Screen size — 16.43% more. 16.3 " vs 14 ".
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 1.00 more. 3 vs 2.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | HP - Spectre x360 14 (2025) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.39 kglead | 2.13 kg |
| Thickness | 17 mmlead | 18.7 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | HP - Spectre x360 14 (2025) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 14 " | 16.3 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Panel typeⓘ | OLED | OLED |
Performance
| Spec | HP - Spectre x360 14 (2025) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 268V | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU cores | 8 | 16lead |
| GPUⓘ | Intel Arc 140V | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop |
| RAMⓘ | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 1024 GB | 1024 GB |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | HP - Spectre x360 14 (2025) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 68 Wh | 99.5 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 16 hlead | 13 h |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 3lead |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 2 | 3lead |
| HDMI | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, Spectre x360 14 (2025) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Spectre x360 14 (2025) claims up to 16 hours — 16h vs 13h.
Which is lighter, Spectre x360 14 (2025) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Spectre x360 14 (2025) is lighter at 1.39 kg vs 2.13 kg.
Which has an OLED display, Spectre x360 14 (2025) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Both have OLED displays.
Spec-level deep dives
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