US PC maker Dell Technologies, long absent from the consumer PC spotlight, appears set for a comeback. At CES, the company signalled plans to significantly broaden its personal computer portfolio, targeting a wider range of price points and re-entering lower tiers of the market.

In recent years, Dell’s products became heavier and increasingly expensive, a strategy that hurt its competitiveness. Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman Jeff Clarke acknowledged the misstep, admitting, “We’ve got a bit off course.”

That admission neatly sums up Dell’s position in 2025, after its PC unit underperformed and lost market share to Chinese rival Lenovo. Clarke, who recently took temporary leadership of the PC business, said Dell’s intense focus on high-end, premium devices for commercial customers caused it to miss a large opportunity in the consumer market.

Speaking at CES, Dell confirmed it plans to return to more affordable segments, with new product releases expected in 2026. Several Australian retailers, including JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman, have already been shown upcoming models, with the company preparing to revive a popular PC line.

Rob Bruckner, who joined Dell in early December, will now lead the commercial PC business, while Clarke will continue overseeing the consumer division until a permanent leader is appointed.

According to IDC, the global PC market is forecast to contract by 2.4% in 2026, following growth of 6.6% in 2025. Dell underperformed in both enterprise and consumer segments last year compared with key competitors.

Traditionally, Dell has been strong in premium commercial and enterprise markets, particularly among large corporate customers, said Asiya Merchant, technology hardware and supply chain analyst at Citi Research. ChannelNews understands Dell may be able to claw back share from Lenovo as concerns grow among major businesses over the Chinese company’s links to the Chinese Communist Party.

In the consumer segment, Dell’s market share slipped from 5% to 4.6% between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2025, according to IDC. In enterprise, where Dell remains stronger but still trails Lenovo and HP, share declined from 22.5% to 21.2% over the same period.

Revenue from Dell’s PC business fell to US$48.4 billion in 2025, down from US$48.9 billion in 2024, a decline of roughly 1%, while competitors posted growth.

Dell executives admitted at CES that the company was hurt in 2025 by a lack of product depth compared with rivals. Clarke also conceded that Dell alienated some of its most loyal customers when it discontinued its XPS line.

On Monday at CES, Dell announced it is reviving the XPS brand.

“I owe you an apology. We didn’t listen to you. You were right on branding,” Clarke told a room of tech reporters and enthusiasts during a CES preview in December. “We can course correct, we can be humble, and we can correct decisions that we’ve made in the past.”