Head-to-head

Dell XPS 13 vs Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro)

Dell XPS 13

9.0 $1,299

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

9.4 $1,099

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro)

9.3 $2,199

Verdict

Dell XPS 13

A genuinely beautiful Windows ultraportable that finally lasts all day, past 17 hours. The catch is Dell's love-it-or-hate-it design: an invisible touchpad, a capacitive function row, and only two USB-C ports, so pack a dongle. Stunning for travel, an adjustment to live with.

Apple MacBook Air

For most people, stop here. The M5 Air is fast enough for everything short of pro video, runs silent, and lasts all day. The chip is the real upgrade; the design is unchanged and the screen's still 60Hz. It's $100 pricier than before at $1,099, but it's the safe call.

Apple MacBook Pro

Buy this only if you'll use it: long exports, big compiles, 3D renders. The M5 Pro holds full speed where the fanless Air throttles, and the mini-LED 120Hz screen is the best on any laptop. It starts at $2,199 and climbs fast; M4 Pro owners can sit this one out.

Best for

Dell XPS 13

Windows users who want a compact premium laptop for school, office work, travel, and remote work without moving to macOS.

Apple MacBook Air

Most students, founders, remote workers, and everyday buyers who want a light Mac laptop with great battery life and very little maintenance.

Apple MacBook Pro

Creators, developers, editors, and power users who need sustained performance, a better display, more ports, and headroom for demanding work.

Avoid if

Dell XPS 13

You need lots of ports, a business-class keyboard, gaming performance, or the lowest possible price.

Apple MacBook Air

You need Windows-only software, serious gaming, or sustained pro workloads like heavy video editing and local AI experiments.

Apple MacBook Pro

Your work is mostly browser tabs, documents, email, and video calls; a MacBook Air will feel nearly as good for much less.

Score breakdown

value

Dell XPS 1

7.8

Apple MacB

8.7

Apple MacB

8.0

os ecosystem

Dell XPS 1

9.0

Apple MacB

9.0

Apple MacB

9.0

keyboard build

Dell XPS 1

8.0

Apple MacB

9.0

Apple MacB

9.2

display quality

Dell XPS 1

9.0

Apple MacB

8.8

Apple MacB

9.6

performance fit

Dell XPS 1

8.3

Apple MacB

8.5

Apple MacB

9.6

portability battery

Dell XPS 1

8.8

Apple MacB

9.6

Apple MacB

8.6

Specs

cpu

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake), Copilot+ PC

—

gpu

Intel Arc (integrated)

—

ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 only (no USB-A or headphone jack)

—

memory

16GB LPDDR5x base (to 32GB)

16GB unified (configurable to 24/32GB)

24GB unified base (to 48GB)

weight

~2.6 lb (1.18 kg)

2.7 lb (1.23 kg)

~3.4 lb (1.6 kg)

battery

17+ hours; all-day

Up to 18 hours; fanless

All-day (72.4 Wh); active cooling sustains performance

display

13.4-inch 120Hz FHD+ (1920x1200); optional 3K tandem OLED

13.6-inch Liquid Retina IPS, 2560x1664, 500 nits, 60Hz

14.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR, 3024x1964, 120Hz ProMotion, 1000+ nits

storage

512GB SSD base (to 1TB+)

512GB SSD base, up to 4TB; ~2x faster than M4 Air

1TB SSD base (~2x faster); configurable higher

chip

—

Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 8 or 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)

Apple M5 Pro (15-18 core CPU, 16-20 core GPU)

price

—

From $1,099 (13-inch)

From $2,199 (14-inch M5 Pro)

connectivity

—

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (N1 chip), 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm

3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (N1)

Buy →Buy →Buy →

	Dell XPS 13	Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)	Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro)
Score	9.0	9.4	9.3
Price	$1,299	$1,099	$2,199
Verdict	A genuinely beautiful Windows ultraportable that finally lasts all day, past 17 hours. The catch is Dell's love-it-or-hate-it design: an invisible touchpad, a capacitive function row, and only two USB-C ports, so pack a dongle. Stunning for travel, an adjustment to live with.	For most people, stop here. The M5 Air is fast enough for everything short of pro video, runs silent, and lasts all day. The chip is the real upgrade; the design is unchanged and the screen's still 60Hz. It's $100 pricier than before at $1,099, but it's the safe call.	Buy this only if you'll use it: long exports, big compiles, 3D renders. The M5 Pro holds full speed where the fanless Air throttles, and the mini-LED 120Hz screen is the best on any laptop. It starts at $2,199 and climbs fast; M4 Pro owners can sit this one out.
Best for	Windows users who want a compact premium laptop for school, office work, travel, and remote work without moving to macOS.	Most students, founders, remote workers, and everyday buyers who want a light Mac laptop with great battery life and very little maintenance.	Creators, developers, editors, and power users who need sustained performance, a better display, more ports, and headroom for demanding work.
Avoid if	You need lots of ports, a business-class keyboard, gaming performance, or the lowest possible price.	You need Windows-only software, serious gaming, or sustained pro workloads like heavy video editing and local AI experiments.	Your work is mostly browser tabs, documents, email, and video calls; a MacBook Air will feel nearly as good for much less.
Score breakdown
value	7.8	8.7	8.0
os ecosystem	9.0	9.0	9.0
keyboard build	8.0	9.0	9.2
display quality	9.0	8.8	9.6
performance fit	8.3	8.5	9.6
portability battery	8.8	9.6	8.6
Specs
cpu	Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake), Copilot+ PC	—	—
gpu	Intel Arc (integrated)	—	—
ports	2x Thunderbolt 4 only (no USB-A or headphone jack)	—	—
memory	16GB LPDDR5x base (to 32GB)	16GB unified (configurable to 24/32GB)	24GB unified base (to 48GB)
weight	~2.6 lb (1.18 kg)	2.7 lb (1.23 kg)	~3.4 lb (1.6 kg)
battery	17+ hours; all-day	Up to 18 hours; fanless	All-day (72.4 Wh); active cooling sustains performance
display	13.4-inch 120Hz FHD+ (1920x1200); optional 3K tandem OLED	13.6-inch Liquid Retina IPS, 2560x1664, 500 nits, 60Hz	14.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR, 3024x1964, 120Hz ProMotion, 1000+ nits
storage	512GB SSD base (to 1TB+)	512GB SSD base, up to 4TB; ~2x faster than M4 Air	1TB SSD base (~2x faster); configurable higher
chip	—	Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 8 or 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)	Apple M5 Pro (15-18 core CPU, 16-20 core GPU)
price	—	From $1,099 (13-inch)	From $2,199 (14-inch M5 Pro)
connectivity	—	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (N1 chip), 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm	3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 (N1)
	Buy →	Buy →	Buy →

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