Head-to-head

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

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

9.4 $1,099

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro)

9.3 $2,199

Dell XPS 13

9.0 $1,299

Verdict

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.

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.

Best for

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.

Dell XPS 13

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

Avoid if

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.

Dell XPS 13

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

Score breakdown

value

Apple MacB

8.7

Apple MacB

8.0

Dell XPS 1

7.8

os ecosystem

Apple MacB

9.0

Apple MacB

9.0

Dell XPS 1

9.0

keyboard build

Apple MacB

9.0

Apple MacB

9.2

Dell XPS 1

8.0

display quality

Apple MacB

8.8

Apple MacB

9.6

Dell XPS 1

9.0

performance fit

Apple MacB

8.5

Apple MacB

9.6

Dell XPS 1

8.3

portability battery

Apple MacB

9.6

Apple MacB

8.6

Dell XPS 1

8.8

Specs

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)

—

memory

16GB unified (configurable to 24/32GB)

24GB unified base (to 48GB)

16GB LPDDR5x base (to 32GB)

weight

2.7 lb (1.23 kg)

~3.4 lb (1.6 kg)

~2.6 lb (1.18 kg)

battery

Up to 18 hours; fanless

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

17+ hours; all-day

display

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

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

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

storage

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

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

512GB SSD base (to 1TB+)

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)

—

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)

Buy →Buy →Buy →

	Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)	Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro)	Dell XPS 13
Score	9.4	9.3	9.0
Price	$1,099	$2,199	$1,299
Verdict	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.	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.
Best for	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.	Windows users who want a compact premium laptop for school, office work, travel, and remote work without moving to macOS.
Avoid if	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.	You need lots of ports, a business-class keyboard, gaming performance, or the lowest possible price.
Score breakdown
value	8.7	8.0	7.8
os ecosystem	9.0	9.0	9.0
keyboard build	9.0	9.2	8.0
display quality	8.8	9.6	9.0
performance fit	8.5	9.6	8.3
portability battery	9.6	8.6	8.8
Specs
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)	—
memory	16GB unified (configurable to 24/32GB)	24GB unified base (to 48GB)	16GB LPDDR5x base (to 32GB)
weight	2.7 lb (1.23 kg)	~3.4 lb (1.6 kg)	~2.6 lb (1.18 kg)
battery	Up to 18 hours; fanless	All-day (72.4 Wh); active cooling sustains performance	17+ hours; all-day
display	13.6-inch Liquid Retina IPS, 2560x1664, 500 nits, 60Hz	14.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR, 3024x1964, 120Hz ProMotion, 1000+ nits	13.4-inch 120Hz FHD+ (1920x1200); optional 3K tandem OLED
storage	512GB SSD base, up to 4TB; ~2x faster than M4 Air	1TB SSD base (~2x faster); configurable higher	512GB SSD base (to 1TB+)
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)	—
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)
	Buy →	Buy →	Buy →

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