Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 vs Dell Inspiron 15 (2024)
The Verdict
Apple's M3 MacBook Air offers superior build quality, performance, and battery life in an ultraportable 13-inch form factor, while Dell's Inspiron 15 provides better value with a larger 15.6-inch display, expandable storage at 512GB, and traditional ports including HDMI and SD card. M3 delivers exceptional single-core performance and efficiency, achieving up to 18 hours of battery life compared to the Inspiron's 12 hours. However, the Dell includes HDMI output, USB-A ports, and headphone jack absent on Apple's machine. At $1099 versus $599, the MacBook Air justifies premium pricing for professionals prioritizing portability and performance, while the Inspiron suits budget-conscious users needing larger screens and flexibility. Choose the MacBook Air for creative professionals demanding extreme efficiency; select the Inspiron for everyday computing and legacy connectivity.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 if…
- →Light and portable at 1.24 kg
- →Excellent fanless M3 efficiency
- →Bright 500-nit Liquid Retina display
Buy the Dell Inspiron 15 (2024) if…
- →Solid all-rounder for everyday productivity and web browsing at $599
- →Good port selection including HDMI and SD card reader
- →Reasonable 54 Wh battery provides good endurance for the price
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Air 13" M3
Pros
- Light and portable at 1.24 kg
- Excellent fanless M3 efficiency
- Bright 500-nit Liquid Retina display
- Up to 18 hours of battery life
- Supports two external displays with lid closed
Cons
- 8 GB base RAM increasingly limiting
- Only two Thunderbolt ports
- 256 GB SSD uses single NAND chip with slower speeds
- No high-refresh display
- Limited port selection
Dell Inspiron 15 (2024)
Pros
- Solid all-rounder for everyday productivity and web browsing at $599
- Good port selection including HDMI and SD card reader
- Reasonable 54 Wh battery provides good endurance for the price
- Lightweight at 1.65 kg for a 15.6-inch laptop
- Expandable storage via second M.2 slot
Cons
- 250-nit display brightness is dim for any non-indoor use
- 60Hz refresh rate feels behind modern standards
- 8 GB base RAM needs upgrading for comfortable multitasking
- Plastic chassis feels basic compared to aluminum competitors
- Webcam is only 720p — poor for video calls
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 | Dell Inspiron 15 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Software | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 1.65 kg |
| Material | Aluminum unibody | Plastic chassis with aluminum palm rest |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215.0 x 11.3 mm | 358.5 x 235.6 x 16.9 mm |
| Ports | ||
| MagSafe | — | |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | — |
| HDMI | — | 1 |
| USB-A ports | — | 2 |
| USB-C ports | — | 1 |
| SD card | — | |
| Headphone Jack | — | |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours wireless web | Up to 12 hours |
| Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 54 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 13.6 inches | 15.6 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LED | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 250 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB | 512 GB PCIe NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Touch Bar | — | |
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 8 GB unified | 8 GB / 16 GB DDR5 |
| Cores | 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | 10-core (Intel) / 6-core (AMD) |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Intel Core i5-1335U / AMD Ryzen 5 7530U |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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