Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 vs Dell XPS 16 (9640)
Apple's M3 MacBook Air 13" excels as a portable, efficient ultrabook ideal for everyday tasks and creative work, delivering 18-hour battery life in a featherweight 1.24kg chassis. Dell's XPS 16 targets power users needing expandable workspace with its larger 16.3" display, superior 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and Intel Core Ultra 7's multi-threaded performance for video editing and development. However, the XPS 16 weighs nearly twice as much (2.13kg) and manages only 13 hours battery life. At $1099, the MacBook Air offers exceptional value for mobile professionals and students. The XPS 16's $1899 price demands serious workload justification. For portability, battery efficiency, and value, the M3 MacBook Air is the smarter choice for most users; choose the XPS 16 only if you genuinely require sustained computational power and larger screen real estate.
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13" M3 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Software | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 2.13 kg |
| Material | Aluminum unibody | CNC aluminum and carbon fiber |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215.0 x 11.3 mm | 358.1 x 240.1 x 18.7 mm |
| Ports | ||
| MagSafe | — | |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 3 |
| SD card | — | |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours wireless web | Up to 13 hours mixed use |
| Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 99.5 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 13.6 inches | 16.3 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LED | InfinityEdge IPS non-touch |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 500 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB | 512 GB NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Touch Bar | — | |
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 8 GB unified | 16 GB LPDDR5x |
| Cores | 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) |
| Chipset | Apple M3 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
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 XPS 16 (9640)
Pros
- Premium CNC aluminum chassis with edge-to-edge keyboard
- Optional 4K OLED touch display available
- Powerful Core Ultra and RTX 4050-4070 GPU options
- Large 99.5 Wh battery
- Three Thunderbolt 4 ports
Cons
- No USB-A, HDMI, or SD card slot
- Capacitive touch function row is divisive
- Invisible haptic trackpad takes adjustment
- Heavy and runs hot under load
- Mediocre battery life with discrete GPU
Related Comparisons
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