Apple MacBook Air 15" M4 vs Dell Inspiron 15 (2024)
The Verdict
Apple's MacBook Air M4 delivers premium performance with its 10-core M4 chip, stunning 2880 x 1864 Liquid Retina display at 500 nits brightness, and exceptional 18-hour battery life in a lightweight 3.3 lb aluminum chassis. Dell's Inspiron 15 targets budget-conscious buyers, offering 512 GB storage, expandable memory, and traditional ports including HDMI and USB-A, but compromises with a lower 1920 x 1080 display, 8 GB base RAM, and Intel/AMD processors delivering notably less performance. While Dell excels in value and port versatility, Apple's M4 architecture dominates productivity tasks, media work, and overall system responsiveness. For professionals or creative users justifying the investment, the MacBook Air M4 is the clear choice. Budget shoppers seeking basic computing should consider Dell, though performance and display quality lag significantly behind.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple MacBook Air 15" M4 if…
- →M4 chip delivers massive performance leap over M3 with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
- →16 GB RAM standard — no more $200 upgrade from 8 GB
- →18-hour battery life is genuinely all-day
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 15" M4
Pros
- M4 chip delivers massive performance leap over M3 with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
- 16 GB RAM standard — no more $200 upgrade from 8 GB
- 18-hour battery life is genuinely all-day
- Fanless design is completely silent under all workloads
- Gorgeous 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display for content consumption
Cons
- Still limited to 60Hz display — no ProMotion
- Only two Thunderbolt ports — both on the left side
- Base 256 GB storage is tight for a $1,299 laptop
- No HDMI or SD card slot — dongles still required
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 15" M4 | Dell Inspiron 15 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Software | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.51 kg) | 1.65 kg |
| Material | Recycled aluminum | Plastic chassis with aluminum palm rest |
| Dimensions | 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches | 358.5 x 235.6 x 16.9 mm |
| Ports | ||
| HDMI | 1 | |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 1 |
| SD card | ||
| MagSafe | — | |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | — |
| USB-A ports | — | 2 |
| Headphone Jack | — | |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 12 hours |
| Capacity | 66.5 Wh | 54 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 15.3 inches | 15.6 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 250 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB (configurable to 2 TB) | 512 GB PCIe NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB / 16 GB DDR5 |
| Cores | 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU | 10-core (Intel) / 6-core (AMD) |
| Chipset | Apple M4 | 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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