Apple MacBook Air 15" M4 vs Dell XPS 16 (9640)
Apple's MacBook Air M4 delivers exceptional value at $1299, featuring the powerful M4 chip, stunning 2880x1864 Liquid Retina display, and impressive 18-hour battery life in a remarkably thin 0.45-inch aluminum frame. Dell's XPS 16 counters with a larger 16.3-inch screen, more ports including Thunderbolt 3, superior processor core count (16-core Intel), and expandable SSD storage, though its 1920x1200 resolution feels dated for the $1899 price point and battery endurance trails at 13 hours. For creative professionals needing screen real estate and Windows ecosystem, the XPS 16 justifies its premium. However, MacBook Air M4 offers superior display quality, longer battery, better portability, and exceptional performance-per-dollar—making it the smarter choice for most users unless you specifically require Windows and Thunderbolt 3's faster speeds.
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15" M4 | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Software | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 3.3 lbs (1.51 kg) | 2.13 kg |
| Material | Recycled aluminum | CNC aluminum and carbon fiber |
| Dimensions | 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches | 358.1 x 240.1 x 18.7 mm |
| Ports | ||
| HDMI | — | |
| USB-C ports | 2 | — |
| SD card | ||
| MagSafe | — | |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2 | 3 |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 13 hours mixed use |
| Capacity | 66.5 Wh | 99.5 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 15.3 inches | 16.3 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS | InfinityEdge IPS non-touch |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 500 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB (configurable to 2 TB) | 512 GB NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB LPDDR5x |
| Cores | 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU | 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) |
| Chipset | Apple M4 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
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 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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