Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 comes out ahead overall, scoring 65% to 35% across the categories compared — particularly overall score (5.9 /10 vs 5.7 /10).
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 scored 65%, Dell XPS 13 2026 scored 35%.
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 is priced around $999, Dell XPS 13 2026 around $699.
How Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 and Dell XPS 13 2026 Rank
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
Apple M3 ranks in the top 5% of 45 CPUs we track.
Apple M3 GPU (10-core) ranks in the top 28% of 29 GPUs we track.
LPDDR5 RAM ranks in the top 50% of 4 RAM types we track.
Custom storage interface ranks in the top 75% of 4 storage interfaces we track.
IPS LCD display ranks in the top 60% of 5 display types we track.
Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.
Wi-Fi 6E ranks in the top 67% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.
Dell XPS 13 2026
Intel Core 5 320 ranks in the top 100% of 45 CPUs we track.
Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) ranks in the top 100% of 29 GPUs we track.
LPDDR5X RAM ranks in the top 25% of 4 RAM types we track.
PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) storage interface ranks in the top 50% of 4 storage interfaces we track.
IPS LCD display ranks in the top 60% of 5 display types we track.
Aluminum build ranks in the top 38% of 8 build materials we track.
Wi-Fi 7 ranks in the top 34% of 3 Wi-Fi standards we track.
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
 Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.9 /10 | 5.7 /10 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 9.4 /10 | 10 /10 |
| Weight | 1.24 kg | 1 kg |
| Thickness | 11.3 mm | 12.7 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | No |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Available colors | Black, Silver, Gold, Gray | Silver, Gray |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 0.8 mm |
| Cooling system | Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm | 296.9 x 200.66 x 12.7 mm |
| Footprint | 654 cm2 (101.3 inches2) | 596 cm2 (92.4 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | — | 11.8 x 6.8 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Glass |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 6.3 /10 | 5.6 /10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 676 | 566 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 133 | 113 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 11296 | 7705 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 2906 | 2460 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 8 | 6 |
| CPU | Apple M3 | Intel Core 5 320 |
| CPU cores | 8 (4P + 4E) | 6 (2P + 4E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.05 GHz | 1.5 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 4.6 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 6 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 2 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M3 | Intel Core 5 320 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 3.5 TFLOPS | 1.3 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M3 GPU (10-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M3 GPU | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 128 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | 500 MHz | 300 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1380 MHz | 2500 MHz |
| GPU power (TGP) | 15 W | 25 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M3 GPU (10-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 6400 MHz | 7467 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x4 GB | 1x8 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 8GB|16GB|24GB | 8GB|16GB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 256GB, 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB | 256GB, 512GB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 5.3 /10 | 6.7 /10 |
| Display size | 13.6 in | 13.4 in |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
| Pixel density | 225 ppi | 225 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes |
| Display type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2560 x 1600 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Matte |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Contrast ratio | 1250:1 | 1600:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 99.9% | 100% |
| Response time | 30 ms | 35 ms |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~82% | ~87.4% |
| Side bezels | 5.6 mm | 4.1 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 130° | — |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.5 /10 | 6.3 /10 |
| Battery capacity | 52.6 Wh | 52 Wh |
| Charging speed | 30 W | 65 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Battery voltage | — | 11.7 V |
| Full charge time | 2:30 hr | — |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7 /10 | 7.9 /10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 6 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 6 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | No | No |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | No | No |
| USB-A ports | No | No |
| USB-C ports | 2x USB 4.0 | 2x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) |
| Audio chip | — | CirrusLogic CS42L43 |
| Speaker loudness | ~83.2 dB | — |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W, 2x3W |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1080p FHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3
- Overall score: 5.9 /10 (vs 5.7 /10)
- Performance score: 6.3 /10 (vs 5.6 /10)
- Battery score: 8.5 /10 (vs 6.3 /10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 676 (vs 566 )
- Cinebench (single-core): 133 (vs 113 )
- Geekbench (multi-core): 11296 (vs 7705 )
- Geekbench (single-core): 2906 (vs 2460 )
- CPU threads: 8 (vs 6 )
- GPU compute: 3.5 TFLOPS (vs 1.3 TFLOPS)
- Display size: 13.6 in (vs 13.4 in)
- Battery capacity: 52.6 Wh (vs 52 Wh)
- Thickness: 11.3 mm (vs 12.7 mm)
- Fingerprint reader
Dell XPS 13 2026
- Portability score: 10 /10 (vs 9.4 /10)
- Display score: 6.7 /10 (vs 5.3 /10)
- Connectivity score: 7.9 /10 (vs 7 /10)
- Storage upgradable
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz (vs 60 Hz)
- Touchscreen
- Charging speed: 65 W (vs 30 W)
- Weight: 1 kg (vs 1.24 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
- Wi-Fi generation: 7 (vs 6 )
- Bluetooth version: 6 (vs 5.3 )
More Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 and Dell XPS 13 2026 Comparisons
Laptops Similar to Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 or Dell XPS 13 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has the better overall score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 has the better overall score at 5.9 /10, versus 5.7 /10 on the Dell XPS 13 2026.
Which has the better performance score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 has the better performance score at 6.3 /10, versus 5.6 /10 on the Dell XPS 13 2026.
Which has the better portability score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The Dell XPS 13 2026 has the better portability score at 10 /10, versus 9.4 /10 on the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3.
Which has the better battery score, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 has the better battery score at 8.5 /10, versus 6.3 /10 on the Dell XPS 13 2026.