Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 wins 7 of the 12 categories we compared, against 3 for Dell XPS 13 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10).
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: which one should you buy?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 if you care most about overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10), performance score (8/10 vs 5.6/10) and battery score (8.4/10 vs 6.3/10).
Choose the Dell XPS 13 2026 if you care most about portability score (10/10 vs 9.4/10), display score (6.7/10 vs 5.3/10) and refresh rate (120 Hz vs 60 Hz).
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
 Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7/10 | 5.7/10 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 9.4/10 | 10/10 |
| Weight | 1.23 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, Blue | 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 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 8/10 | 5.6/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 1126 | 566 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 199 | 113 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 16670 | 7705 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4091 | 2460 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 10 | 6 |
| CPU | Apple M5 (8-сore GPU) | Intel Core 5 320 |
| CPU cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 6 (2P + 4E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 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 M5 (8-сore GPU) Apple M5 (10-Core) | Intel Core 5 320 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 3.3 TFLOPS | 1.3 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 GPU (8-Core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 GPU (8-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 128 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | — | 300 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | 2500 MHz |
| GPU power (TGP) | — | 25 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 GPU (8-Core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2-Core) |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 7467 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 2x8 GB | 1x8 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 16GB|24GB|32GB | 8GB|16GB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 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 | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB | 256GB, 512GB |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
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 | 1437:1 | 1600:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Response time | 20 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 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 8.4/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Battery capacity | 53.8 Wh | 52 Wh |
| Charging speed | 35 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 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 7.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 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 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
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 | ~82.1 dB | — |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W, 2x3W |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
Dell XPS 13 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs Dell XPS 13 2026: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5
|
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 M5
- Overall score: 7/10 (vs 5.7/10)
- Performance score: 8/10 (vs 5.6/10)
- Battery score: 8.4/10 (vs 6.3/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 1126 (vs 566)
- Cinebench (single-core): 199 (vs 113)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 16670 (vs 7705)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4091 (vs 2460)
- CPU threads: 10 (vs 6)
- GPU compute: 3.3 TFLOPS (vs 1.3 TFLOPS)
- RAM: 16 GB (vs 8 GB)
- Storage: 512 GB (vs 256 GB)
- Display size: 13.6 in (vs 13.4 in)
- Battery capacity: 53.8 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)
- Storage upgradable
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz (vs 60 Hz)
- Touchscreen
- Charging speed: 65 W (vs 35 W)
- Weight: 1 kg (vs 1.23 kg)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 wins 7 of the 12 categories we compared, against 3 for Dell XPS 13 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (7/10 vs 5.7/10).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 or the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The Dell XPS 13 2026 costs around $699, $400 less than the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 at around $1099.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 and the Dell XPS 13 2026?
The biggest gaps are in overall score (7/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs 5.7/10); performance score (8/10 on the Apple MacBook Air 13 M5 vs 5.6/10); portability score (10/10 on the Dell XPS 13 2026 vs 9.4/10).