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InnoReviews

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) vs Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)

WINNER
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)
53.5Inno Score
VS
Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
45.5Inno Score
44.5Performance42.9
29.8Display31.8
66.7Battery52
88Portability61.4
5 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)5 spec wins — Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)

InnoReviews verdict

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) wins this laptop face-off, 53.5 to 45.5, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+27) and battery (+15). Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)

  • Stronger battery score: 67 vs 52
  • Stronger portability score: 88 vs 61
  • 67% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 300 nits
  • 34% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 1.87 kg
  • 33% lower thickness: 11.3 mm vs 17 mm

Reasons to pick the Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)

  • 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
  • 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 86% higher charging: 65 W vs 35 W
  • 22% higher capacity: 64 Wh vs 53 Wh
  • 18% higher Screen size: 16 ″ vs 13.6 ″

Display

Display comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Screen size13.6 ″16 ″+18%
Panel typeIPS (Liquid Retina)IPS
Resolution2560x16642560x1600
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz+100%
Peak brightness500 nits+67%300 nits

Performance

Performance comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
ProcessorApple M3 (8-core)Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
GraphicsApple M3 8-core GPUIntel Arc Graphics 140V
RAM16 GB16 GB
RAM typeLPDDR5 (unified)LPDDR5X-8533 (soldered)
Storage256 GB1,024 GB+300%
Storage typeNVMe SSDPCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (1 M.2 slot)

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Geekbench 6 (single)3,050+10%Top 22%2,763Top 48%
Geekbench 6 (multi)12,000+11%Bottom 27%10,803Bottom 14%

Battery

Battery comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Capacity53 Wh64 Wh+22%
Web browsing endurance15 h—
Charging35 W65 W+86%

Design

Design comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Weight1.24 kg+34%1.87 kg
Thickness11.3 mm+33%17 mm
MaterialAluminumAluminum lid and base, plastic palm rest

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Ports2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm1x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.35.4
Webcam1080p FaceTime HD1080p with IR and privacy shutter
BiometricsTouch IDFingerprint reader, IR face (Windows Hello)

Software

Software comparison: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) versus Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
SpecApple MacBook Air 13 (M3)Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
Operating systemmacOS SonomaWindows 11 Home

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