Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) vs Dell XPS 16 (9640)
44.5Performance42.4
29.8Display38.4
66.7Battery99.3
88Portability51.3
3 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3)6 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (9640)
InnoReviews verdict
Dell XPS 16 (9640) wins this laptop face-off, 55.5 to 53.5, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+33) and display (+9). Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) 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 portability score: 88 vs 51
- 42% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 2.13 kg
- 40% lower thickness: 11.3 mm vs 18.7 mm
- 26% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,050 vs 2,418
- Lower launch price: $1,099 vs $1,899
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (9640)
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 99 vs 67
- 271% higher charging: 130 W vs 35 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 100% higher storage: 512 GB vs 256 GB
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 13.6 ″ | 16.3 ″+20% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS (4K OLED touch optional) |
| Resolution | 2560x1664 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
| Graphics | Apple M3 8-core GPU | Intel Arc (RTX 4050/4060/4070 optional) |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | LPDDR5X-6400 (soldered) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB+100% |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,050+26%Top 22% | 2,418Bottom 22% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,000Bottom 27% | 13,656+14%Top 47% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 53 Wh | 100 Wh+89% |
| Web browsing endurance | 15 h | — |
| Charging | 35 W | 130 W+271% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kg+42% | 2.13 kg |
| Thickness | 11.3 mm+40% | 18.7 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | CNC aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 3x Thunderbolt 4, microSD, 3.5mm |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 1080p + IR |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Fingerprint reader (power button), IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (9640) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home |
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