Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) vs Dell XPS 16 (2026)
41.4Performance58.1
29.8Display38.4
55.3Battery60
79.6Portability67.5
3 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3)7 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (2026)
InnoReviews verdict
Dell XPS 16 (2026) wins this laptop face-off, 55.3 to 48.4, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+17) and display (+9). Apple MacBook Air 15 (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 15 (M3)
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 68
- 25% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 15.4 mm
- 13% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 1.74 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,299 vs $2,200
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (2026)
- Stronger performance score: 58 vs 41
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 60 vs 55
- 300% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 8 GB
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 16 ″+5% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS LCD (3.2K tandem OLED touchscreen optional) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 1920x1200 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H |
| Graphics | Apple M3 10-core GPU | Intel Arc B390 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5 (unified) | LPDDR5X-9600 (soldered) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 1,024 GB+300% |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,130+8%Top 14% | 2,903Top 32% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,066Bottom 29% | 16,943+40%Top 28% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 70 Wh+5% |
| Charging | 35 W | 100 W+186% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+13% | 1.74 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+25% | 15.4 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | CNC machined aluminum, Gorilla Glass 3 palm rest |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), 3.5mm audio jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Webcam | 1080p FaceTime HD | 8MP (1440p video) + IR camera |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sonoma | Windows 11 Home |
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