Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) vs Dell XPS 16 (2026)
55.3Performance58.1
29.8Display38.4
72Battery60
79.6Portability67.5
3 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)7 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (2026)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) wins this laptop face-off, 57 to 55.3, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+12) and battery (+12). Dell XPS 16 (2026) 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 (M4)
- Stronger battery score: 72 vs 60
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 68
- 27% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,700 vs 2,903
- 25% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 15.4 mm
- 13% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 1.74 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,199 vs $2,200
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (2026)
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 30
- 300% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 256 GB
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 43% higher charging: 100 W vs 70 W
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | 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 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M4 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H |
| Graphics | Apple M4 10-core GPU | Intel Arc B390 |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X-9600 (soldered) |
| Storage | 256 GB | 1,024 GB+300% |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,700+27%Top 11% | 2,903Top 32% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,700Top 36% | 16,943+15%Top 28% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 70 Wh+5% |
| Web browsing endurance | 15 h | — |
| Charging | 70 W | 100 W+43% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+13% | 1.74 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+25% | 15.4 mm |
| Material | Aluminum | CNC machined aluminum, Gorilla Glass 3 palm rest |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 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 | 12MP Center Stage | 8MP (1440p video) + IR camera |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
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