Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
65.5Performance42.9
29.8Display31.8
55.3Battery52
79.6Portability61.4
6 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)4 spec wins — Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 45.5, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+23) and portability (+18). 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 15 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 43
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 52
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 61
- 67% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 300 nits
- 57% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 16,995 vs 10,803
Reasons to pick the Dell 16 Plus (DB16250)
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 16 ″+5% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | IPS |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 2560x1600 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+67% | 300 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 256V |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Intel Arc Graphics 140V |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X-8533 (soldered) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 1,024 GB+100% |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (1 M.2 slot) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+52%Top 6% | 2,763Top 48% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995+57%Top 27% | 10,803Bottom 14% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh+4% | 64 Wh |
| Charging | 60 W | 65 W+8% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+19% | 1.87 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+32% | 17 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Aluminum lid and base, plastic palm rest |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 1x 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-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p with IR and privacy shutter |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Fingerprint reader, IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Plus (DB16250) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Home |
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