Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Dell 16 Premium
65.5Performance57.6
—Graphics87.6
29.8Displayspec-based35.1
55.3Batteryspec-based69.3
79.6Portabilityspec-based45
4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)7 spec wins — Dell 16 Premium
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) scores 56.9 against 56.9 for Dell 16 Premium. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) edges ahead in performance, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 58
- 50% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,195 vs 2,792
- 39% lower thickness: 11.5 mm vs 18.7 mm
- 35% lower weight: 1.51 kg vs 2.34 kg
- 25% higher Peak brightness: 500 nits vs 400 nits
- Lower launch price: $1,299 vs $2,700
Reasons to pick the Dell 16 Premium
- 117% higher charging: 130 W vs 60 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- 100% higher RAM: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 100% higher storage: 1,024 GB vs 512 GB
- 50% higher capacity: 99.5 Wh vs 66.5 Wh
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3 ″ | 16.3 ″+7% |
| Panel type | IPS (Liquid Retina) | OLED (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 2880x1864 | 3840x2400 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+25% | 400 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR7) |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X-8400 (soldered) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 1,024 GB+100% |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+50%Top 3% | 2,792Top 50% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995Top 24% | 17,326+2%Top 22% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (GPU) | — | 13,644Top 31% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 66.5 Wh | 99.5 Wh+50% |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 11 h |
| Charging | 60 W | 130 W+117% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg+35% | 2.34 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mm+39% | 18.7 mm |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | CNC aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3 |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, 40Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), microSD card reader (v7.1), 3.5mm universal audio jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p FHD + IR |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | Fingerprint reader, IR face recognition (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell 16 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Home |
Related comparisons
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (2025) FA401KMVSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs Razer Blade 14 (2025)VSApple MacBook Air 15 (M5)vs HP ZBook Fury G1i 18VSDell 16 Premiumvs Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)VSDell 16 Premiumvs ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (2025) FA401KMVSDell 16 Premiumvs Razer Blade 14 (2025)VSDell 16 Premiumvs HP ZBook Fury G1i 18VS

