Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Dell XPS 16 (2026)
65.5Performance58.1
29.8Display38.4
55.3Battery60
79.6Portability67.5
4 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)6 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (2026)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 56.9 to 55.3, pulling ahead mainly in portability (+12) and performance (+7). 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 (M5)
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 58
- Stronger portability score: 80 vs 68
- 45% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,195 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: $1,299 vs $2,200
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (2026)
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 60 vs 55
- 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
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | 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 (M5) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Intel Arc B390 |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X-9600 (soldered) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 1,024 GB+100% |
| Storage type | SSD | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,195+45%Top 6% | 2,903Top 32% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,995Top 27% | 16,943Top 28% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 67 Wh | 70 Wh+5% |
| Charging | 60 W | 100 W+67% |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | 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 (M5) | 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 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 6.0 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 8MP (1440p video) + IR camera |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR face (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Dell XPS 16 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Home |
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