Dell XPS 16 (2026) vs Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
58.1Performance44
38.4Display29.8
60Battery94.7
67.5Portability85.7
4 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (2026)1 spec wins — Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) wins this laptop face-off, 59.1 to 55.3, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+35) and portability (+18). 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 Dell XPS 16 (2026)
- Stronger performance score: 58 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 30
- 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
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 60
- Stronger portability score: 86 vs 68
- 29% lower weight: 1.24 kg vs 1.74 kg
- Lower launch price: $1,099 vs $2,200
Display
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16 ″+18% | 13.6 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD (3.2K tandem OLED touchscreen optional) | Liquid Retina IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 1920x1200 | 2560x1664 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H | Apple M5 (10-core) |
| Graphics | Intel Arc B390 | Apple M5 (8-core GPU) |
| RAM | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-9600 (soldered) | — |
| Storage | 1,024 GB+100% | 512 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | — |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,903Top 32% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 16,943Top 28% | — |
Battery
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 70 Wh | — |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 18 h |
| Charging | 100 W | — |
Design
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.74 kg | 1.24 kg+29% |
| Thickness | 15.4 mm | — |
| Material | CNC machined aluminum, Gorilla Glass 3 palm rest | Recycled Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery), 3.5mm audio jack | — |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | — |
| Webcam | 8MP (1440p video) + IR camera | — |
| Biometrics | IR face (Windows Hello) | Touch ID |
Software
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (2026) | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | macOS |
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