Choosing the Apple MacBook Air (2022) provides you with a highly portable and quiet device with fanless operation and a high-quality build. Its display offers sharp images and vibrant colors ideal for general use and media consumption. However, the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 offers more storage space and memory, a larger touchscreen display, and may be better for tasks requiring more computing power, like complex engineering software or 3D rendering. The tradeoff is a slightly heftier build, potentially impacting portability, and it's generally priced lower than the MacBook Air. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5625
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.2/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Air likely offers a higher resolution and brighter display, ensuring clearer and more vibrant visuals, while the Dell Inspiron might have a less vibrant display with adequate sharpness. In engineering and design tasks, the MacBook Air's display probably covers a wider range of colors, essential for accurate color work, a feature where the Dell's color representation falls short. For 3D applications, the lower refresh rate on both laptops means less fluid motion compared to specialized gaming laptops; however, the MacBook might offer slightly better visuals despite not being optimized for high-refresh-rate activities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its Apple M2 processor, 8 GB of RAM, high-quality screen, and fanless operation provides excellent portability paired with strong performance for general use, and a superior battery life enhances its appeal for users on the go.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its Apple M2 processor and integrated GPU is known for excellent performance in CPU and GPU-intensive tasks, while its high-resolution IPS display offers exceptional screen quality; its lightweight design and silent operation also contribute to its high portability and user comfort.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Cost
$799
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 costs $800.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"I think there is fair value in the Inspiron 16 this year. Very little has changed with the laptop and my opinion hasn’t really changed either. In other words, I like it. Overall, I think the pros far outweigh the cons of this laptop and the price is certainly justifiable. I found this to be a great typer and I could potentially work all day on this machine, provided I don’t need a graphics card."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Dell Inspiron 16 5625
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.