The Apple MacBook Air is pricier, offering a high-resolution display, great build quality, long battery life, and efficient operation with its M2 chip, which is good for general use and multimedia tasks, and it's light and thin, enhancing portability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron is more affordable, with satisfactory performance for everyday tasks using an Intel i3 chip and a decent display but it is heavier and thicker, which could be less convenient for carrying around. If price is a key concern and you need a device for basics like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the Dell is a solid choice; opt for the MacBook Air if you're seeking a higher-end experience, better screen, and longer battery life. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is preferred for general use due to its powerful Apple M2 processor, high screen resolution and color accuracy, longer battery life, and silent fanless operation which collectively enhance the user experience, whereas the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, despite having similar RAM and storage, offers a less powerful Intel i3 processor, lower screen quality, shorter battery life, and has a fan, which may not provide as smooth or quiet an experience.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
6.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with its Apple M2 CPU, 10-core GPU, and high-resolution display excels in tasks that demand a lot of computing power and visual quality, thereby making it good for engineering and design. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a less powerful Intel i3 CPU and UHD Graphics, and a lower-resolution display, resulting in fair performance for engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is good.
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
8.1/10
6.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.8/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a high-resolution display with excellent color accuracy that covers a wider range of colors, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks where precise color representation is crucial. However, it falls short for 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which can hinder the smoothness of animations and renderings. The Dell Inspiron, on the other hand, has a more modest screen with lower resolution and less vibrant color coverage, which is sufficient for everyday tasks but not optimal for professional design work or the fast-paced visuals required for gaming and 3D content.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$346
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $346.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with its own GPU is fair for 3D because of its display quality and GPU capabilities, but it's limited by a standard screen refresh rate and the fact that many popular games do not run on its operating system. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, although equipped with a modest integrated GPU, offers a high screen refresh rate suited for gaming experiences, but may fall short in the most graphically demanding games.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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.
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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.
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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.