If you prioritize performance and have a higher budget, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is a solid choice with its powerful Apple M2 chip, which offers excellent performance for general use, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, along with a higher resolution screen and longer battery life, making it suitable for demanding applications. However, it is less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 offers affordable pricing and a larger storage capacity right out of the box. Its AMD Ryzen 5 chipset provides sufficient performance for general usage and is lighter for better portability, but it may fall short for intensive gaming or engineering workloads. 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 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 3525
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.0/10
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
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) outshines the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 in general use due to its superior CPU, higher RAM efficiency, and a more color-accurate and brighter screen, all while offering better portability with a thinner design and longer battery life. Despite having a larger storage capacity, the Dell falls short with its lower-grade processor, less impressive display, and shorter battery life, which are crucial factors for overall performance and user experience.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
6.4/10
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 3525 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful Apple M2 CPU, advanced M2 GPU, and higher-quality screen with greater resolution and color accuracy, which are crucial for intensive tasks and detailed visuals.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.1/10
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 3525 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
6.9/10
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 3525 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
6.3/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Air boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and media consumption, whereas the Dell Inspiron's average resolution and brightness give it a fair performance in this context. In engineering and design, the MacBook Air's wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation essential for professional editing and CAD work, a feature that the Dell Inspiron supports to a lesser extent. However, for 3D applications, the higher refresh rate is crucial for smooth rendering and the MacBook Air falls short here, making neither the MacBook Air nor the Dell Inspiron ideal for high-end gaming or advanced 3D modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
3.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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 3525 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
$400
$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 3525 costs $400.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.