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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a lightweight design and fanless operation for quiet use, which may appeal to users who prioritize portability and a silent work environment. It runs MacOS, has solid general-use performance, and boasts impressive screen quality with high color accuracy, but it has less storage and lower performance in more demanding tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software compared to the Dell XPS 15. The Dell XPS 15, on the other hand, offers a Windows platform with more storage, higher RAM, and better performance for intensive tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for extended use on the go. 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)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell XPS 15
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
7.4
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 15 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 15 has a better screen for software development.
The MacBook Air's high resolution and brightness make it excellent for general use, ensuring crisp text and vibrant display, while its strong color gamut coverage benefits engineers and designers needing color accuracy. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 15's good screen characteristics meet the needs of general use and design work but falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals. Both laptops lack higher refresh rates needed for optimal 3D rendering, which could detract from a fully immersive experience in applications demanding high frame rates.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 15 has 10 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
4.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell XPS 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Dell XPS 15 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 15 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Dell XPS 15 excels in general use partially due to its superior processing power with an Intel CPU, double the RAM, and better storage capacity compared to the Apple MacBook Air 15, which nevertheless offers excellent portability and silent operation with its fanless design and lighter weight. Furthermore, while the MacBook's screen offers higher resolution and color accuracy, the XPS 15's screen is brighter and has better contrast, along with a longer battery life which can be crucial for users requiring extended unplugged periods.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.8
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 15 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) 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
7.6
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 15 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with an Apple M2 processor, integrated graphics, and a high-resolution, color-accurate IPS display, but with lesser storage and RAM compared to the Dell XPS 15, which features a more powerful Intel i7-13700H processor, discrete Intel Arc A370M GPU, as well as a high pixel density IPS screen, making it slightly better for performance-intensive engineering and design tasks. However, the MacBook is lighter and has a longer battery life, offering better portability and less operating noise, whereas the XPS has more RAM and storage, enhancing its capability for handling complex projects.
Content Creation
8.0
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for software development.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Dell XPS 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Dell XPS 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.21 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 13.57" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 606 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"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 XPS 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Dell XPS 15
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.
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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
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Recommendations made
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About the laptop team
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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
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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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