The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its M1 chip has excellent general and engineering performance, a high-quality screen with great colors, and a robust build, all coupled with a long battery life. If you prioritize portability, refined design, and an operating system geared towards creative work, it’s an excellent choice, though it comes at a higher cost. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 5530 offers more RAM, a larger screen, and additional features like an Ethernet port and a number pad, suitable for business users who need these functionalities and might prefer Windows 11 Pro; it is also slightly more affordable. However, the Latitude has a lower resolution screen and potentially shorter battery life. If your work demands frequent number entry and you appreciate a larger display and more connectivity options, consider the Dell Latitude 5530. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Latitude 5530
The Dell Latitude 5530 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
286.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5530 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution Retina display, which offers excellent brightness and support for wide color gamuts, ensuring crisp and color-accurate images. For engineering and design, its display covers a wide range of the color spectrum, which is crucial for precision work requiring accurate color representation. However, the MacBook Pro's screen isn't ideal for 3D applications as it has a standard refresh rate, which is lower than what's preferred for smooth rendering and gaming experiences that benefit from higher refresh rates.
Battery
20.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 5530 has 9 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
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell Latitude 5530 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Latitude 5530 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$919
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell Latitude 5530 costs $919.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Latitude 5530 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a high-resolution IPS screen, a strong CPU and GPU within the Apple M1 chip, and an impressive battery life making it very portable, complemented by its lightweight design and silent operation, making it ideal for general use where screen quality and portability are prioritized. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 5530 also provides solid performance with more RAM and an Intel CPU, good screen size, and great build quality; however, it has a shorter battery life and is slightly heavier, which may be important for users who need longer unplugged usage or frequent mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Latitude 5530 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated Apple M1 GPU, which supports 3D tasks to a fair extent but it may not be optimal for high-end 3D applications and its 60Hz screen refresh rate is standard for smooth visuals but might not satisfy gamers looking for higher refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) to be good for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 5530 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its M1 chip offers strong CPU and GPU performance suitable for engineering tasks, along with a high-quality screen that covers a wide range of colors, contributing to its utility in design work. In contrast, the Dell Latitude 5530 provides more RAM for multitasking and complex tasks, while also featuring a high-quality screen, though with slightly inferior color coverage, making it well-suited for engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Latitude 5530 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
7.8/10
7.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Latitude 5530 are both 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 Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell Latitude 5530 compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell Latitude 5530
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.