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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers high performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, with robust build quality, a high-resolution Mini LED screen, and superior speaker quality. Its battery life is exceptional, but it is heavier and has less portability than the Dell XPS 13 Plus. The Dell XPS 13 Plus is much lighter and extremely portable, with a high-resolution OLED touchscreen and very good performance for general use. However, the Dell's battery life is shorter, and it may not handle intensive tasks as efficiently as the MacBook Pro. Both laptops are similarly priced, so your choice should focus on whether portability or performance is your priority. 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 16 (2021)
- Excellent for general use
- Good for gaming and AI
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0
8.4
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) boasts a powerful CPU and abundant RAM that provide smooth performance, a high-capacity battery for extended use, and a larger screen with exceptional quality, although it's less portable due to its size and weight.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.4
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with a significant on-chip GPU and a high screen refresh rate, making it suitable for 3D work, although its gaming capabilities are hindered by a lack of compatibility with many popular games that do not run on macOS.
Software Development
8.9
8.3
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
9.4
8.4
16.2in
SIZE
13.4in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 Plus for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 16 has a large, high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks where details and color precision are paramount. However, its standard refresh rate is less suited for 3D applications, which benefit from faster screen updates. The Dell XPS 13 Plus also boasts a high-quality display with excellent color coverage for engineering and crisp resolution for general tasks, but like the MacBook, it lacks the high refresh rate desired by 3D applications and gaming, impacting smooth visual performance in those areas.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
Good
Excellent
16.2in
SIZE
13.4in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.2
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) stands out for engineering and design use due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro processor and GPU, paired with a high-resolution Mini LED display, which provides sharp images and robust performance for demanding tasks, though it is less portable than the Dell.
Content Creation
8.8
8.3
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Dell XPS 13 Plus 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.
Cost
$1,949
$1,849
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) | Dell XPS 13 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,949 | $1,849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 2.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 7.84" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | Intel i7-1280P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 497 nits | 374 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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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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
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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