Head to head

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Dell XPS 13 (2024)

MacBook Air 13" (M3) leads 6 to 4 on the 10 rankable specs and costs $200 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: MacBook Air 13" (M3) lists Liquid Retina IPS LED (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists OLED InfinityEdge touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: MacBook Air 13" (M3) lists Apple M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: MacBook Air 13" (M3) lists 16 GB unified memory (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: MacBook Air 13" (M3) lists Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours wireless web (other published figure, not on maker sheet); Dell XPS 13 lists Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED) (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: MacBook Air 13" (M3) lists 13.6 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 13.4 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

MacBook Air 13" (M3)

$1,0996 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999 MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599 MacBook Pro 14" (M4)$1,599 HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699 Dell XPS 14 (2024)$1,699 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849 Framework Laptop 16$1,999 MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,999 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999 Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$2,299 MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499 Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999 MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

$1,2994 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your laptop.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 6 to 4

Buy the MacBook Air 13" (M3).

Leads 6 of 10 rankable overall specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 4.
Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours… vs Up to 14 hours
Size: 13.6 inches vs 13.4 inches
It is also $200 cheaper.

Check first: the MacBook Air 13" (M3) has no touchscreen. the MacBook Air 13" (M3) has macOS, not Windows. Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

6 MacBook Air 13" (M3)10 rankable of 29 specsDell XPS 13 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No touchscreenrow
No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Trips:MacBook Air 13" (M3) · NoClear:Dell XPS 13 · Yes (on OLED configuration)
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:MacBook Air 13" (M3) · No (soldered unified memory)Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Trips:MacBook Air 13" (M3) · No (via adapter)Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (via adapter)
macOS, not Windowsrow
Windows-only software such as some CAD, games and corporate VPN clients needs a workaround.
Trips:MacBook Air 13" (M3) · macOS SequoiaClear:Dell XPS 13 · Windows 11 Home
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Trips:MacBook Air 13" (M3) · 60 HzTrips:Dell XPS 13 · 60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

Apple

Liquid Retina IPS LED

Dell

OLED InfinityEdge touch

Processor≠

Apple

Apple M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)

Memory≠

Apple

16 GB unified memory

Dell

16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)

Claimed battery life

Apple

Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours wireless web

Dell

Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

MacBook Air 13" (M3)

Upfront list price$1,099

Essential add-ons (USB-C to HDMI/USB-A adapter)+$25

3-Year Estimated Total$1,124

Dell XPS 13

Upfront list price$1,299

Essential add-ons (USB-C multiport adapter (only 2x Thunderbolt ports, no headphone jack))+$35

3-Year Estimated Total$1,334

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

Real-world travel weight including chargers, bag fit, and lap thermals.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Apple

Ultra-thin 0.44 in profile; slips into any bag sleeve

Dell

Ultra-compact 11.6 in footprint (nearly 11" tablet sized)

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

Bottom intake vents can choke and heat up your lap when used on beds or couches.

Apple

Fanless zero-noise design; stays comfortably cool on lap

Dell

Dual fans exhaust at hinge; bottom can warm up under load

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

Always factor in the power adapter when calculating commuter bag weight.

Apple

2.70 lb laptop + 35W dual charger = ~3.2 lb total carry

Dell

2.60 lb laptop + 60W Type-C adapter = ~3.1 lb total carry

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Apple: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Dell: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Capacitive touch function row lacks physical travel and tactile feedback.
The Escape and media keys are flat illuminated touch surfaces with no haptic click, making touch-typing difficult.
Hardware Quirk
Zero headphone jack and only 2 USB-C ports.
Completely omits the 3.5mm audio jack and legacy USB-A ports, forcing users to carry dongles for wired headphones and USB flash drives.

MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,0996 wins

Dell XPS 13$1,2994 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

27 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

7 differences

Display specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Size	13.6 inches (wins this row: higher)	13.4 inches
Panel	Liquid Retina IPS LED	OLED InfinityEdge touch
Resolution	2560 × 1664 (224 ppi)	2880 × 1800 (3K+ OLED) (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	60 Hz	60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	500 nits (wins this row: higher)	400 nits OLED / 500 nits IPS
Color	P3 wide color	100% DCI-P3
Touchscreen	No	Yes (on OLED configuration) (wins this row: has it)

Performance

leads 1-0

Performance specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Processor	Apple M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)
Graphics	Integrated 10-core Apple GPU	Intel Arc graphics
Memory	16 GB unified memory	16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)
RAM upgradable	No (soldered unified memory)	No (soldered)
Storage	512 GB SSD	512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Storage upgradable	No (soldered SSD)	Yes (M.2 PCIe slot) (wins this row: has it)

Build & input

7 differences

Build & input specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Weight	2.7 lb (1.24 kg)	2.6 lb (1.19 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Thickness	11.3 mm (0.44 inches) (wins this row: lower)	14.8 mm (0.58 inches)
Materials	100% recycled aluminum unibody	CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3
Keyboard	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID	Zero-lattice keyboard with capacitive touch function row
Trackpad	Force Touch trackpad	Seamless glass haptic touchpad
Webcam	1080p FaceTime HD camera	1080p FHD RGB-IR camera with Windows Hello
Speakers	Four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio	Quad-speaker design (2W woofer + 2W tweeter, 8W total)

Ports

leads 2-0

Ports specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	2× Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports	2× Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C)
HDMI	No (via adapter)	No (via adapter)
SD card	No	No
MagSafe	Yes (MagSafe 3) (wins this row: has it)	No
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm with high-impedance support) (wins this row: has it)	No
Charger	30W / 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter	60W Type-C AC Adapter

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours wireless web (wins this row: higher)	Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is MacBook Air 13" (M3), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Operating system	macOS Sequoia	Windows 11 Home
Repairability	Low (integrated SoC design)	Low-to-moderate

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

MacBook Air 13" (M3) source Dell XPS 13 (2024) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

MacBook Air 13" (M3)

13.6-inch ultraportable with Apple M3 chip, Liquid Retina display, and fanless silent design.

Exceptional battery life (up to 18 hours)
Fanless completely silent operation
Compact lightweight design (2.7 lb)

What you give up

Supports only up to two external displays with lid closed
Base model starts at 256GB storage

Full MacBook Air 13" (M3) specs →

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Ultra-compact 13.4-inch premium laptop featuring Intel Core Ultra, OLED touch options, and seamless glass touchpad.

Minimalist sleek design with ultra-thin bezels
High-resolution OLED screen options
Extremely portable at under 2.6 lb

What you give up

Only two USB-C ports and no 3.5mm headphone jack
Capacitive touch function row instead of physical keys

Full Dell XPS 13 (2024) specs →

Best for each use

Travel

In a bag every day: weight, battery, a screen you can read on a train

For travel, buy the MacBook Air 13" (M3).

Leads 3 of 4 rankable travel specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 1.
Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours… vs Up to 14 hours
Thickness: 11.3 mm vs 14.8 mm
It is also $200 cheaper.

Heavy work

Video, 3D, compiles or games: CPU, GPU, memory and panel quality

Too close to call on heavy work from the spec sheets.

Processor: Apple M3 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Graphics: Integrated 10-core Apple GPU vs Intel Arc graphics

Longevity

Keep it five years: upgradable parts, repairability, ports without dongles

Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets. Only storage upgradable is rankable here.

RAM upgradable: No vs No
Repairability: Low vs Low-to-moderate

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

MacBook Air 13" (M3) spec sheet Dell XPS 13 (2024) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: MacBook Air 13" (M3) ↗ · Dell XPS 13 (2024) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the MacBook Air 13" (M3) or the Dell XPS 13?

MacBook Air 13" (M3) costs $200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the MacBook Air 13" (M3) or Dell XPS 13?

MacBook Air 13" (M3) has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.

Which is better for travel, the MacBook Air 13" (M3) or the Dell XPS 13?

For travel, buy the MacBook Air 13" (M3). Leads 3 of 4 rankable travel specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 1. Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app / 15 hours… vs Up to 14 hours

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 19 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

Other matchups

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Dell XPS 14 (2024)

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition