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Its time to once again pit theDell XPS 13vs.
theMacBook Airto see which 13-inch laptop is best for you.
The Dell XPS 13 (pictured above) has no physical function keys or a visible touchpad.
TheMacBook Air 13-inch M3 is now available from Apple’s website starting at $1,099.
Price-wise, the MacBook Air wins since its starting model is cheaper than the Dell XPS 13.
The latter also gets more expensive if you go for an OLED model.
The Dell XPS 13 (pictured above) has no physical function keys or a visible touchpad.
So if youre on a budget, get the MacBook Air 13-inch.
The touchpad is invisible and there is no physical function row.
Theres also virtually no spacing between the tightly packed keys.
The Dell XPS 13 both looks and feels nice thanks to its aluminum chassis and Gorilla Glass 3 keyboard.
At 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches and 2.6 pounds, this XPS 13 is perfectly suited for travel.
As always, this MacBook lives up to its Air moniker since its so thin and light.
The MacBook Air has an advantage over the Dell XPS 13 when it comes to port selection.
Like the Dell XPS 13, the MacBook Air only has two USB-C ports.
However, it has a MagSafe port which frees up one of the USB-C ports.
The MacBook Air also has a headphone jack.
Design is subjective but in this case, the MacBook Air has clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13.
Not only does it have a traditional laptop design, but it also has more ports.
The Dell XPS 13 (pictured above) has no physical function keys or a visible touchpad.
Other than the notch at the top of the display, there’s little to complain about here.
However, the Dell XPS has something the MacBook Air doesnt: an OLED option.
The Dell XPS 13 is the worlds first laptop to feature a tandem OLED screen option.
The MacBook Air 13-inch M3 (pictured above) has a more conventional design than the XPS 13.
In case youre wondering, yes, thats the same display tech featured on theiPad Pro M4.
Like that tablet, the Dell XPS 13s OLED screen delivers inky blacks, retina-scorching whites and vibrant colors.
This is the most beautiful laptop display my eyes have ever seen.
The Dell XPS 13 features a tandem OLED option.
For their respective entry-level models, the Air has the better display.
But for pure eye candy, the XPS 13 with a tandem OLED panel is the winner.
That said, there is a clear winner when it comes to performance.
The Dell XPS 13 delivers excellent performance for everyday tasks.
However, things are different now that Lunar Lake and Snapdragon X Elite have arrived.
Behind it is the Lunar Lake XPS 13, which lasted for an astonishing 17 hours and 29 minutes.
The MacBook Air 13-inch M3 comes in third place, lasting for 15 hours and 13 minutes.
The MacBook Air 13-inch has strong battery life.
In the same test, our review unit endured for 8 hours and 40 minutes.
So if you plan to get the OLED model, youll have to contend with significantly reduced battery life.
Since Snapdragon X Elite is an Arm-based chip, itwont run various apps and games.
Games likeHalo: Infiniteare also incompatible with Arm devices.
However, key differences could help you decide which is best for you.
The Dell XPS 13 is a brilliant choice thanks to its fast performance and insanely long battery life.
Its design is certainly contentious, and potentially a deal-breaker for some.
But overall it’s an amazing Windows laptop.
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