Head to head

Dell XPS 16 (2024) vs MacBook Air 15" (M3)

Dell XPS 16 (2024) leads 5 to 3 on the 8 rankable specs, but MacBook Air 15" (M3) costs $900 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: Dell XPS 16 lists OLED touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Air 15" (M3) lists Liquid Retina IPS LED (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: Dell XPS 16 lists Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Air 15" (M3) lists Apple M3 (8-core CPU) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: Dell XPS 16 lists 32GB LPDDR5x (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Air 15" (M3) lists 16GB unified (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: Dell XPS 16 lists ~8–12 hours mixed use (other published figure, not on maker sheet); MacBook Air 15" (M3) lists Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: Dell XPS 16 lists 16.3 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Air 15" (M3) lists 15.3 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).

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

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

$2,1995 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999 MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099 Dell XPS 13 (2024)$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 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

MacBook Air 15" (M3)

$1,2993 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: 5 to 3

Buy the Dell XPS 16.

Leads 5 of 8 rankable overall specs; MacBook Air 15" (M3) takes 3.
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x vs 16GB unified
Size: 16.3 inches vs 15.3 inches
MacBook Air 15" (M3) is $900 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Check first: the Dell XPS 16 weighs over 4 lb (1.8 kg). Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

5 Dell XPS 168 rankable of 29 specsMacBook Air 15" (M3) 3

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No touchscreenrow
No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Clear:Dell XPS 16 · YesTrips:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · No
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · No (soldered)Trips:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · No native HDMITrips:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · No (USB-C display output)
macOS, not Windowsrow
Windows-only software such as some CAD, games and corporate VPN clients needs a workaround.
Clear:Dell XPS 16 · Windows 11Trips:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · macOS Sonoma
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · 4.5 lbClear:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · 3.3 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · 60 Hz (OLED config)Trips:MacBook Air 15" (M3) · 60 Hz

At a glance

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

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

Dell

OLED touch

Apple

Liquid Retina IPS LED

Processor≠

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Apple

Apple M3 (8-core CPU)

Memory

Dell

32GB LPDDR5x

Apple

16GB unified

Claimed battery life

Dell

~8–12 hours mixed use

Apple

Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

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

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Dell

Requires dedicated 16" laptop bag compartment

Apple

Standard laptop bag sleeve

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

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

Dell

Vapor chamber exhausts rear; heavy GPU workload warms lap

Apple

Standard hinge exhaust

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

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

Dell

4.70 lb laptop + 130W brick = ~5.8 lb total carry

Apple

Standard carry weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

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

Post-Purchase Truths

Dell: 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.

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 XPS 16$2,1995 wins

MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,2993 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

28 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 3-0

Display specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Size	16.3 inches (wins this row: higher)	15.3 inches
Panel	OLED touch	Liquid Retina IPS LED
Resolution	3840 × 2400 (3.2K) (wins this row: higher)	2880 × 1864
Refresh rate	60 Hz (OLED config)	60 Hz
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	~400–500 nits typical OLED	500 nits
Color	DCI-P3, touch + pen support	P3 wide color, True Tone
Touchscreen	Yes (wins this row: has it)	No

Performance

leads 2-0

Performance specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H	Apple M3 (8-core CPU)
Graphics	Intel Arc + optional NVIDIA RTX	10-core Apple GPU
Memory	32GB LPDDR5x (wins this row: higher)	16GB unified
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered)
Storage	1TB SSD	512GB SSD
Storage upgradable	Yes (replaceable SSD) (wins this row: has it)	No (soldered)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Weight	4.5 lb (2.04 kg)	3.3 lb (1.51 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Thickness	18.5 mm	11.5 mm (wins this row: lower)
Materials	Aluminum + carbon fiber	100% recycled aluminum enclosure
Keyboard	Backlit chiclet	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Trackpad	Large haptic/precision glass	Force Touch trackpad
Webcam	FHD IR (Windows Hello)	1080p FaceTime HD camera
Speakers	Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos	Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers

Ports

6 differences

Ports specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	2× Thunderbolt 4 + USB-C	2× Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
HDMI	No native HDMI (dongle)	No (USB-C display output)
SD card	microSD	No
MagSafe	No	MagSafe 3
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm)	Yes (3.5 mm with high-impedance support)
Charger	100W USB-C	35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Adapter + MagSafe 3

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	~8–12 hours mixed use	Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback (wins this row: higher)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Air 15" (M3).
Operating system	Windows 11	macOS Sonoma
Repairability	Medium (SSD swappable; RAM not)	Low (soldered RAM and SSD)

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

Dell XPS 16 (2024) source MacBook Air 15" (M3) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

Premium 16-inch Windows laptop with OLED touchscreen and Intel Core Ultra 9.

3.2K OLED touchscreen
Windows software and game compatibility
Carbon-fiber / aluminum build

What you give up

Battery life trails the MacBook
Can get warm under load
No MagSafe-style magnetic charge by default

Full Dell XPS 16 (2024) specs →

Pick this one if

MacBook Air 15" (M3)

Fanless 15-inch ultrabook powered by Apple M3 chip, offering silent operation and extreme battery efficiency.

Completely fanless silent operation
Slim 11.5mm aluminum design with massive battery life
Vibrant Liquid Retina display with dual external monitor support

What you give up

Display limited to 60Hz without ProMotion
Base model memory and storage are soldered and non-upgradable

Full MacBook Air 15" (M3) 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 15" (M3).

Leads 3 of 3 rankable travel specs.
Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback vs ~8–12 hours mixed use
Weight: 3.3 lb vs 4.5 lb
It is also $900 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. Only memory is rankable here.

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H vs Apple M3
Graphics: Intel Arc + optional NVIDIA RTX vs 10-core Apple GPU

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.

Repairability: Medium vs Low
Thunderbolt / USB-C: 2× Thunderbolt 4 + USB-C vs 2× Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports

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.

Dell XPS 16 (2024) spec sheet MacBook Air 15" (M3) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Dell XPS 16 (2024) ↗ · MacBook Air 15" (M3) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Dell XPS 16 or the MacBook Air 15" (M3)?

MacBook Air 15" (M3) costs $900 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Dell XPS 16 or MacBook Air 15" (M3)?

MacBook Air 15" (M3) has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.

Which is better for travel, the Dell XPS 16 or the MacBook Air 15" (M3)?

For travel, buy the MacBook Air 15" (M3). Leads 3 of 3 rankable travel specs. Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback vs ~8–12 hours mixed use

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 21 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 13 (2024)

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