✦ SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARE

MacBook Air M5 13-inch vs XPS 13 Plus: which is better?

MacBook Air M5 13-inch and XPS 13 Plus compared side by side across 107 specs and 13 scored categories — every winner highlighted, so the right pick is obvious.

2 PRODUCTS · 107 SPECS · 13 SCORED CATEGORIES · LIVE RE-RANKING

COMPARING

2 / 4

LAPTOPS

Add or remove products — every chart and spec row re-ranks live.

← TOP PICK

APPLE

MacBook Air M5 13-inch

$1,199

BEST OVERALL

DELL

XPS 13 Plus

$1,199

WINS DISPLAY

Add product

2 AVAILABLE

⚡ COMPARZONE VERDICT

The MacBook Air M5 13-inch takes the overall win.

Highest composite at 9.2/10 — 0.6 ahead of the XPS 13 Plus. Tightest race: performance, just 0.1 apart. Scroll for the category-by-category breakdown.

View the winner →

CATEGORY WINS · 13 SCOREDTIES SHOWN GREY

BATT

CONN

DESI

DISP

FEAT

MISC

PERF

VALU

BENC

PERF

DISP

BATT

DESI

MacBook Air M5 13-inch×9

XPS 13 Plus×4

Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inchBEST OVERALL

Dell XPS 13 PlusWINS DISPLAY

01 · SCORE RADAR

Performance profile

CLICK A PRODUCT TO ISOLATE ITS SHAPE

LARGEST GAPCONNECTIVITY — MacBook Air M5 13-inch leads by 9.5

TIGHTESTPERFORMANCE — only 0.1 between the top two

02 · CATEGORY BREAKDOWN

Category showdown

13 INCH13 PLUS

BATTERYiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +1.7

13 INCH9.5

13 PLUS7.8

CONNECTIVITYiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +9.5

13 INCH9.5

13 PLUS0.0

DESIGNiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +0.5

13 INCH9.6

13 PLUS9.1

DISPLAYiXPS 13 Plus · +1.3

13 INCH8.0

13 PLUS9.3

FEATURESiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +9.5

13 INCH9.5

13 PLUS0.0

MISCELLANEOUSiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +9.5

13 INCH9.5

13 PLUS0.0

PERFORMANCEiXPS 13 Plus · +0.1

13 INCH8.7

13 PLUS8.8

ValueiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +0.4

13 INCH8.5

13 PLUS8.1

BENCHMARKSiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +7.4

13 INCH7.4

13 PLUS0.0

PerformanceiXPS 13 Plus · +0.1

13 INCH8.7

13 PLUS8.8

DisplayiXPS 13 Plus · +1.3

13 INCH8.0

13 PLUS9.3

BatteryiMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +1.7

13 INCH9.5

13 PLUS7.8

DesigniMacBook Air M5 13-inch · +0.5

13 INCH9.6

13 PLUS9.1

03 · VALUE MAP

Price vs performance

TOP-LEFT IS THE SWEET SPOT

SCORE PER $100 · RANKED

01MacBook Air M5 13-inch0.77BEST DEAL

02XPS 13 Plus0.72

Map shows current starting prices · trends show tracked street prices. Check live deals before deciding.

04 · THE FULL SHEET

Full specifications

107 SPECS · ALL SHOWN

SPECS

MacBook Air M5 13-inch$1,1994W9.2

XPS 13 Plus$1,1993W8.6

Battery Typei

Lithium battery

—

Battery CapacityMAHi

4,660 mAh

—

Battery VoltVi

11.55 V

—

Included Adapter PowerWi

35 W

—

Charging Typei

USB-C, MagSafe 3

—

Fast Chargingi

Yes

—

Battery Replaceablei

—

Battery EnergyWHi

52.6 Wh

—

Charge TimeHRSi

2.5 hrs

—

Has sleep-and-charge USB portsi

Yes

—

Has a MagSafe Power Adapteri

Yes

—

Geekbench 6 Result (Single)iSAME

—

Battery LifeHRi

18 hr← BEST +50%

12 hr

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C)i

Yes

—

Supports WiFii

Yes

—

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A)i

2x Thunderbolt / USB 4, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm headphone jack

2x Thunderbolt 4

USB 4 20Gbps Portsi

—

USB 4 40Gbps Portsi

—

Thunderbolt 5 Portsi

—

Thunderbolt 4 Portsi

—

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C)i

-1

—

USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports (USB-A)iSAME

—

Thunderbolt 3 PortsiSAME

—

Has an HDMI Outputi

—

Has USB Type-Ci

—

Has WiFi Versioni

—

Has an External Memory Sloti

—

Bluetooth Versioni

Yes

—

RJ45 Portsi

—

USB 2.0 PortsiSAME

—

Display Port Outputsi

Yes

—

Has AirPlayi

Yes

—

Mini Display Port OutputsiSAME

—

Has a VGA ConnectoriSAME

—

Portsi

—

2x Thunderbolt 4

Webcami

1080p FaceTime HD

1080p + IR

Warranty Periodi

1 year

—

Has a Backlit Keyboardi

Yes

—

Uses a Fanless Designi

Yes

—

VolumeCM³i

738 cm³

—

WidthMMi

304.1 mm

—

HeightMMi

215.9 mm

—

ThicknessMMi

11.3 mm

—

French Repairability IndexiSAME

—

Maximum Operating Temperature°CiSAME

—

Minimum Operating Temperature°CiSAME

—

Weather Sealed (Splashproof)iSAME

—

Is a Rugged BuildiSAME

—

Screen SizeINCHi

13.6 inch

—

Pixel DensityPPIi

224 ppi ppi

—

Display Typei

Liquid Retina

—

Has a Touch Screeni

—

Refresh RateHZiSAME

—

Contrast RatioiSAME

—

Has Anti-Reflecting CoatingiSAME

—

Supported Displayi

—

WeightKGi

1,240 kg

1.19 kg← 100% lighter

Display SizeINi

13.6 in← BEST +1%

13.4 in

Resolutioni

2560x1664

3456 x 2160 OLED

Panel Typei

IPS LCD

OLED touch

Refresh RateHZiSAME

60 Hz

BrightnessNITSi

500 nits← BEST +25%

400 nits

Release Datei

03/11/2026

—

Has Stereo Speakersi

Yes

—

Has a Socket for a 3.5 mm Audio Jacki

Yes

—

Megapixels (front camera)MPi

2.1 MP

—

Has Front Camerai

Yes

—

Supports Ray TracingiSAME

—

Supports DLSSiSAME

—

Has a Dolby AtmosiSAME

—

Stylus IncludediSAME

—

Has a Fingerprint Scanneri

Yes

—

Number of Microphonesi

—

Uses 3D Facial RecognitioniSAME

—

Has Voice Commandsi

Yes

—

Has S/PDIF Out PortiSAME

—

Has a GyroscopeiSAME

—

Has GPSiSAME

—

Has an AccelerometeriSAME

—

Has a CompassiSAME

—

Has an Optical Disc DriveiSAME

—

Laptopi

Laptop

—

CPU Namei

Apple M5

—

Has an Unlocked MultiplieriSAME

—

Maximum Memory BandwidthGBiSAME

—

Supports ECC MemoryiSAME

—

Uses HMPi

Yes

—

Has TrustzoneiSAME

—

Has NX BitiSAME

—

RAMGBi

8 GB

16 GB← BEST +100%

StorageGBi

256 GB

512GB / 1TB SSD GB

Semiconductor SizeNMiSAME

—

Battery HealthiSAME

—

Has Xess(XMX)iSAME

—

Uses Flash Storagei

Yes

—

CPU ThreadsiSAME

—

CPU speedGHZi

4 GHz

—

Is a NVMe SSDi

Yes

—

Uses For Multithreadingi

Yes

—

Maximum Memory AmountGBi

24 GB

—

DDR Memory Versioni

LPDDR5X

—

Turbo Clock SpeedGHZi

4 GHz

—

Supports 64-Bitsi

Yes

—

Processori

Apple M5

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

CPU Coresi

16← BEST +100%

Geekbench 6 (Multi)i

14,000← BEST +9%

12,800

Graphicsi

Yes

Intel Arc integrated

ROW WINS

05 · WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU

Pick by persona

RE-RANKS LIVE AS YOU ADD OR REMOVE PRODUCTS

THE ALL-ROUNDER

Best overall

MacBook Air M5 13-inchAPPLE9.2

ALL GROUPSEQUAL WEIGHT

Best total score across weighted category factors.

RUNNER-UP · XPS 13 Plus (8.6)

FOR VALUE SEEKERS

Best bang for buck

MacBook Air M5 13-inchAPPLE9.2

SCORE ÷ PRICELIVE PRICES

Strongest score-to-price ratio from the available price data.

RUNNER-UP · XPS 13 Plus (0.7)

PRIORITY · CONNECTIVITY

Best for connectivity

MacBook Air M5 13-inchAPPLE9.5

CONNECTIVITY WEIGHTEDCONF 91%

Best visible score in the connectivity category group.

RUNNER-UP · XPS 13 Plus (0.0)

PRIORITY · FEATURES

Best for features

MacBook Air M5 13-inchAPPLE9.5

FEATURES WEIGHTEDCONF 91%

Best visible score in the features category group.

RUNNER-UP · XPS 13 Plus (0.0)

06 · BOTTOM LINE

Why pick each

STRENGTHS · AND ONE HONEST TRADE-OFF

#1APPLE0.0

MacBook Air M5 13-inch

“The Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch is a highly portable and powerful laptop, perfect for everyday productivity and creative tasks with its adv”

DESIGN 9.6

BATTERY 9.5

Wins Battery Life

Wins Geekbench 6 (Multi)

TRADE-OFFLimited port selection

BEST OVERALLFull review →

#2DELL0.0

XPS 13 Plus

“Futuristic compact Windows ultrabook with a stunning 3.5K OLED option and edge-to-edge keyboard.”

Display 9.3

Design 9.1

Wins RAM

Wins Weight

TRADE-OFFBelow-average battery life

WINS DISPLAYBest price →

Still deciding? The MacBook Air M5 13-inch is the safest pick.

COMPOSITE 9.2/10 · WINS 9 OF 13 CATEGORIES

View the winner →

Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch vs Dell XPS 13 Plus: which is better?

The Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch is our overall pick, scoring 9.2/10 against 8.6/10 for the Dell XPS 13 Plus — a 7% edge. Current starting prices span $1,199. The score weighs category-specific laptops attributes, spec wins, price signals, and data confidence — not sponsorships.

Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch leads overall with a 9.2 total score.
Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch wins 53 comparable specs with a 49% weighted win rate.
Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch has the strongest high-impact advantage in Battery Life.
Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch has the best visible score-to-price balance based on available starting price.

Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inchWINNER 9.2/10

The Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch is a highly portable and powerful laptop, perfect for everyday productivity and creative tasks with its advanced M5 chip and stunning Liquid Retina display.

Pros

+ Exceptional M5 performance
+ All-day battery life
+ Sleek, fanless design
+ Vibrant Liquid Retina display

Cons

− Limited port selection
− No touch screen
− Higher price point

Best for: Students · Creative professionals · Everyday productivity

“<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> The Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch is poised to be an outstanding choice for those prioritizing a lightweight design, silent operation, and robust performance for daily tasks and creative work within the Apple ecosystem. Its…”

Dell XPS 13 Plus8.6/10

Futuristic compact Windows ultrabook with a stunning 3.5K OLED option and edge-to-edge keyboard.

Pros

+ Stunning 3.5K OLED option
+ Premium compact CNC build
+ Strong productivity performance
+ Excellent keyboard feel

Cons

− Below-average battery life
− Only two USB-C ports
− Can run warm under load

Best for: Design-conscious buyers · OLED-display seekers · Compact productivity

“A gorgeous, compact Windows laptop with a class-leading OLED and bold design. Battery life and the minimal port set are the trade-offs for that look.”

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch or Dell XPS 13 Plus?

By ComparZone's weighted scoring of category-specific laptops specs, the Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch scores highest overall (9.2/10, 0.6 points ahead of the Dell XPS 13 Plus). It is the better all-round pick, but the right choice depends on your priorities — the spec table above shows exactly where each one wins.

What are the main differences between Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch and Dell XPS 13 Plus?

The biggest measurable differences are Processor, Battery Life, Resolution. The grouped spec sheet above marks the winner of every comparable spec.

Is the Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch better value than the Dell XPS 13 Plus?

The Apple MacBook Air M5 13-inch starts around $1,199 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus around $1,199. Weigh the score gap against the price gap: a small score lead rarely justifies a large premium unless it comes from the specs you personally care about.

Can I compare other laptops on ComparZone?

Yes — ComparZone supports dynamic comparison pages for any 2 to 4 laptops from the same category, with verified specs, transparent scores, and live prices. See the related comparisons below or build your own from the category page.

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