MacBook Air M4 vs Dell XPS 13 (2025): The Ultrabook Crown Fight
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Dell gutted the XPS 13 and rebuilt it from scratch. The result is the thinnest, most striking XPS laptop ever made — and possibly the first Windows ultrabook that can look a MacBook Air in the eye without flinching. Possibly.
We used both machines as daily drivers for three weeks, swapping every few days. The experience revealed genuine strengths and surprising weaknesses on both sides. This is not the easy Apple win you might expect.
Design: Dell’s Bold New Direction
The 2025 XPS 13 is a departure. Dell eliminated the traditional function row, replacing it with a capacitive LED touch bar (yes, seriously — Apple killed the Touch Bar and Dell adopted the concept). The keyboard runs edge to edge, the trackpad is invisible (haptic, zero-travel), and the entire laptop is a seamless slab of aluminum and glass.
It’s gorgeous. It’s also polarizing. The function row replacement frustrated us daily — no tactile feedback for volume, brightness, or escape. The haptic trackpad lacks the satisfying click of Apple’s Force Touch pad. After three weeks, we adjusted but never fully embraced it.
The MacBook Air M4 takes the opposite approach: refine what works. The keyboard is excellent, the Force Touch trackpad is the best in the business, and the design language is familiar to anyone who’s used a MacBook in the last decade. Less exciting, more reliable.
For how the M4 Air compares to its predecessor, our MacBook Air M3 vs M4 comparison covers the generational differences.
Performance: Apple Silicon vs Intel Core Ultra
The MacBook Air M4 runs Apple’s M4 chip: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory. The Dell XPS 13 runs Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and Intel Arc integrated graphics.
In CPU benchmarks, the M4 and Core Ultra 7 trade blows depending on the workload. Single-threaded performance: M4 wins by 15-20%. Multi-threaded with all cores loaded: the Intel chip is competitive, sometimes edging ahead by 5-10%. GPU-intensive tasks: the M4’s integrated GPU is substantially faster than Intel Arc for creative workloads.
Real-world impact: the MacBook Air exports a 5-minute 4K video in Final Cut Pro about 35% faster than the XPS 13 handles the same file in DaVinci Resolve. Web browsing, document editing, and general productivity feel identical on both machines.
The M4’s advantage becomes pronounced in sustained workloads. The MacBook Air is fanless and still maintains performance for impressively long periods. The Dell XPS 13 has a fan but runs it so conservatively (to minimize noise) that it thermal-throttles under sustained heavy load. The result: the fanless MacBook sometimes outperforms the actively-cooled Dell during long tasks.
Display: Both Excellent, Different Strengths
The MacBook Air M4 has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display: 2560x1664, 500 nits, P3 wide color. The Dell XPS 13 offers a 13.4-inch OLED option: 1920x1200, 400 nits sustained but infinite contrast ratio and true blacks.
The Dell’s OLED display is stunning for media consumption and dark-mode interfaces. Black backgrounds are truly black, not the dark gray of the MacBook’s LCD. HDR content pops in a way the Air simply can’t match.
The MacBook responds with superior brightness for outdoor use, more consistent color accuracy out of the box, and True Tone ambient light adaptation that Dell lacks. For color-critical work, the MacBook is more reliable without calibration.
Battery Life: Apple’s Decisive Win
The MacBook Air M4 consistently delivers 15-17 hours of mixed use. The Dell XPS 13 manages 9-11 hours. This isn’t close. Apple’s efficiency advantage, built into every layer from silicon to software, gives the MacBook Air a full workday more battery life.
For road warriors and anyone who works away from outlets regularly, this alone might settle the debate. The Dell needs a charger by afternoon. The MacBook can work through a full day and into the evening.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The MacBook Air’s keyboard is excellent — consistent key travel, satisfying but quiet feedback, and the best trackpad on any laptop. Period.
The Dell’s edge-to-edge keyboard has good key switches but the invisible trackpad is a step backward. Without physical borders, we frequently mis-clicked. And the capacitive function row means reaching for Escape during coding requires deliberate aim rather than muscle memory.
Dell gets credit for trying something new. But in practice, Apple’s refined traditional approach wins the daily-use ergonomics battle.
Port Situation
MacBook Air M4: Two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe, headphone jack. The Dell XPS 13: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports. That’s it. No headphone jack. Both are minimal, but Apple’s MagSafe and headphone jack give it a marginal edge.
Both require dongles for USB-A, HDMI, and SD cards. Both benefit enormously from a Thunderbolt dock at a desk. Neither is generous with ports.
If you’re considering this Dell against other Mac options, our MacBook Air M3 vs Dell XPS 13 comparison covers the previous-generation matchup.
Software Ecosystem
macOS vs Windows 11 is a deeply personal choice. macOS offers better integration with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Windows offers broader software compatibility, better gaming support, and more flexibility for power users.
In 2026, Windows 11 on ARM (for Snapdragon laptops) still has compatibility issues with some legacy x86 apps. The XPS 13 with Intel avoids this problem entirely. macOS on Apple Silicon has largely resolved its Rosetta 2 transition — nearly everything runs natively now.
Price and Value
The MacBook Air M4 starts at $1,099. The Dell XPS 13 with comparable specs (Core Ultra 7, 16GB, 512GB, OLED) costs around $1,199-1,299. Dollar for dollar, the MacBook offers better performance per watt, better battery life, and better resale value.
The Dell justifies its price with the OLED display, which is genuinely superior for certain use cases. But overall value favors Apple.
Our Verdict
Buy the MacBook Air M4 if: battery life matters, you want the best keyboard and trackpad, you’re in Apple’s ecosystem, or you need consistent sustained performance.
Buy the Dell XPS 13 if: you need Windows, you want an OLED display, you value bold design, or your workflow depends on Windows-only software.
The MacBook Air M4 is the better laptop for more people. But the 2025 XPS 13 is the most competitive Windows ultrabook in years, and Dell deserves credit for swinging big — even if some swings missed.
MacBook Air M4 on Amazon (paid link) (paid link)
Dell XPS 13 (2025) on Amazon (paid link) (paid link)