MacBook Air (M5) vs Dell XPS 13: The Operating System Decision

Buy the Dell XPS 13 (2026) if you need Windows and want an all-metal chassis, a touch display, and the lowest quoted entry price. Buy the MacBook Air (M5) if you already live in Apple’s ecosystem and want 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage in the base tier. The attributed record in our FACTS file lists that base tier for the Air (Apple product page).

Decision criteria

The choice runs through four attributed fields. This page adds no first-hand measurements, and each figure below carries its source.

Price. PCMag’s review quotes the XPS 13 base model at $699.99, and says a 16GB configuration costs $899 (PCMag XPS 13 review). The attributed record in our FACTS file quotes the XPS 13 between $600 and $799.99 depending on channel (manufacturer spec page). On the Air side, the same file quotes a base price of $1,299 after a $200 rise (Apple product page).

Base memory. PCMag’s review lists “8GB RAM insufficient for some applications” as a con of the XPS 13, and its benchmarks show the 8GB model trailing the 16GB configuration by noticeable margins (PCMag XPS 13 review). The Air’s base tier is recorded in our FACTS file as 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage (Apple product page).

Display. PCMag’s review describes a 120Hz 1600p touch screen on the XPS 13 (PCMag XPS 13 review). The attributed record in our FACTS file lists no OLED option in the Air lineup (Apple product page). Brightness and colour coverage are not recorded for either machine, so this comparison leaves them unranked.

Build and connectivity. PCMag’s review describes the XPS 13 as all-metal, with two USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 7, and no headphone jack (PCMag XPS 13 review). Our FACTS file holds no port count or wireless specification for the Air, so those cells stay unrecorded.

Who each machine is for

• Dell XPS 13 (2026) suits Windows buyers who want a metal chassis and a touch display at the lowest quoted entry price, and who are ready to pay for more memory if they need it (PCMag XPS 13 review).
• MacBook Air (M5) suits buyers already inside Apple’s ecosystem who want the base tier to be the finished specification, not a floor to upgrade from (Apple product page).

Trade-offs

The XPS 13 wins on quoted entry price and on display. The Air wins on the base specification. The headline gap is narrower than it looks. If you need 16GB, PCMag quotes the XPS 13 at $899, which closes much of the gap with the Air’s quoted base price (PCMag XPS 13 review).

The missing headphone jack is a daily annoyance for some buyers, and PCMag lists it as a con on the XPS 13 (PCMag XPS 13 review). The Air’s connectivity is not recorded here, so the two cannot be compared on that line.

Before you buy: checklist

1. Decide your operating system first. The platform choice decides more than any spec sheet.
2. Confirm the XPS 13 configuration. PCMag’s review tested the 8GB base, and the 8GB is the configuration it lists as a weakness (PCMag XPS 13 review).
3. Compare the all-in price, including any memory upgrade you will need. Dell’s homepage shows the XPS 13 starting at $799, or $699 for students, as of 2026-10-14 (Dell).
4. Check whether you need a headphone jack. The XPS 13 has none (PCMag XPS 13 review).
5. Confirm the Air’s current price on Apple’s page, since prices have moved in 2026 (Apple product page).
6. Plan your ports. The XPS 13 has two USB-C ports and no other port type (PCMag XPS 13 review).

Limits of this comparison

It cannot tell you battery hours for either machine, because no tested hour figure is recorded here for either. It cannot tell you brightness, keyboard feel, speaker quality, or thermal behavior from first-hand use, since Laptop Forge has not measured them. It cannot tell you which machine runs your own software better. Prices move with retailers and promotions, so treat every quote on this page as a dated reference.

Both hold ranks 01 and 03 on the main 2027 ranking. Each outlet’s score is quoted under its own scale. Our method page is at /methodology/.