Apple MacBook Air 2013 vs Dell XPS 13: Spec showdown

By Drew Prindle June 10, 2013

MacBook Air vs Dell XPX 13 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Apple kicked off this year’s WWDC conference with a slew of new announcements, and among them was the new and improved fleet of MacBook Airs. This year’s 13-inch model boasts a handful of improvements over last year’s, but it isn’t exactly enough to make Apple king of the Ultrabook market. To help you get a sense of how the new Macbook Air stacks up against the competition, we’ve put it up against Dell’s XPS 13 Ultrabook in this detailed spec comparison.

	Dell XPS 13 Image used with permission by copyright holder	13-inch Macbook Air 2013 Image used with permission by copyright holder
Dimensions	12.4” x 8.1” x 0.71”	12.8” x 8.94” x 0.68”
Weight	2.99 pounds	2.96 pounds
Chassis	Carbon fiber	Aluminum
Keyboard	Backlit	Backlit w/ ambient light sensor
Processor	2.6 GHz Core i5-3337U	1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Haswell)
RAM	8GB	4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3
Graphics	HD Graphcis 4000	Intel D Graphics 5000
Screen Size	13.3″	13.3″
Resolution	1920 x 1080	1440 by 900
Storage	256GB SSD	256GB SSD
Networking	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0	Wi-Fi (including 802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.0
Ports	HDMI, Mini Display port, 2 USB 3.0, SDXC card reader	USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, SDXC card reader
Webcam	1.3 MP webcam	720p HD webcam
Operating System	Windows 8	Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
Battery Life	8 hours	12 hours
Price	$1,400	$1,300

As you can see, the new Macbook is a bit slimmer and lighter than the XPS, but also doesn’t come with nearly the screen resolution, storage space, or RAM that Dell boasts. Still, it’s worth noting that Apple’s machine boasts superior battery life, and comes equipped with the latest 802.11ac wireless networking standard, meaning it’ll be capable of faster throughput and data transfer rates – if you’ve got an AC router.

As for the pricetag, Apple is a bit easier on your wallet than Dell, but depending on how much you value your pixels and storage space, the XPS 13 might be worth the extra $100.

Which laptop would you choose, and why?

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Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

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