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.
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Dell XPS 13  |
13-inch Macbook Air 2013  |
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| 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?
Editors' Recommendations
- The Dell XPS 13 laptop is at its clearance price
- This is your chance to grab the Dell XPS 13 at a $300 discount
- Dell cut the price of this Dell XPS 13 to $800 for a limited time
- Best Apple deals: Save on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook
- Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 prices slashed for Memorial Day — from $599
