These premium ultraportables compete at similar prices but excel in different areas. Here's how they compare.
Performance
| Benchmark | XPS 13 Plus (i7) | MacBook Air M2 | Winner | |-----------|------------------|----------------|--------| | Multi-core (Geekbench 5) | ~10,293 | ~8,952 | XPS (plugged in) | | Single-core (Geekbench 5) | ~1,700 | ~1,932 | MacBook | | Video transcoding | Slower | Faster | MacBook | | Adobe apps | Good | Better | MacBook |
Critical note: XPS 13 Plus only matches M2 performance when connected to power. On battery, the M2 significantly outperforms.
Battery Life
| Model | Battery Life | |-------|--------------| | MacBook Air M2 | 14+ hours | | XPS 13 Plus LCD | 10-13 hours | | XPS 13 Plus OLED | 7-8 hours |
Winner: MacBook Air M2 (significantly)
Display
| Specification | XPS 13 Plus OLED | MacBook Air M2 | |---------------|------------------|----------------| | Color gamut | 100% DCI-P3 | 100% P3 | | Contrast | Infinite (OLED) | 1,000,000:1 | | Touch | Yes | No | | Resolution | 3456 × 2160 | 2560 × 1664 |
Winner: XPS 13 Plus OLED (for creative work)
Connectivity
- XPS 13 Plus: 2× Thunderbolt 4 only (no headphone jack)
- MacBook Air M2: 2× Thunderbolt + MagSafe + headphone jack
Winner: MacBook Air M2
The Verdict
Choose Dell XPS 13 Plus: Windows requirement, best display for creative work, futuristic design preference
Choose MacBook Air M2: Battery life priority, macOS preference, consistent unplugged performance, video/Adobe work
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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