Between the MacBook Air 15 M4 and XPS 16 (9650), the MacBook Air 15 M4 comes out ahead in claimed battery life and weight, while the XPS 16 (9650) wins on ram and storage. Overall, the MacBook Air 15 M4 scores 58.9 and the XPS 16 (9650) scores 76.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XPS 16 (9650) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 17.8 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the MacBook Air 15 M4 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are claimed battery life, weight.
Pick the XPS 16 (9650) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are ram, storage, refresh rate, among others.
Both ship with comparable backlit keyboard, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the XPS 16 (9650) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - MacBook Air 15 M4 wins
- ▲Claimed battery life — 38.46% more. 18 h vs 13 h.
- ▲Weight — 0.62 kg less. 1.51 vs 2.13.
Why Dell - XPS 16 (9650) wins
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 32 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 1024 GB vs 512 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲CPU cores — 60.00% more. 16 vs 10.
- ▲Battery — 50.76% more. 99.5 Wh vs 66 Wh.
- ▲Screen size — 6.54% more. 16.3 " vs 15.3 ".
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 1.00 more. 3 vs 2.
- ▲Panel type: OLED (vs IPS).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 15 M4 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kglead | 2.13 kg |
| Thickness | 11.5 mmlead | 18.7 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 15 M4 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 15.3 " | 16.3 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Panel typeⓘ | IPS | OLEDlead |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 15 M4 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU cores | 10 | 16lead |
| GPUⓘ | Apple M4 10-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 32 GBlead |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 1024 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Air 15 M4 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 66 Wh | 99.5 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 18 hlead | 13 h |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 3lead |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 2 | 3lead |
| HDMI | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, MacBook Air 15 M4 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
MacBook Air 15 M4 claims up to 18 hours — 18h vs 13h.
Which is lighter, MacBook Air 15 M4 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
MacBook Air 15 M4 is lighter at 1.51 kg vs 2.13 kg.
Which has more RAM, MacBook Air 15 M4 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) offers 32GB of RAM.
Which has an OLED display, MacBook Air 15 M4 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) has an OLED display; MacBook Air 15 M4 uses IPS.
Spec-level deep dives
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