We might earn a commission from partner links on Laptop Radar. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Apple has long reigned the world of premium laptops. However, as the demand for the best value devices increased, brands like Dell stepped into providing top-notch specifications on budget.
Since then, the battle of Dell vs Apple has continued, making it tricky for consumers to choose a brand.
Of course, both Apple and Dell offer similar features and deliver equally good performances. So, what can help you, as the end-user, to decide better is knowing in detail about what the two have for you. Thus, in this article, you will find a detailed comparison of Apple vs Dell laptops.
About Dell Laptops
Key specifications
- Screen: 13.4-inch FHD+
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1195G7
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 6GB GDDR6
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H (24 MB cache, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 4.70 GHz Turbo)
- RAM: 32GB, LPDDR5, 5200 MHz
- Storage: 1TB
Key specifications
- Screen: 15.6 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 120Hz
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5625U
- RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 256GB SSD
Dell Technologies, founded in 1984, enjoys a credible reputation for producing the best quality computers, network storage devices, and related accessories. Hence, Dell laptops have also gained immense popularity among the masses due to their impressive designs and performance.
Today, Dell laptops serve many use-cases with dedicated business, student, and gaming machines. Dell’s Alienware series is a noteworthy mention here, featuring premium specifications for the ultimate high-end gaming.
About Apple Laptops
The Cupertino giant has garnered a dedicated customer base by offering privacy-centric devices. While people today recognize this brand as the parent firm behind the majestic ‘iPhones,’ the firm initially became popular due to its 1984-launched ‘Macintosh’ personal computers.
Continuing this legacy, Apple produces a diverse range of MacBooks enriched with premium specifications to deliver lag-free performance. With powerful specs, Apple laptops efficiently serve business consumers, graphic designers, gamers, and even students alike.
Dell vs Apple – Which is Better?
Dell laptops are popular for easy availability and budget-friendly price tags. However, Apple enjoys a trusted reputation for producing durable devices.So, if you want an affordable laptop for regular tasks and slight business or gaming activities, go for Dell.
Whereas, if you are willing to pay for a durable machine that handles resource-intensive activities without lags, then an Apple MacBook is the right choice.
Besides, although both brands serve their customers well, they exhibit notable differences in their performances and use cases due to the underlying software and hardware contrasts.
For instance, Apple MacBooks run on the proprietary macOS operating system. On the other hand, Dell laptops predominantly serve Windows users, attracting a considerable user base from Linux fans.
So, considering the built and design differences here’s a detailed comparison of Dell vs Apple laptops.
Gaming Laptops
Gaming is a resource-intensive activity. Hence, designing gaming laptops requires the vendors to enclose every component at its best-quality standard.
On the other hand, Apple equips its laptops with comparable specifications but lacks a dedicated gaming machine. Instead, its laptops otherwise meant for professional and business activities, can also handle gaming well. Thus, if you are a die-hard Apple fan, you may choose the latest available MacBook model.
Another factor that gives Dell an edge over Apple is game compatibility. Although, many games now support Apple devices. Yet, you can’t really trust this machine to accompany you for every game you like. Whereas, for Dell, you can play to your heart’s content without lags.
Business Laptops
The other customer base lucrative for Dell and Apple includes business users. Again, both brands have strived hard to develop robust business machines for users from small and large enterprises. But, comparing Dell vs Apple at this point doesn’t give a straight winner. Instead, it mainly depends on the users’ specific needs and budget limitations.
Generally, Dell equips its business laptops with moderate to premium specifications to handle regular activities. Often, you’ll find them featuring Intel 11th or 12th Gen Core i7 processors (some XPS laptops even come with Core i9 CPUs), NVIDIA GeForce graphics, and large screens. Some Dell business laptops also feature Intel integrated graphics, Intel Core i5 processors, and small RAM like 8GB. With specification variations, Dell strives to cater to the business requirements of a large user base.
In contrast, Apple laptops are more geared towards business activities, especially its MacBook Pro models. These laptops feature 14 to 16-inch screen sizes, powerful CPUs, and long battery durations. For instance, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 features 16GB memory and 1TB storage, similar to its Dell counterpart.
But it boasts sophistication with a 16-core Neural Engine, 10-core CPU, and 32-core GPU support, contributing to better performance. Plus, it features a Liquid Retina XDR display and a battery lasting up to 17 hours.
Studying Laptops
The best student laptops should ideally support students during different phases of their education. Perhaps, Dell takes the lead here by offering portable laptops with impressive specifications.
Most Dell laptops feature 6 to 8-hour batteries, sufficient for regular class activities. Besides, since Dell runs on Windows OS, students don’t face compatibility issues when installing any application. These laptops handle presentations, graphical tasks, and gaming with considerable performance. So, everyone can always find an affordable yet reliable Dell laptop serving their needs, from school students to university apprentices pursuing professional degrees.
On the other hand, Apple laptops often feature premium specifications and better batteries. Therefore, MacBooks are more suitable for arts or graphic design students. But since these laptops often bear higher price tags, most students cannot afford them.
Budget Laptops
Dell usually keeps a reasonable price tag even with its high-end machines, thus taking the lead over Apple for offering the best budget laptops. Still, it has a separate series of affordable laptops for budget users – the Dell Inspiron. These laptops provide great features, enclose impressive specifications, and exhibit sleek designs. In short, you can never find a better budget laptop than a Dell Inspiron.
For example, the Dell Inspiron 13 5310 is available for a little over $500, bearing an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD storage. Its Intel Core i7 variant, featuring 16GB RAM and NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics, is also available for under $1000. That means you can get a titanic laptop handling graphic designing, gaming, and other resource-intensive activities within the $1000 barrier.
In contrast, it’s difficult to find an Apple machine with low-price tags. Although, the Cupertino giant is wise enough to offer a few choices for budget users, like the MacBook Air 2020, which is available for under $1000. Still, most MacBooks are essentially pricey unless the user agrees to compromise on specifications.
Design
Comparing Dell and Apple laptops regarding designs clearly gives the latter an edge. Apple MacBooks are deservingly known for sleek form factors, which the company often achieves by ditching optical drives. But that’s not a problem today, given that most other vendors like Dell or HP do the same.
The high-end Retina displays, glossy casings, ergonomic keyboards, and large trackpads are the key features defining a MacBook. Besides, Apple keeps the users hooked to the screen by showing sharp visuals, a catchy user interface, and supporting a tremendous screen brightness range. Most MacBooks also enclose illuminated keyboards with light sensors for automatic adjustments according to the surrounding lights.
In contrast, Dell still lags as it focuses more on internal hardware. As a result, while you can often find a Dell laptop with high-end specifications on a budget, you would seldom find it attractive. So, the more visually-inclined users may not find Dell laptops aesthetically appealing.
Though, this isn’t a generalized principle for all Dell laptops. For instance, the latest Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a rebellious model with a catchy form factor. It has an impressive 13.4-inch Infinity-Edge display, touchscreen support, a sleek keypad with large keys, a wide touchpad, and an elegantly designed aluminum chassis. But of course, since it encloses high-end specifications, it bears a hefty price tag.
Build Quality & Hardware
Both Dell and Apple work hard to offer the best laptops to their users. But, Apple seemingly takes more responsibility as it depends on specific hardware sources. Plus, upgrading an Apple MacBook is not an option. So, the vendors naturally tend to offer high-end specifications capable of handling the evolving software requirements.
On the other hand, Dell deals with numerous third-party vendors. Thus, it provides a wide range of laptops with hardware variations. For example, you can find its machines featuring RAM between 6-64GB, storage spaces from 256GB to 1TB, and simple Intel integrated graphics to the more sophisticated NVIDIA GeForce graphics. Besides, Dell also designs its laptops with upgrade support, empowering the users to tweak their laptops as needed. These individual modifications don’t cost much while saving you from putting in a lot of money at once.
Hence, while Dell laptops seemingly lag in offering premium builds, they win over Apple by offering reasonable hardware and supporting personalization.
Performance
Dell’s better customizability means you cannot expect Dell laptops to feature everything desired right after unboxing. As the base specifications remain confined at a mediocre level to control base prices, they do not perform as well as their costly Apple counterparts.
That’s where Apple takes the lead. Since you pay the price for every premium component at once, you can expect your laptop to handle every job thrown its way at its best. For example, even the apparently mediocre Apple MacBook Air can effectively manage mild gaming and graphic designing activities. Also, Apple’s proprietary i-Suite program is compatible with countless software and apps, thus addressing your professional needs seamlessly.
Durability
If by durability, you mean the laptop chassis, then both Dell and Apple have a tie here as they both offer numerous laptops in robust aluminum casings. Also, both can endure rough usage patterns effectively and even work like new after getting a few scratches.
Yet, Apple takes the lead here by offering long battery times. While Dell laptop batteries usually last up to 8 hours on a single charge, expect an Apple counterpart to serve you for 14 hours or more. For example, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 boasts a 17-hour battery time.
Customer Service & Warranty
In this category, Apple is hand-down the winner.
Although, both Dell and Apple offer dedicated after-sales service with customer support and product warranty. Dell even accepts return requests from disgruntled customers alongside offering easy repair options via its support centers.
Nonetheless, Apple takes the lead by offering even more responsive support. You can not only reach out to them via phone or email but can also seek help via live chat and social media platforms. Besides, its AppleCare program offers paid subscribers 90-day free tech support and 24/7 support with an extended hardware warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Dell or Apple?
While Apple takes the lead in designing sleek laptops with high-end specs, Dell gets an edge for serving a broader customer base by offering diversified and affordable machines.
Is Dell better than Apple?
Dell is better in terms of offering best-value laptops. Most machines are great for everyday use, support hardware upgrades, and serve a wider userbase at affordable costs.
Is Apple better than Dell?
Apple Macbooks seem better than Dell laptops regarding laptop designs, hardware sophistication, and lag-free performance. Plus, they offer better user privacy both at software and hardware levels.
Conclusion
Comparing Dell and Apple laptops to get a winner is an endless debate since both vendors seemingly exploit each other’s weaknesses to gain strengths. Moreover, the core software and hardware variations between the two suggest that they serve different customer bases. One may even choose to own a Dell laptop and a MacBook together to perform different activities.
Yet, if you’re looking to opt for only one of them, you need to review your requirements. For example, go for Dell if you’re on a budget and want a nice laptop that can serve you for a few years while managing regular educational or business activities and mild gaming. But, if you need a laptop that supports professional activities, bears an eye-catching form factor, and are willing to pay for it, then an Apple MacBook is what you need.
