The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) and the Dell XPS 13 Plus are among the best laptops produced by their respective companies. They are thin and stylish notebooks with excellent displays and performance. You cannot go wrong with either computer, as they are competitive with the best laptops on the market. That said, one notebook may be more suitable than the other, depending on your specific needs. It might be difficult to make a decision considering that the price of each is similar, but there are some crucial differences that might help you make a decision.
Although both the Dell XPS 13 Plus and MacBook Pro 13 are powerful devices, Dell’s Ultrabook has the edge when it comes to specifications. Its 12th generation Intel mobile CPUs outperform Apple’s custom M1 chip, providing a faster and smoother user experience (although the M1 is no slouch). It also uses faster DDR5 memory and can be configured with up to 32 GB. The MacBook Pro 13, on the other hand, has only 16 GB of DDR4 memory.
Both devices can be equipped with up to 2 TB SSD space and have beautiful high-resolution displays, although the Dell XPS 13 Plus has an edge in connectivity with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, beating the standard Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity of the MacBook Pro 13.
MacBook Pro 13 vs Dell XPS 13 Plus
Design
The Dell XPS 13 Plus looks more futuristic than the MacBook Pro 13. This is by no means an overhaul, as Apple decided to recycle the same chassis design it has been using for years on this line of Macs. The Dell laptop has thinner bezels, an invisible trackpad, a more modern-looking keyboard, and more. Although the XPS 13 Plus won in the overall design rankings, we still have to acknowledge some of the advantages offered by the MacBook Pro.
Although the Dell laptop has a “Touch Bar” instead of a row of function keys, it is limited to only two layouts. The MacBook’s Touch Bar, on the other hand, can adapt to the application in use and display any custom content. This makes the Mac’s Touch Bar more useful than that of the Windows PC. In addition, the MacBook Pro includes a headphone jack, which is missing from the XPS 13 Plus.
Display
The Dell XPS 13 Plus features a 13.4-inch 4-sided InfinityEdge display, already familiar from the XPS 13 line. However, Dell says it has reduced the number of layers to improve sharpness and reduce weight. However, Dell claims to have reduced the number of layers to improve sharpness and reduce weight. During our brief hands-on, we found the Plus’ OLED display bright and vibrant.
You can choose from several display options, starting with a Full HD (1920 x 1200) panel with a brightness of 500 nits. The two higher-end screens have either a 13.4-inch 3.5K OLED touchscreen at 60 Hz with 400 nits brightness or a 13.4-inch 4K LCD display at 60 Hz with 500 nits brightness.
The MacBook Pro has the same 13.3-inch Retina Display as its predecessor and offers sharp images and vivid colors. According to our lab tests, the MacBook Pro 2022 averaged 474.6 nits of standard brightness and 490 nits of HDR brightness. Although below 500 nits of brightness, it is brighter than the average 439 nits of the MacBook Pro M1.
Performance
The Apple M2 chip is the latest, but it is not the most powerful chip the Cupertino company has ever released. The M1 Pro, Max and Ultra easily defeat it. However, the M2 is a powerful chipset that should not be underestimated. The Dell XPS 13 Plus is available in several configurations. The base model is equipped with Intel Core i5-1240P, while the higher-end model is equipped with Intel Core i7-1280P. In both cases, the Intel chips offer more CPU cores than the Apple M2 chip.
If we compare Geekbench results, the M2 chipset wins in single-core tests over both Intel chips. However, the Core i7-1280P wins in multi-core tests. Not to mention that the M2 is more energy efficient than its Intel counterparts. However, the Dell XPS 13 Plus supports up to 32 GB of RAM, while the MacBook Pro 13 makes do with 24 GB. Ultimately, both laptops are powerful and it depends on the configurations you choose.
Ports
The XPS 13 Plus has only a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, one on either side. Dell includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box, as with the basic XPS 13, a nice touch. But if you need more ports, you will need to buy a multiple hub. What some will find most irritating is the total lack of a headphone jack. As we mentioned in our Dell XPS 13 Plus vs. XPS 13 article, the elimination of the headphone jack from a new version of one of the company’s most popular laptops is a significant (and controversial) move.
The MacBook Pro 2022 also has two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. But unlike the XPS 13 Plus, it includes a headphone jack. Of course, because of the minimal ports, you will potentially need to purchase a multi-port hub for this laptop. Determining a winner in this category is somewhat murky. The absence of a headphone jack in the XPS 13 Plus may be the deciding factor, but Dell’s computer has better Thunderbolt 4 ports than the MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 3.
Audio
The MacBook Pro 13″ stereo speakers provide clear, punchy sound that fills an entire room. Movie trailers, podcasts, and music sound great for a laptop, although the low-end (bass) sounds are not exactly great. That said, the overall sound quality of the MacBook Pro M2 is impressive. We cannot yet speak to the quality of the speakers on the XPS 13 Plus, but it should produce better sound from the four stereo speakers than the two speakers on previous versions. That said, we thought the Dell XPS 13 OLED offered decent sound quality, so we don’t expect the Plus to be worse.
Battery life
The MacBook Pro 2022 lasted for 18 hours and 20 minutes, surfing the web continuously via Wi-Fi and with a screen brightness of 150 nits. Based on these tests, we determined that it is the longest-lasting laptop ever. It surpasses its M1 predecessor (16:25) and completely destroys the XPS 13 OLED (8 hours). Simply put, the MacBook Pro can last for a full workday and beyond.
Final Words
If your current computer is running Windows and you have no plans to change, then it would make sense to purchase the Dell XPS 13 Plus. Similarly, if you are tied to the Apple ecosystem, buying the MacBook Pro 13 makes more sense. However, if you do not care about the operating system, both will offer more than decent performance. Both offer two similar color options and start at the same price range. So unless you are looking for something very specific, you can buy both.
