2025 Ultrabook Showdown: MacBook Air M4 vs Dell XPS 13 vs Asus Zenbook S 14

Design and Build Quality

All three of these 2025 ultrabooks feature premium, lightweight builds, but each has its own design philosophy. Apple’s MacBook Air M4 retains the sleek unibody aluminum chassis introduced in 2022’s redesign wired.com. It’s extremely thin (just 1.13 cm) and light (2.7 lbs/1.24 kg) shortlist.com, making it “one of the most attractive and ergonomic designs on the market,” according to one reviewer shortlist.com. The overall look hasn’t changed from the M2/M3 generation – a square-edged, fanless chassis that feels sturdy and premium. Apple did refresh the color palette, adding a subtle “Sky Blue” alongside the classic silver, starlight (champagne gold) and black (midnight) options wired.com shortlist.com. Notably, Apple uses 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure as part of its 2030 sustainability push support.apple.com shortlist.com, but this eco-friendly approach doesn’t compromise the MacBook’s solid build. Reviewers consistently praise the Air’s fit and finish – there’s virtually no flex in the chassis, and it feels built to last.

Dell’s XPS 13 (model 9345) takes a more futuristic approach. Its design is “identical to the XPS 13 Plus from last year” – an all-aluminum unibody with an ultra-minimalist aesthetic windowscentral.com. The keyboard stretches edge-to-edge with zero space between keys, and the glass trackpad is completely seamless (invisible with haptic feedback). This gives the XPS 13 a very sleek, modern look that one reviewer calls “futuristic and clean” windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. The machine is similarly portable (starting at ~2.6 lbs or 1.17 kg) and compact, thanks to Dell’s signature “InfinityEdge” display bezels which are razor-thin on all sides dell.com. The exterior is CNC-machined aluminum for a high-quality feel dell.com. In hand, the XPS feels premium and dense, with no creaks – it’s “close to XPS and MacBook quality” in rigidity, as an expert noted of the latest Zenbook (and the XPS is on par) ultrabookreview.com. However, Dell’s radical design does have trade-offs: the capacitive touch function row lacks tactile feedback, which developers or power users might miss reddit.com, and the ultra-minimal port selection (just two USB-C ports) influences the overall practicality of the build (more on that later). Still, if you favor cutting-edge design, the XPS 13’s look is striking and has been a favorite in the PC space windowscentral.com.

Asus’s Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) strikes a balance between elegance and practicality. Asus has been “on an absolute roll” with its laptop designs lately tomsguide.com, and the Zenbook S 14 is no exception. It sports a “drop-dead gorgeous” chassis with sharp, angular lines and a unique textured finish tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. The lid uses a plasma-ceramic aluminum process (dubbed “ceraluminum”), giving it a ceramic-like, almost paper-textured surface that is durable and fingerprint-resistant tomsguide.com. In plain terms, it’s a sleek ultrabook that looks and feels high-end. The Zenbook S 14 is as slim as the MacBook (about 0.50 inches thick) and weighs roughly 2.65–2.7 lbs (1.20 kg) asus.com tomsguide.com, yet it meets MIL-STD-810H durability tests for bumps and temperature, indicating a robust build under the style asus.com. Reviewers praise the ergonomics – the edges are a bit sharper than a MacBook’s smooth curves, but the trade-off is a distinctive, modern aesthetic. Like the others, the Zenbook’s unibody chassis has virtually no flex and exudes quality. In fact, one comparison noted the Zenbook S 14’s build is “firmer, more premium…close to XPS and MacBook quality” ultrabookreview.com. Asus also offers it in two finishes (a light “Scandinavian White” and a dark gray) to suit different tastes ultrabookreview.com. Overall, in design and build all three laptops feel premium; the MacBook Air leans classic and refined, the Dell XPS 13 is ultra-modern and minimalist, and the Asus Zenbook S 14 is stylish and innovative – there’s no bad choice here in terms of build quality.

Display

When it comes to screens, each laptop takes a slightly different path, especially in panel technology and features. MacBook Air M4 (13.6-inch) sticks with Apple’s tried-and-true Liquid Retina LCD. It’s a 13.6-inch IPS panel at 2560×1664 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio), yielding a sharp 224 ppi density support.apple.com. Apple calibrated it for accurate colors (wide P3 gamut) and high brightness – up to 500 nits – which is plenty for indoor and even some outdoor use support.apple.com. In fact, measured brightness is around 460–476 nits, close to Apple’s claim laptopmag.com. The display supports True Tone and can show 1 billion colors, making it great for media and creative work support.apple.com. Reviewers describe it as “big and bright…rich and colourful”, with excellent clarity wired.com shortlist.com. However, it’s a 60 Hz refresh rate panel – Apple reserves high refresh (ProMotion) for MacBook Pros, so the Air’s screen is not as smooth for fast-scrolling content or gaming shortlist.com. Still, for most users the MacBook Air’s screen is top-notch in quality. The only quirk is the notch cutout at the top for the webcam; though initially controversial, most users and reviewers report you “forget it’s even there within minutes” shortlist.com. Overall, the MacBook’s display offers excellent color accuracy and brightness, perfect for productivity or watching videos, with the only omission being high refresh rate.

The Dell XPS 13 9345 takes a more flexible approach by offering multiple display configurations. The common option is a 13.4-inch IPS panel in the signature “InfinityEdge” format (virtually no bezels). Dell offers it at a “2K” resolution – roughly 1920×1200 (FHD+ at 16:10) – with up to 500 nits brightness and even a 30–120 Hz variable refresh rate for smooth visuals dell.com. Not many 13-inch laptops have high-refresh screens, so this is a notable feature on the XPS. Users who have the 120 Hz panel note the motion is much smoother during scrolling or UI animations. This IPS screen delivers good contrast and covers essentially the full sRGB gamut (around 100% sRGB, which is ~67% of the wider DCI-P3 color space) tomsguide.com. In testing, it hit about 456 nits max brightness, which, combined with an anti-glare coating on the non-touch versions, makes it quite usable even under bright light tomsguide.com reddit.com. The colors are vibrant and accuracy is good for an IPS, though not as wide-gamut as the MacBook or the Asus’s OLED. For those who prioritize deeper blacks and richer colors, Dell also offers a 3.5K OLED touch option (3456×2160, 16:10) for the XPS 13 windowscentral.com. The OLED configuration provides incredible contrast and true blacks, but it’s capped at 60 Hz and slightly reduces battery life. Essentially, XPS 13 buyers choose between a high-refresh IPS or a high-res OLED. In either case, the XPS display is highly regarded – one review measured the IPS model’s output as the brightest of the bunch tomsguide.com – and the near-borderless design maximizes immersion. The only drawback noted by one reviewer was that there was “no 120Hz display option” on the unit they tested windowscentral.com (likely because that review unit was the OLED model). So, depending on config, you may or may not get high refresh. But overall, the XPS 13’s screen (especially the IPS 120Hz) is excellent for productivity and general use, with the OLED being a gorgeous alternative for media lovers at the cost of refresh rate.

The Asus Zenbook S 14 distinguishes itself with a stunning 14.0-inch OLED touchscreen. It’s a 3K OLED (2880×1800) in a 16:10 ratio, and it supports up to a 120 Hz refresh rate – combining high resolution, OLED contrast, and high refresh, which is a rare combo in this class asus.com. The OLED panel offers 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut and is Pantone validated, meaning colors are exceedingly rich and accurate for creative work asus.com. Blacks are true black and contrast is essentially infinite, as expected from OLED. The display is glossy and supports touch and even stylus input, which the MacBook lacks. Asus rates it for 500 nits peak HDR brightness, though in regular use its sustained brightness is around 340–400 nits tomsguide.com ultrabookreview.com. In testing, about ~392 nits was measured at full screen white ultrabookreview.com. That’s lower than the Mac and Dell IPS for all-white content, which means the Zenbook’s screen can appear slightly dimmer outdoors or in sunlight (a common trade-off with OLED unless you’re viewing HDR content). Still, in normal indoor conditions, it’s plenty bright and the colors “flash flood” the eyes with vividness tomsguide.com. Reviewers have raved about this OLED panel, calling it “eye-meltingly good” and “a flash flood of color with crispy resolution and deep contrast” tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. The 120 Hz refresh makes everyday interactions and even some gaming feel very smooth, and response times are near-instant – great for fast visuals ultrabookreview.com. One thing to note: being a touch OLED, there is a slight matte grain from the digitizer, and reflections can be an issue in bright environments ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. But these are minor caveats. The Zenbook’s screen is ideal for those who prioritize visual quality – whether you’re streaming HDR movies, editing photos, or just want silky-smooth scrolling in your browser. It’s the largest screen here (14″ vs ~13.4″), giving a bit more real estate while still in a very compact chassis due to the 90% screen-to-body ratio asus.com. Overall, the Zenbook S 14’s display is arguably the most technically impressive (OLED + 120Hz), the XPS 13’s offers a great balance (especially the 120Hz IPS for brightness and battery), and the MacBook Air’s display, while “only” LCD 60Hz, is still among the best LCDs with its brightness and color accuracy. Your eyes will likely be pleased with any of these, but content creators may lean toward the Zenbook’s OLED, while those sensitive to motion smoothness might favor the XPS’s 120Hz panel.

Performance

Despite their slim sizes, all three laptops pack serious processing power, but they use very different platforms: Apple Silicon in the Mac, a Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM chip in the XPS, and Intel’s latest in the Asus. Let’s break down how they compare in real-world performance.

MacBook Air M4 is powered by Apple’s custom M4 chip, which features a 10‑core CPU (4 high-performance + 6 efficiency cores) and either an 8-core or 10-core integrated GPU support.apple.com support.apple.com. This chip is built on a 3-nanometer process, bringing notable generational gains over the previous M3. In fact, Apple’s M4 delivers roughly a 20–30% performance boost over the M3 Air in benchmarks shortlist.com. For example, on Geekbench 6 the M4 Air scored about 14,849 multicore vs ~12,087 on M3 (23% higher) laptopmag.com laptopmag.com. Its single-core speed also jumped ~20%, keeping Apple at the top for per-core performance among these ultralights reddit.com shortlist.com. In practical terms, the M4 MacBook Air “breezes through multitasking” – you can load up dozens of browser tabs, stream high-res video, or edit photos without lag shortlist.com. It even handles coding and light video editing well. In a 4K video encoding test (Handbrake), the M4 Air finished in 5 minutes 40 seconds, two minutes faster than the M3 Air laptopmag.com. Apple also added hardware-accelerated ray tracing in the M4’s GPU, which slightly improves 3D graphics, though the Air is not a gaming laptop by any stretch support.apple.com. The MacBook Air’s secret sauce is that it achieves this performance fanlessly – the M4 chip’s efficiency allows the Air to run cool without a fan for cooling. This means no fan noise ever, and less risk of performance drops due to heat in short bursts. Under sustained heavy loads, the Air may throttle a bit to keep temperatures in check, but in reviews it “wasn’t something…negatively experienced” – the M4 stayed cool enough (only ~85 °F on the surface under load) and didn’t exhibit alarming slowdowns in testing laptopmag.com shortlist.com. Overall, the MacBook Air M4 offers a balance of excellent CPU performance and efficiency – it’s arguably the fastest CPU here for single-thread tasks and is competitive in multi-core with the others (despite having fewer cores than the Snapdragon, Apple’s cores are very powerful per core). For everyday use and even prosumer tasks, the M4 is a powerhouse in an Air’s clothing.

Dell XPS 13 (9345) Snapdragon model is one of the first premium laptops to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip instead of Intel/AMD. This is a 12-core ARM-based SoC (with a mix of high-performance and efficiency cores) paired with an Adreno GPU and a built-in NPU for AI tasks dell.com. The switch to ARM is all about efficiency, but Qualcomm also aimed to rival Apple’s performance. In Windows Central’s review, they call the XPS 13 with Snapdragon “a mini beast of a laptop” that “fails to disappoint in the performance department” windowscentral.com. For typical productivity – Office apps, web browsing, video calls, music playback – the XPS runs buttery smooth windowscentral.com. Even Adobe Photoshop, which now has native ARM64 support, runs heavy editing projects with “no noticeable issues” windowscentral.com. In fact, in native apps, the Snapdragon X Elite has beaten Intel’s newest 14th-gen chips in the same class: the XPS 13 Snapdragon outpaced a Dell XPS 14 with an Intel Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) chip in both Geekbench 6 and Cinebench tests windowscentral.com. One test showed it even trading blows with an AMD Ryzen 9 370 “AI” chip in multi-core performance windowscentral.com. Its Geekbench 6 multicore score can reach the mid-14,000s (comparable to the M4 Air’s ~14k and higher than Intel’s ~11k in this class) tomsguide.com. However, performance on the XPS can vary depending on whether apps are running natively or via emulation. For software that isn’t yet compiled for ARM (some older or niche Windows apps), the XPS has to use Microsoft’s emulation layer. In those scenarios, performance is lower – one general benchmark (CrossMark) scored ~1492 on the XPS (Snapdragon) versus 1741 on a similar Intel model windowscentral.com. This means if you rely on specific apps or drivers that currently only exist for x86, the XPS might not perform as well or could have compatibility issues. That said, the compatibility of Windows 11 on ARM has improved a lot, and the vast majority of common applications (including the Microsoft Office suite, Chrome/Edge, Adobe Lightroom, etc.) now run natively or very smoothly under emulation. Just be aware that some specialized tools or older games might not work or will be slower. Speaking of gaming – the XPS 13’s Adreno GPU is fine for casual and older titles, but it’s not meant for heavy gaming. Most big PC games aren’t optimized for ARM, and the ones that run via emulation often suffer in performance. In testing, even when a game ran, frame rates were modest (e.g., ~22 FPS in Civilization VI at 1080p on low settings) tomsguide.com. So, serious gaming is best left to a different machine. The upside is the Snapdragon runs extremely efficiently, which we’ll see in the battery section. It also enables new AI features – Dell labels this a “Copilot+” PC, meaning the on-board NPU (up to 45 TOPS) can accelerate Windows 11’s AI-driven features like Microsoft Copilot, background noise cancellation, etc. dell.com. In summary, the XPS 13 Snapdragon model provides excellent multi-core performance and class-leading efficiency, making it feel snappy for almost everything short of high-end gaming or certain pro apps that haven’t made the ARM jump yet. It’s a bold move by Dell that addresses prior XPS issues (heat and battery) by switching to a cooler, more efficient brain.

Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is powered by Intel’s 14th-gen Core Ultra processor – specifically up to a Core Ultra 7 258V in current models asus.com. Codenamed “Lunar Lake” (the very latest architecture as of 2024/2025), this chip has 8 cores (likely a mix of performance and efficient cores) with 8 threads, plus a dedicated AI engine (Intel NPU up to 47 TOPS) similar in concept to Apple and Qualcomm’s NPUs asus.com. Intel made major changes in this generation: for instance, they removed hyper-threading on performance cores and put the memory (LPDDR5X) on-package to save power tomsguide.com. The results are a bit mixed in practice. On the positive side, the Zenbook S 14 shows big gains in efficiency and graphics over previous Intel ultrabooks tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Its integrated Intel Arc graphics (Xe LPG architecture) are the strongest iGPU among these three – in tests, the Zenbook’s integrated GPU outperformed the XPS’s Adreno and even edged out AMD’s latest Radeon iGPU in some benchmarks tomsguide.com. That means you actually can do some light gaming or GPU-intensive work: for example, 3DMark Fire Strike scored ~7800 on the Zenbook (vs ~5635 on the XPS Snapdragon) tomsguide.com. It handled 45–60 FPS in some games at 1080p low (e.g., 48 FPS in Civ VI, whereas the XPS got 22 FPS) tomsguide.com. Intel clearly focused on GPU and AI capabilities with Lunar Lake – including even hardware ray tracing support – which helps with creative tasks (and AI features in Windows) going forward tomsguide.com. However, in raw CPU performance, this Core Ultra chip actually lags behind the Apple and Qualcomm chips. As one reviewer bluntly put it, “in general performance, Intel falls behind the likes of AMD and Qualcomm”, leaving Intel “at the back of the pack” in this ultralight category tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. For instance, in Geekbench 6, the Core Ultra 7 scored around 2750 single-core and 11,150 multi-core, which is similar single-thread to the XPS (2797) but far below the Mac’s ~3090 single-core, and its multi-core is behind XPS (14,600) and even a good AMD 8-core (13,200) tomsguide.com. In a 4K video encoding test, the Zenbook took 8.5 minutes, whereas the XPS (Snapdragon) finished in ~4.7 minutes and the MacBook M3 (slower than M4) finished in ~6.5 minutes tomsguide.com. That’s a noticeable gap for heavy tasks – meaning if you do a lot of video transcoding or similar, the Intel chip will be slower. The Zenbook did beat the Snapdragon in one area: Adobe Photoshop performance, likely thanks to strong single-core bursts and GPU acceleration (it scored higher in PugetBench Photoshop than the XPS) tomsguide.com. And importantly, compatibility is a non-issue on the Intel Zenbook – it’s a traditional x86-64 Windows machine, so everything runs without fuss, from old apps to obscure hardware drivers. There’s no need to worry about emulation. This could be a deciding factor if your workflow relies on specific Windows apps that might not be ARM-ready yet. In sum, the Zenbook S 14 offers solid overall performance and the best graphics muscle of the trio (excluding any discrete GPUs), but its CPU, while greatly improved in efficiency over past Intels, isn’t as fast as the M4 or Snapdragon in many multi-threaded tasks. For everyday use – web, Office, media – you’ll find it very fast and responsive (none of these laptops will feel slow at common tasks). It’s only in heavy duty scenarios that the differences emerge. And thanks to Intel’s improvements, the Zenbook no longer suffers the extremely short battery life or constant fan roar that older Intel ultrabooks did – as we’ll see next, it now holds its own decently in efficiency.

Battery Life

Battery endurance is a make-or-break aspect of any portable laptop, and here the differences in chips really show. The good news: all three of these machines offer all-day battery life, but the Dell and Apple push it to new heights while the Asus isn’t far behind.

Starting with the chart-topper: Dell’s XPS 13 (Snapdragon) achieves “groundbreaking multi-day battery life,” as Dell boldly claims dell.com, and testing backs this up. Thanks to the ultra-efficient Qualcomm processor, the XPS can last well over 18 hours on a charge for typical productivity. In a standardized battery rundown (looping Office apps, web, etc.), the XPS 13 Snapdragon lasted 19 hours 37 minutes windowscentral.com – frankly one of the best results ever seen for a 2024 Windows laptop. That beats even most other Snapdragon-based peers; one comparison noted it was several hours more than a Surface Laptop with the same chip windowscentral.com. In another test (web surfing at 150 nits brightness), it managed about 19.5 hours tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. In real-world mixed use, many reviewers found it easily goes through a full workday and then some. One user reported “it’s not as long as Dell claims [27 hours]… but it’s sooo much better than x86 laptops”, stating they could leave the charger at home for a day out reddit.com reddit.com. Of course, your mileage varies with workload – if you push it with heavy multitasking or emulated apps, battery will drain faster. Windows Central noted that under an intentionally heavy continuous use (lots of apps, video, multitasking), the XPS went from 100% to 15% in about 10 hours windowscentral.com. That’s actually still impressive for worst-case usage. Light use could approach two full days. Clearly, the XPS 13’s combination of a 55 Wh battery and the Snapdragon chip yields stellar endurance, making it a true all-day laptop and then some dell.com. It also supports fast charging via its 60W USB-C adapter, so topping up is fairly quick dell.com. In short, if battery life is your absolute priority, the XPS 13 with Snapdragon is the leader here – “some of the best battery life we’ve seen in a 2024 Windows laptop,” as one review put it windowscentral.com.

Apple’s MacBook Air M4 also delivers excellent longevity – it’s been a hallmark of Apple Silicon Macs. Apple officially rates the Air for 15 hours of wireless web browsing or up to 18 hours of local video playback support.apple.com. In realistic use, that 15-hour figure holds up. Laptop Mag’s test (continuous web surfing at 150 nits) clocked the M4 Air at 15 hours 42 minutes, slightly edging out the previous M3 model’s 15h13m laptopmag.com laptopmag.com. So you can generally expect around 15-16 hours of typical work on a charge, which easily covers a full day of work or classes with some buffer to spare. That’s about 3 hours more than most Intel laptops from a couple years ago, and it puts the MacBook Air near the top of its category – only surpassed by the best ARM-based Windows machines (like the XPS above). It’s worth noting Apple didn’t massively increase battery life with the M4 versus M3 – they chose to boost performance while keeping battery roughly the same, which was already great. Reviewers consistently report that the Air “lasts literally all day” for tasks like writing, browsing, and streaming reddit.com. And thanks to macOS optimizations, it has very low power draw in standby – you can close the lid and lose only a few percent overnight. Charging the MacBook is convenient with the MagSafe 3 port; the base M4 Air comes with a compact 30W adapter (or 35W dual port if you get the higher GPU model) support.apple.com. It even supports fast-charge – if you use a higher wattage USB-C charger (like Apple’s 70W), you can charge it to ~50% in 30 minutes or so support.apple.com. That said, most people won’t need midday charging with this kind of endurance. Compared to the Dell, the Mac’s battery life is slightly less in absolute terms (15 vs ~19 hours in similar tests) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, but it’s still among the best and far ahead of most traditional laptops. And remember, that’s with a smaller battery – the Air has a 53.8 Wh battery pack support.apple.com (Apple achieves those hours through sheer efficiency). Overall, the MacBook Air gives you confidence to leave the charger in your bag; only heavy-duty continuous loads (like exporting video or playing 3D games) will drain it faster.

Asus Zenbook S 14 comes in slightly behind, but still in the “all-day” club. It has the largest battery here at 72 Wh capacity asus.com, which helps compensate for the Intel chip’s higher consumption. Intel’s efficiency improvements in Lunar Lake mean this Zenbook significantly outlasts previous Intel 14-inch laptops. In Tom’s Guide’s web and video loop test (150 nits brightness), the Zenbook S 14 lasted 13 hours 08 minutes tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. That is about 2 hours longer than an AMD-based similar laptop they tested (Zenbook S 16 with Ryzen, 11h35m) tomsguide.com, showing Intel closed the gap somewhat. It’s also not far behind the MacBook Air’s 15+ hours – roughly a couple hours difference in that test tomsguide.com. In practical use, 13 hours is still plenty for a full day’s work for most users. So while the Zenbook S 14 doesn’t break any records, it finally gives Intel ultrabook users confidence that their machine can last a workday without desperately seeking an outlet. One review applauded that “battery life is much better than last year” and noted Intel made a “big step forward” here tomsguide.com. They did mention that ARM-based systems still last longer on average tomsguide.com – as we see with the XPS – but Intel is at least in the ballpark now. Also, Asus seems to have fixed the standby drain problems that used to plague Windows laptops: testers found the Zenbook lost virtually 0% when left sleeping for 12 hours tomsguide.com, which is on par with Mac’s standby efficiency and a huge improvement for x86 Windows machines. The Zenbook supports fast charging via its 65W USB-C charger, and given the big battery, a full charge might take around 2 hours from empty – but a short 30-minute charge can give several hours of use thanks to high input wattage. All told, the Zenbook S 14 will comfortably handle a day of mixed work, though if you truly need the longest endurance, the XPS (or Mac to a lesser extent) will last a few hours more.

In summary, battery life ranking in this trio goes: XPS 13 Snapdragon – topping out around 18–20 hours on light use (a real marathon champ) windowscentral.com; MacBook Air M4 – a solid ~15-16 hour machine that sets the standard for most ultrabooks laptopmag.com; and Zenbook S 14 – roughly ~13-14 hours, very good and much improved for an Intel laptop tomsguide.com. All three support USB-C charging (the Mac via MagSafe or USB-C) and can fast-charge to varying degrees. For most people, any of these will get you through a day untethered, but the Dell gives the most breathing room if you forget to charge overnight.

Keyboard and Trackpad Experience

A laptop’s input devices greatly affect daily usability, and here the three laptops each excel in some ways, with a few unique twists.

MacBook Air M4 continues Apple’s reputation for best-in-class input. It features the Magic Keyboard with scissor-switch keys, which have about 1 mm of travel. While that’s shallow on paper, Apple’s keyboard design is widely praised for its crisp and consistent feedback. The keys are full-sized, stable, and quiet. As ShortList’s review notes, the Air’s keyboard has “great travel” (for its class) and “remains a pleasure to use” shortlist.com. Importantly, Apple includes a full row of function keys (no Touch Bar here) and Touch ID integrated in the top-right power key for quick logins and authentication support.apple.com shortlist.com. The layout is standard and very familiar. Apple went through a rough patch with keyboards years ago (the infamous butterfly keys), but the current Magic Keyboard (introduced in 2020 and used since) is reliable and comfortable. Most typists will find it fast and accurate, and it has backlighting with an ambient light sensor to adjust brightness automatically shortlist.com. In short, the MacBook Air’s keyboard is “full-height” and rock-solid, good enough that it’s often the benchmark for ultrabook keyboards shortlist.com.

The trackpad on the MacBook Air is often considered the gold standard. It’s a large glass Force Touch trackpad – very spacious and centrally placed. Rather than a physical click mechanism, it uses haptic feedback to simulate clicks, which allows uniform click feel anywhere on the pad and enables pressure-sensitive gestures support.apple.com. The tracking is precise and multi-touch gestures (scrolling, swiping between desktops, pinch-zoom, etc.) are extremely smooth. ShortList calls it “class-leading and super-responsive, giving you a massive space to swipe around on” shortlist.com. It’s also intelligently tuned to avoid false inputs when typing (palm rejection). In essence, no Windows laptop has quite matched Apple’s trackpad experience yet, though they’ve gotten closer. One minor downside: because it’s so large, if you’re using the MacBook on your lap with short palm rests, occasionally a stray touch might register (an issue one expert noted for both the Mac and Asus) ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. But this is rare and the benefits of the huge smooth surface outweigh it. Overall, the Mac’s keyboard and trackpad combo is arguably the best here – a “pleasure to use” shortlist.com and a key reason many people love MacBooks.

Moving to Dell XPS 13: Dell took some design risks with the XPS’s inputs to achieve that futuristic look. The keyboard uses a “zero-lattice” design, meaning there are effectively no gaps between the keycaps – they form an edge-to-edge flat surface windowscentral.com. The keys themselves are larger as a result, and they have reasonably good tactile feedback. One reviewer noted the keys “feel great to type on” once you get used to the lack of spacing windowscentral.com. Key travel is about 1.0 mm; it’s a bit short, but the keys are snappy. Initially, it can be an adjustment since your fingers don’t have gaps to feel separation, but after a short period many users type comfortably on it windowscentral.com. The layout is standard aside from the top row: Dell replaced the physical function keys with a capacitive touch bar strip (not a dynamic screen like Apple’s old Touch Bar, just backlit static icons). This touch FN row handles Esc, volume, brightness, etc., and switches to F1–F12 with a toggle. It keeps the design clean, but as a developer on Reddit lamented, the lack of tactile feedback “is a real miss” if you frequently press those keys by feel reddit.com reddit.com. If you rarely use F-keys, you might not mind – and visually it does look slick. For everyday typing, the XPS’s keyboard is decent and even “super nice” in the eyes of the Windows Central reviewer windowscentral.com, but it’s a love-it or hate-it style. Some users adore the modern look and adjusted fine; others prefer traditional key spacing.

The trackpad on the XPS 13 is where things get both interesting and a bit controversial. Dell made the trackpad “invisible” – there’s no outlined rectangle on the palm rest at all windowscentral.com. The entire clickpad is a haptic feedback unit beneath the seamless glass wrist-rest area. It’s quite wide (about as wide as the spacebar), though not as tall due to the keyboard deck taking space windowscentral.com. Conceptually, this is similar to Apple’s haptic trackpad (no moving parts, uses vibration to click), and when it works, it’s very smooth and spacious. It certainly looks futuristic, contributing to the XPS’s ultra-clean aesthetic. However, multiple reports indicate some bugginess in the XPS trackpad’s implementation. The Windows Central review unit had issues with the haptic response: sometimes after waking from sleep, clicks wouldn’t register or the pad would become overly sensitive, even triggering clicks when simply moving the cursor windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. These glitches often required a reboot to fix, which is not ideal windowscentral.com. Similarly, Dell’s own AI summary of customer reviews admits many users reported trackpad and keyboard issues dell.com. It’s possible that firmware updates will iron this out over time (Dell has updated drivers addressing some trackpad responsiveness concerns). When working properly, the trackpad is very good – large, smooth glass surface, precise, and supports all Windows multi-touch gestures. In fact, one user compared it and felt it was “far better than the likes of past HP and Asus laptops” they’d tried reddit.com reddit.com. But the inconsistency is something to note. On the bright side, the XPS’s palm rejection is generally effective (the Reddit user did mention you have to be “positioned right” on the trackpad for best responsiveness) reddit.com. Also, because it’s haptic, you can click anywhere and get uniform feedback, and it doesn’t physically depress or wobble. In summary, Dell’s keyboard/trackpad are the most innovative here, and they feel great when they function correctly, but some people will prefer a more traditional setup. If you prioritize a flawless trackpad, the Mac still has the edge in reliability. Dell might have sacrificed a bit of functional simplicity for the sake of that wow-factor design.

Asus Zenbook S 14 takes a more conventional approach, which, in a way, is a strength. The keyboard on the Zenbook S 14 is a standard chiclet layout with 1.1 mm key travel asus.com. The keys are well-spaced (no funky zero-lattice here), and reviewers generally find it comfortable. Tom’s Guide said “the keyboard feels great to type on with plenty of depth” tomsguide.com, though another in-depth review noted it’s a bit shallower than previous Zenbooks (which had 1.4 mm travel) and not the absolute best, but still “alright” and comparable to the MacBook Air’s feel ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. So, feedback is positive overall – you can maintain good typing speed and accuracy. The keys have a slight dish and a soft tactile bump. Backlighting is included (white LEDs); one critique was that even the lowest setting is quite bright, which could be distracting in a dark room ultrabookreview.com. But that’s a minor nitpick and possibly adjustable via software. One nice touch: Asus added a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key on this new model (since it’s a “Copilot+” PC) asus.com. It’s basically a hotkey to summon the Windows 11 AI assistant, reflecting the laptop’s focus on AI features. In use, the Zenbook’s keyboard is close to the MacBook’s in feel – a short but crisp stroke. If you prefer a bit more travel, you might yearn for older models, but most users adapt well and enjoy the typing experience. And unlike Dell, all function keys are normal keys (with secondary media functions), so no surprises there.

The touchpad on the Zenbook S 14 is a large glass precision touchpad (and it’s a traditional physical click design, not haptic). Asus actually made it larger than on previous Zenbooks – it stretches wider and closer to the keyboard spacebar ultrabookreview.com. It supports all Windows gestures and has a smooth, low-friction surface that a reviewer described as “slick…with a satisfyingly tactile click” tomsguide.com. There’s no “invisible” gimmick; you can see the boundaries of the pad, which some users might actually prefer for muscle memory. In use, it tracks very well and there was no mention of cursor jumpiness or lag. Palm rejection works fine, though one detailed review noted that because the pad is quite tall and the front lip of the laptop is small, if you use it on your lap or couch, you might occasionally trigger a “ghost touch” from your clothes or palms – a similar complaint they had with the MacBook’s expansive pad ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. But on a desk, this shouldn’t be an issue. The physical clicks are reported to be “smooth and silent,” and the whole mechanism feels sturdy with no rattling ultrabookreview.com. Unlike some older Asus models, there’s no NumberPad (trackpad that doubles as a numpad) on this unit – presumably because it’s focused on Copilot instead. Importantly, reliability seems solid here: no widespread reports of the Zenbook’s trackpad acting up. It’s a tried-and-true approach that might not be as flashy as Dell’s, but it works consistently.

In summary, keyboard/trackpad preferences might come down to personal taste: The MacBook Air M4 offers a best-in-class, no-surprises experience – a comfortable backlit keyboard and an industry-leading large haptic trackpad that just works shortlist.com shortlist.com. The Dell XPS 13 offers a cutting-edge design with bigger keys and a hidden haptic pad; it’s aesthetically pleasing and great to use if you’re okay with the learning curve and potential quirks windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. The Asus Zenbook S 14 sticks to a more traditional but very good keyboard and an enlarged smooth touchpad, delivering an experience that one reviewer dubbed “a top tier keyboard/trackpad combo” for its class tomsguide.com. Casual users will likely be happy with any of them, but if you’re extremely particular: Mac is the safe bet for top-notch touchpad, Dell is for those who value design innovation (and don’t mind a touch bar), and Asus finds a nice middle ground with familiar, reliable inputs.

Port Selection and Connectivity

Port selection is an area where these ultrabooks differ quite a bit, and it can affect your day-to-day convenience. Ultralight designs often sacrifice ports for slimness, but Asus manages to offer the most, while Dell and Apple take a minimalist route.

Starting with MacBook Air M4, Apple keeps it simple: on the left side you get two Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 Type-C ports plus the MagSafe 3 charging port, and on the right side a 3.5 mm headphone jack wired.com shortlist.com. That’s it – no USB-A, no HDMI, no SD card slot. Thunderbolt 4 ports are versatile (40 Gbps, supporting data, video out, and charging), so with adapters or a dock you can connect pretty much anything, but out-of-the-box you might need dongles for your older peripherals. The inclusion of MagSafe charging is nice: it leaves the two USB-C ports free while charging and provides a quick-release magnetic power connector (preventing accidental drops if the cord is yanked) wired.com. Essentially, the M4 Air’s port layout is unchanged from recent Airs – Apple assumes many users are going wireless or already using USB-C devices. The Air does support multiple external displays now (up to two 6K monitors at 60Hz) – a new ability for Apple’s base chip – but since it only has two Thunderbolt ports, driving two monitors would occupy both ports and likely require a docking solution wired.com wired.com. As one reviewer pointed out, an extra USB-C port would have been very welcome on the Air, considering power users can now use two monitors – instead you’ll be back to the dongle life if you need to connect anything else simultaneously wired.com. On wireless, the MacBook Air M4 comes up to date with Wi-Fi 6E (better throughput and less congestion on supporting routers) and Bluetooth 5.3 support.apple.com shortlist.com. Wi-Fi 6E is fast, although the Windows laptops one-up it with Wi-Fi 7. Still, Wi-Fi 6E is plenty for internet and local transfers for the next few years.

Moving to Dell XPS 13 (9345), we actually find the most sparse I/O of the trio. It has only two USB-C ports – specifically USB4/Thunderbolt 4 capable – one on each side of the laptop dell.com. And… that’s it. No headphone jack, no dedicated charging port (it charges via either USB-C), no USB-A, HDMI, or card reader. This continues the precedent set by the XPS 13 Plus and 9315 models: extreme minimalism. Dell does include USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapters in the box typically, to ease the transition for users, but it’s still a very dongle-reliant design. For some, this is not a big deal – especially if you’ve embraced Bluetooth audio (since there’s no headphone jack, you’d likely use wireless earbuds or the adapter) and mostly use cloud storage (no card slot). The benefit of this sparse setup is a clean, uninterrupted chassis design and potentially more internal space for thermals/battery. But it was controversial when Dell removed the audio jack; many ultrabooks at least keep that. One Reddit user bluntly said having only two Thunderbolt ports “is terrible” for an XPS, reflecting frustration when you want to plug in power, an external display, and a USB device all at once reddit.com reddit.com. In practice, many XPS users end up carrying a small USB-C hub or multi-port adapter to get additional HDMI/USB-A when needed. The two TB4 ports do support DisplayPort video out and power delivery, so you can daisy-chain or use one port for power and one for a monitor. With a good dock, one port could drive multiple devices (e.g., a TB4 dock can give you more USB-A, Ethernet, etc.). Still, it’s a trade-off to be aware of: the XPS 13 prioritizes wireless and streamlined design over built-in port variety. On the wireless front, the XPS is cutting edge: it comes with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth 5.4 via Qualcomm’s FastConnect 7800 module dell.com. Wi-Fi 7 is very new (routers supporting it are rare in 2025 and expensive), but it’s theoretically faster and better at simultaneously using multiple bands. For the average user today, it won’t matter much vs Wi-Fi 6E, but it’s somewhat future-proof. Bluetooth 5.4 is also bleeding edge. So Dell skimps on physical ports, but equips the latest wireless tech to encourage a cable-free lifestyle. The lack of a headphone jack is offset if you use BT headphones, and Wi-Fi 7 could be appealing for those who work with the latest networks. Just be prepared to use adapters for older peripherals.

Finally, Asus Zenbook S 14 offers a surprisingly well-rounded set of ports, especially given its slim profile. Asus somehow managed to include almost every port you’d want: two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (for charging, data, display), one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (the full-sized USB port for things like flash drives or older devices), one HDMI 2.1 output (supporting up to 4K 60Hz or even 8K/30 on that spec) asus.com, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack for headphones/mic asus.com. This is impressive in a 0.5-inch thin chassis – it means you can plug into a projector or HDTV without a dongle (HDMI), use legacy USB-A accessories easily, and still have two USB-C for modern devices and charging. It’s a clear advantage in convenience over the Mac and Dell. Tom’s Guide noted the port array is “a little restricted” compared to larger laptops but “you get just enough to get stuff done.” tomsguide.com Considering the competition here, the Zenbook actually feels generous in ports. Having both USB-C and USB-A natively is great for transitioning users, and an HDMI port is invaluable for quick hookups to displays in conference rooms or TVs. The Thunderbolt 4 ports mean you still have access to high-speed peripherals and multiple displays if needed (the Zenbook can output to at least two external monitors via its TB4 and HDMI combined). The inclusion of the headphone jack will please those who prefer wired audio or have standard headsets. On the wireless side, the Zenbook is on par with Dell: it also carries Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 (via an Intel module) asus.com. That means top-of-line wireless performance and future readiness (and since Intel co-engineers Wi-Fi 7 cards, it should be solid). In essence, Asus wins on port selection – you may not need a dongle at all for everyday tasks. This focus on practicality, despite the thin design, is part of the Zenbook’s appeal for on-the-go productivity.

To sum up, in port connectivity: The Zenbook S 14 is the most versatile (Thunderbolt 4 x2, USB-A, HDMI, audio jack) asus.com – a rarity in a laptop this slim, catering to both old and new peripherals with minimal fuss. The MacBook Air M4 is moderate (2 x TB4 + MagSafe + headphone) wired.com – enough for many users who have adapted to USB-C life, but you’ll likely need adapters for things like HDMI or USB-A. The Dell XPS 13 is minimalist to a fault (2 x TB4 only) dell.com – great if you’re all-in on USB-C and wireless everything, but restrictive if not, practically mandating a hub for diverse connectivity. All three have state-of-the-art wireless, with Dell and Asus leaping ahead to Wi-Fi 7 (versus Mac’s Wi-Fi 6E). Depending on your usage, the Zenbook’s diverse ports could save you time and money on adapters, whereas the Mac and especially the XPS assume you’re okay carrying a dongle or two. It’s a clear philosophical difference: Apple and Dell prioritize form and expect you to adapt, Asus tries to meet you halfway.

Software Experience (macOS vs Windows 11)

Comparing software is slightly apples-and-oranges (pun intended) since one of these runs macOS and the others run Windows 11 – but it’s crucial in a buying decision. Each platform has its strengths, and in the case of the XPS, Windows comes in an ARM flavor with some implications. Let’s break it down:

MacBook Air M4 runs macOS (it would be macOS 14 or 15 in 2025 – Apple codenamed one release “Sequoia” support.apple.com). macOS is known for its polished, user-friendly interface and strong integration within the Apple ecosystem. If you have an iPhone or iPad, the MacBook plays exceptionally well with them – features like AirDrop (file sharing), iMessage, FaceTime calls, and Universal Clipboard work seamlessly across devices. MacOS is often praised for its stability and efficient use of hardware. Apple designs the OS specifically for Apple Silicon chips, so performance and battery optimization are excellent. For instance, macOS manages background tasks and power states in a way that maximizes the M4 chip’s efficiency – contributing to that great battery life. In terms of included software, macOS comes with a suite of quality apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote for productivity, iMovie, GarageBand for creativity, etc.), and has the App Store for vetted apps. Creative professionals often favor macOS for software like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and the generally strong performance of Adobe’s suite on Apple Silicon. One new aspect in 2025: macOS now features “Apple Intelligence,” a set of personal AI-assisted features integrated into the system support.apple.com. Apple Intelligence can help with writing and communication tasks in a privacy-focused way (it’s Apple’s answer to AI assistants, done on-device). For example, it might assist you in composing emails or messages contextually, similar to how Microsoft has Copilot on Windows support.apple.com. Privacy is a big theme – Apple tends to process as much as possible on-device and has strong security (the MacBook has the Apple T2/secure enclave equivalent built into M4, plus Touch ID for login). Software updates on macOS are generally supported for many years; buying an M4 Air likely means you’ll get OS updates well into the late 2020s, which is part of the long-term value. The user experience on macOS is coherent and ad-free (no bloatware or nagging antivirus trials out of the box, for instance). However, macOS has a different app ecosystem – while virtually all big-name productivity and creative apps are available, some niche Windows-only programs (especially certain engineering, accounting or enterprise tools, or many games) won’t run on Mac. Apple Silicon can use virtualization or compatibility layers (like CrossOver or Parallels) for some Windows apps, but if you need a specific Windows program, it’s a consideration. By and large, though, macOS covers the needs of most average users and many professionals. It also has excellent UNIX underpinnings, so developers enjoy the environment for coding. Another point: no touch input on MacBooks – macOS is still exclusively a keyboard/trackpad-driven OS (with great gesture support), whereas Windows 11 offers touch support (relevant since the Zenbook has a touch screen).

On the Windows 11 side, both the XPS and Zenbook run Windows 11 Home/Pro. Windows 11 has matured since its release, offering a clean, modern interface with the centered Start menu and integration of Microsoft’s services (OneDrive, Office, etc.). For the Zenbook S 14, it’s straightforward – it’s standard Windows 11 on an Intel platform, meaning full compatibility with all Windows apps and features. You can install anything from Steam games to old legacy software and it will run as expected. Windows 11 has made strides in design cohesion and has features like Snap Layouts for multitasking, Widgets, and the Microsoft Store (though many still download apps from the web). One headline feature in late 2024 is Microsoft Copilot, an AI assistant built into Windows 11. Both the XPS and Zenbook are labeled “Copilot+ PCs” because they have AI NPUs to accelerate these features asus.com dell.com. In practical terms, Copilot can be summoned (similar to a smart sidebar) to help with tasks like summarizing documents, generating text, controlling settings via natural language, etc., leveraging Bing Chat and local AI capabilities. On an AI-enabled PC, Copilot can do things like rewrite a paragraph in your writing app or analyze data in a spreadsheet at your request. The Zenbook even has a dedicated Copilot key, as mentioned asus.com, underscoring how Asus and Microsoft are pushing this functionality. This is one of Windows 11’s new experiences that tries to differentiate from macOS. Early impressions are that Copilot is promising, but it’s still evolving (and of course requires internet for a lot of its smarts).

For the Dell XPS 13 (Snapdragon), Windows 11 is fundamentally the same user interface and feature set, but because it’s running on ARM hardware, there is a translation layer for non-native apps. The good news is Windows 11 on ARM has 64-bit x86 emulation now, so it can run traditional programs that haven’t been recompiled, with some performance cost. Microsoft also has a catalog of native ARM64 apps growing – Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Teams, Photoshop, VLC, and many more have native versions. The everyday user might not even notice a difference: the Start menu, settings, etc., all behave normally. Where you might run into something is if an app uses a driver or kernel extension that doesn’t have an ARM version (for example, some VPN clients or older antivirus software might not work yet). Also, some games with anti-cheat mechanisms won’t run on ARM Windows. In a general productivity use, the XPS’s Windows 11 feels normal – one reviewer said “it’s the same futuristic, compact laptop we love, now with a more powerful and efficient processor” windowscentral.com, implying the user experience didn’t degrade. Another user’s perspective from Reddit: “It’s great when it works… but lack of support for some developer apps means I had to find alternatives” reddit.com. If you are a developer or power user using specific tools (like that person mentioned Android Studio not being available for ARM yet reddit.com), you’ll need to check compatibility or wait for updates. But the average suite of apps – Office, browsers, Zoom/Teams, Spotify, etc. – all run fine either natively or emulated.

Windows vs macOS general differences:

• Interface & ease: macOS is often regarded as slightly more intuitive for those who aren’t tech-savvy, and has fewer annoyances (no manufacturer bloatware, for instance). Windows 11 on these premium machines is relatively clean too (Dell/Asus might preinstall a few utilities and McAfee trials, though you can uninstall them). Both OSes have a learning curve if you’re coming from the other, but switching is quite doable. Notably, one Verge review comparing XPS to MacBook Air bluntly said in some aspects (battery, screen, etc.) the XPS (Intel version) was coasting behind and that was “fine” theverge.com – implying for many typical tasks, both will get the job done, but the Mac still held some advantages in those areas.
• Software ecosystem: Mac has access to macOS-exclusive software (Final Cut, etc.) and can run a lot of iPhone/iPad apps now on Apple Silicon via the Mac App Store (though not all iOS apps are optimized for Mac). Windows has the vast library of decades of applications and especially dominates in gaming and enterprise software. The Zenbook, for example, could install Steam and run games (with the integrated GPU it can actually handle some light gaming better than the Mac which has fewer games available at all). The XPS could run some Windows games but many aren’t ARM-compatible or would be slow under emulation. If gaming is a priority, Windows on Intel (Zenbook) is the only one here that really fits – Mac gaming is improving (Apple has an API to translate DirectX games and some recent Mac ports, plus you can use cloud gaming or Boot Camp-like solutions) but Windows still has far more titles.
• Security & support: Apple’s macOS is very secure against malware (due in part to design and smaller target share), though not immune. Windows 11 has greatly improved security too (especially on these modern devices with Pluton TPM in Zenbook asus.com and Microsoft’s virtualization-based security). Both will get periodic updates – Apple does yearly major releases, Microsoft does annual feature updates and monthly patches. Apple tends to support hardware ~5-7 years; Microsoft supports each Windows version ~5 years, and OEMs like Dell/Asus typically provide driver/firmware updates for a few years.
• Integration: If you rely on Google or cross-platform services, either OS is fine. But if you love Apple services/hardware, macOS is a natural fit. Conversely, if you’re deep in Microsoft’s ecosystem (Office 365, OneDrive, maybe use a Surface or other Windows at work), Windows will mesh perfectly, though Macs also run Office and connect to OneDrive etc. Corporate environments often standardize on Windows – something to consider if you use specialized work VPNs or tools (though Macs can integrate in most cases too).
• Touch and Tablet mode: The Zenbook S 14’s screen is touch-enabled and supports a stylus asus.com. Windows 11 is designed to handle touch input – you can scroll, tap, pinch-zoom directly on the screen, which some users enjoy for web browsing or note-taking. It’s not a 2-in-1 convertible, so you won’t flip it into tablet mode often (it doesn’t rotate 360 degrees), but you can still use touch for convenience. The XPS has an OLED touch option as well. The MacBook Air, by contrast, has no touch capability on screen; Apple expects you to use the excellent trackpad. If you like signing PDFs with your finger or quickly tapping the screen to dismiss a dialog, the Windows machines have that flexibility. Mac users often compensate with trackpad gestures or an iPad sidecar if needed for pen input.
• Voice assistants: macOS has Siri (though it’s not heavily used on Mac), Windows had Cortana (now deprecated in favor of just using Copilot or voice typing). Not a huge factor nowadays.

In usage, a quote from ShortList sums up the MacBook Air experience: “it’s a laptop that, to quote the late Steve Jobs, just works… you’re going to have to work really hard to make this machine chug” shortlist.com, highlighting the straightforward, responsive experience macOS on M4 gives. On the flip side, a Windows enthusiast might argue that Windows 11 offers more flexibility and compatibility – for example, you can run the latest games or connect any accessory without driver drama (especially on the Intel-based Zenbook). The XPS’s Windows 11 ARM experience is slightly niche at the moment, but it’s clearly the direction for the future of Windows PCs (the promise of combining Windows versatility with Mac-like efficiency). Indeed, one tech reviewer noted that with devices like the XPS 13 Snapdragon, “the chip wars are beginning to heat up” and that Windows on ARM laptops are finally delivering on stamina while remaining adequate in performance tomsguide.com.

If you’re a general consumer, either OS will handle web, email, streaming, documents with ease. If you have specific needs: for example, video editing – Mac’s hardware + Final Cut or DaVinci runs great; Windows machines can do Adobe Premiere (the Zenbook or XPS can run it, though note Premiere isn’t native on ARM yet, meaning XPS would run an emulated version slowly until Adobe releases the ARM version). For programming: Mac offers a UNIX environment out of the box which many developers love, while Windows now has the WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) which works well on Intel (and on ARM too with some limitations). For content consumption and creative hobbies like music production: both have options (Mac has GarageBand/Logic, Windows has equivalents like Ableton, which does have an ARM beta now for XPS).

In summary, software experience largely comes down to preference and ecosystem. The MacBook Air M4 gives you macOS – a refined, tightly integrated OS optimized for Apple hardware, with new on-device AI features and a focus on privacy support.apple.com. It’s ideal for those already in Apple’s world or who appreciate a stable, cohesive environment (with the caveat of less game support and requiring adjustments if coming from Windows). The Dell XPS 13 and Asus Zenbook S 14 give you Windows 11 – which in 2025 is modern and pleasant, with the powerful addition of AI Copilot and the broad software compatibility that Windows is known for. The Zenbook’s Windows 11 experience is completely traditional (and will run absolutely anything Windows can), while the XPS’s Windows 11 on ARM is impressively smooth for mainstream apps and battery life, but could trip up on obscure legacy software or certain developer workflows until ARM support becomes ubiquitous reddit.com. If you prioritize touch and pen input, Windows devices have the edge (the Zenbook’s OLED is even pen-capable, which creative users might utilize) asus.com. Meanwhile, MacOS offers the best trackpad gestures and a very coherent multi-device ecosystem experience (copy on your iPhone, paste on your Mac type continuity). Neither is “better” universally – it really depends on what software you need and which interface you prefer. The good news is both macOS and Windows 11 have matured to be fast, secure, and user-friendly on these premium machines, so you’re getting a top-tier software experience either way, tailored to the hardware’s strengths.

Heat and Fan Noise

This is an area where differences in architecture lead to different behaviors. In ultra-thin laptops, managing heat and noise is crucial for a comfortable experience. Let’s see how each handles it:

MacBook Air M4 has a distinct advantage: it’s entirely fanless. There is no fan inside, so it operates in complete silence at all times shortlist.com. Apple’s M4 chip is so power-efficient that the Air can dissipate heat passively through its aluminum chassis. In everyday tasks, the MacBook Air stays cool to the touch. Even under heavier loads, its thermal design is robust enough to avoid overheating for quite a while. Laptop Mag’s tests found “neither laptop [M4 or M3 Air] suffers from any thermal concerns” – after 15 minutes of 1080p video playback, the hottest spot on the M4 Air was only 85.2°F (29.6°C), well below any discomfort threshold laptopmag.com laptopmag.com. That’s a remarkably low temperature; they noted their comfort threshold is 95°F, so the Air stayed cool. In continuous heavy workloads (like a long video export or gaming session), the Air will get warm and eventually throttle its performance to keep temperatures in check, since it can’t actively increase cooling. In such scenarios, you might feel the upper keyboard area become quite warm (perhaps in the 40°C range), but it’s still not as scorching as some Intel laptops got in the past. Wired’s review did mention experiencing “some slight overheating” with the M4 Air wired.com – which likely refers to those instances of prolonged stress where the bottom can get toasty. However, it’s important to note “overheating” in this context doesn’t mean failure or damage, just that it can become warm and throttle speeds a bit. Crucially, you will never hear a fan whir up, because there isn’t one. For many users, that silent operation is a revelation – no matter if you’re in a quiet classroom or meeting, your MacBook will never interrupt with fan noise. Also, less moving parts often means less potential failure points (no fan to collect dust or eventually wear out). So, in summary, the MacBook Air M4 is silent and generally cool, only getting moderately warm under sustained heavy loads, which it handles by intelligently reducing performance slightly to stay within safe temps shortlist.com. For typical daily use, it’s cool as a cucumber.

The Dell XPS 13 (Snapdragon), despite using an efficient ARM chip, does have a fan – Dell included active cooling likely to help the chip sustain higher performance for longer. Under casual use, the XPS’s fan often stays off or very quiet. Reviewers noted that for daily light tasks, the fans keep mostly idle ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. When the system is pushed (like during benchmarks, gaming, or heavy multitasking), the fan will spin up. Windows Central measured about 45 dB noise at full tilt on their unit windowscentral.com. 45 dB is audible in a quiet room – roughly the sound of a library whisper or a quiet office – so you will notice a soft whoosh if you’re really taxing the machine. They mentioned the fan at max had a faint “buzzing” character to it in their unit, which was unusual windowscentral.com, though that could be a unit-specific issue. Most reports don’t cite any obnoxious noise, just that it’s audible when working hard. One great thing: because the Snapdragon X Elite chip runs cool, the XPS doesn’t get hot. Its chassis temperatures under load are presumably low. In a similar ARM laptop test, the XPS’s exterior stayed at or below comfortable levels (likely under 40°C on hotspots). In fact, Tom’s Guide’s data showed the Dell XPS 13 (Snapdragon) hitting about 45.6°C on bottom under stress, which is warm but not scalding tomsguide.com (that is inferred from context where they compared laptops – XPS was cooler than many Intel ones). The XPS also has different thermal profiles in Dell’s settings – you can choose a quiet mode that caps performance to keep fans very low (sub-30 dB) ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. But even on default, the fan noise was described as “mostly okay” by Windows Central windowscentral.com. So, while not silent like the Mac, the XPS runs quiet for the most part, and still far quieter than older Intel-based XPS models which had to ramp fans more often. The takeaway is the XPS 13 can handle sustained work without frying your lap – and if you hear anything, it’s a gentle fan hum only during intense tasks.

Asus Zenbook S 14 uses Intel’s chip which can draw more power under load, so it employs a more elaborate cooling solution: dual fans and even a vapor chamber according to one teardown ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. For routine tasks, Asus allows the fans to stop or run very low – in “Standard” profile they’ll be mostly silent until needed ultrabookreview.com. In performance mode, under heavy loads like gaming or video encoding, the fans will audibly spin. One review measured around 42-45 dB at max fan speeds on the Zenbook (similar range to the XPS) ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. They noted 45 dB in full speed mode while gaming, with CPU temperatures reaching mid-80s °C internally ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. So the Zenbook can get as loud as the XPS when pushed hard. However, you have control: there’s a Whisper mode which limits the CPU to ~12W and keeps fan noise <30 dB for near-silent operation at the cost of performance ultrabookreview.com ultrabookreview.com. Most of the time, on Standard profile, the Zenbook’s fans stay off or very quiet during light use (web, video, etc.), similar to the XPS ultrabookreview.com. In heavy use, expect a soft fan noise. As for heat: the Zenbook’s aluminum chassis does get warm under load, but not dangerously so. The chassis stays cool with light use (~30°C on top) ultrabookreview.com. With heavier tasks, you might feel warmth around the keyboard center or bottom. Given the thinness and the fact it draws more power than the ARM, it can become warm to touch on the underside after long heavy use, but generally it stays within acceptable skin temperature range (likely in the 40s °C at most). The internal CPU hit mid-80s °C as mentioned, which is high but within safe limits for Intel chips; the cooling prevented it from thermal throttling too much. No reports of egregious hotspots or discomfort in normal use – indeed, the Zenbook has that MIL-STD durability which also tests high-temp usage. Additionally, no coil whine or electronic noise issues were detected ultrabookreview.com, which is good (sometimes high-performance modes on laptops cause slight electrical hiss, but not here).

In user terms, the Zenbook S 14 will have similar fan noise behavior to many premium ultrabooks: silent on light loads, a whoosh under heavy load (which you can minimize via quiet mode if desired). The MacBook Air is unique with its total silence and slightly more willingness to let performance drop if thermals demand. The XPS sits in between – it has a fan but thanks to ARM efficiency, it seldom needs to ramp up loudly except in extended heavy scenarios.

One more aspect: surface and air vent design. The MacBook Air dissipates heat passively through the bottom case and keyboard (no vents). So using it on a lap or sofa is fine – no fan intake to block. The XPS and Zenbook have ventilation grills (usually on the bottom and hidden in the hinge area). The Zenbook actually uses a vapor chamber to spread heat, which likely helps avoid hot spots ultrabookreview.com. Both have rubber feet to raise them slightly for airflow. It’s wise not to block their bottom vents during heavy use (e.g., don’t play a game while the laptop is on a plush bed). But for document work or streaming, even if on a lap, they’ll manage fine and probably still not ramp fans much.

In terms of fan tone, Asus dual fans and Dell’s single fan likely have a soft whir when active. Users haven’t complained of any high-pitched noise, which is good. The only noted issue was that one XPS unit’s fan had a slight buzz at max windowscentral.com, which isn’t a widespread complaint.

Conclusion for Heat & Noise: The MacBook Air M4 is virtually noiseless and stays cool under normal use, making it great for noise-sensitive environments – it leverages its fanless design to be silent, only getting moderately warm during prolonged heavy tasks (and even then below discomfort levels) laptopmag.com. The Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon introduces a fan but uses it sparingly; most of the time it’s very quiet, with some audible fan noise under intensive workloads but generally much cooler and quieter than any past Intel XPS. It’s a trade-off: a tiny bit of noise for the ability to sustain performance longer. The Asus Zenbook S 14 has more cooling horsepower (dual fans) and will spin them up during heavy loads, reaching similar noise levels (~42-45 dB) under stress ultrabookreview.com – audible but not obnoxious – and remains cool enough to use comfortably, especially in lighter use where fans often idle. If you value absolute silence, the Mac is the clear winner. If you don’t mind a gentle whoosh once in a while and want the extra grunt, the XPS and Zenbook are still very quiet compared to older laptops and give you options (like Whisper mode) to prioritize silence when needed ultrabookreview.com. None of these three have the high-pitched turbine noise that some gaming laptops do; they’re all engineered for minimal noise. So, in a library or meeting, the Mac will be silent, the XPS and Zenbook likely silent as well during basic tasks. Only under heavier loads in quiet rooms would someone notice the latter two, whereas the Mac stays quiet but might throttle if it overheats. It’s a conscious design difference: Apple opts for no fan, Dell/Asus opt for some cooling headroom. Depending on your usage pattern, you might prefer one approach over the other.

Pricing and Value

Price and overall value proposition are important, and here we see differences in both sticker price and what you get for the money.

Starting with base prices: Apple made waves by actually reducing the MacBook Air’s price with the M4 generation. The MacBook Air M4 13-inch starts at $999 (USD) for the base configuration (which includes the M4 chip with 8-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, and 256 GB SSD) wired.com wired.com. This is $100 cheaper than the M3 Air’s launch price and essentially brings it back to the original MacBook Air M1 pricing. It was noted as “more affordable… back down to $999 for the first time since the M1” wired.com. That base model is quite usable for most people, given Apple now gives 16 GB memory standard (double what base models had in the past) wired.com. If you need more storage or the full 10-core GPU, the mid-tier with 512 GB (and 10-GPU) was $1199 at launch laptopmag.com. Fully maxed (32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD) the 13″ Air M4 can hit around $2199 wired.com. So Apple covers a range from $999 up to ~$2200 depending on configuration. Importantly, the value of the base model is considered excellent now – “you get so much more for less money than the previous generation” as LaptopMag put it laptopmag.com laptopmag.com. Many reviewers have called the M4 Air the best value MacBook and a top pick for most users wired.com. Additionally, Apple often offers education discounts ($100 off for students/teachers) laptopmag.com, and we’ve seen retail deals bringing it to ~$900-950 on sale. For what you pay, you get a premium build, superb performance for everyday tasks, and the longest support lifespan. The MacBook Air holds resale value quite well too, which can be factored into value.

Dell XPS 13 (9345) pricing is a bit tricky because Dell often lists a higher MSRP but frequently offers discounts. Officially, the XPS 13 Snapdragon was announced around $999 for a model with the Snapdragon X Elite, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD (non-touch screen) windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. In fact, Windows Central cited it as “Dell XPS 13 at Dell for $999.99” for presumably the base Snapdragon model windowscentral.com. Dell also had a lower spec with the Snapdragon X Plus (8-core) and 256 GB SSD that was on sale for as low as $749 (clearance) on their site dell.com dell.com, which is extremely aggressive. Typically, an XPS 13 would start around the same $999 mark as the MacBook Air for comparable config. However, because Dell likes to compete on deals, you often see $200-$400 off promotions. For example, one review bought a mid-tier (Snapdragon X Elite, 512 GB, 16 GB) that normally was ~$1259 for only $959 on a Black Friday deal windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. Fully loaded, with 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, and maybe the OLED screen, the XPS 13 can approach $1500-$1800 (and one source said up to $2099 for maxed out) windowscentral.com. Dell also sells an Intel version (with Core Ultra) around similar price points, but the Snapdragon model is positioned as a great value because of its battery life. In terms of what you get for the price: the XPS offers the premium design and build, a high-quality display (though lower res unless you pay more for OLED), and the efficiency of ARM. It’s a bit niche, but if battery life is your priority, the value of getting 19+ hours at ~$1000 is compelling. That said, one must consider the value of compatibility – a Windows ARM laptop could feel less “valuable” if it doesn’t run a critical app you need. But for the target user, that may not be an issue. Dell includes a standard warranty (usually 1 year) and supports these machines fairly well, though Apple’s reputation for customer support and warranty (especially if you get AppleCare+) is arguably stronger. One also must consider that XPS 13, when not on sale, might come with only 256 GB SSD at the lower price, whereas Apple’s base is also 256 GB (the difference: Apple’s base uses a single NAND module which in M2 Air caused slower disk speeds than the higher configs, not sure if M4 base still does – but likely yes; Dell’s 256 might be similar speed in practice). Still, it’s fair to say the XPS 13 is priced competitively against the MacBook Air, often undercutting it during promotions. If you can grab it on sale for ~$900, that’s a steal for the hardware you get – as one headline put it, “2025’s top OLED Windows laptop with epic battery life is now just $799” on a sale windowscentral.com. That indicates how aggressive discounts can get.

The Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is positioned as a premium flagship in Asus’s lineup, and it comes with high-end specs (32 GB RAM, OLED, etc.), so it’s the priciest of the three at launch. The model reviewed by Tom’s Guide was around $1,499 (with Core i7, 32 GB, 1 TB SSD, 3K OLED) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. There may be a lower configuration (perhaps 16 GB RAM, 512 GB) sold in some regions for a bit less – for instance, Best Buy listed one with 16 GB/1 TB at $1399 retail, often on sale for ~$1259 tomsguide.com. But generally, you’re looking at $1300-$1500 range for the Zenbook S 14. At that price, you do get some advantages: 32 GB RAM is double what the others offer standard (though most people don’t need 32GB for typical use), a gorgeous 3K OLED 120Hz display (costlier component), and included HDMI/USB-A ports meaning no need for adapters (small cost savings/hassle reduction). Also a larger SSD in base config than Mac’s base. Asus often bundles a sleeve or mini-dock in the box as well, though not sure for this model. Despite those pluses, some reviewers felt the Zenbook S 14’s price was a bit steep relative to performance. Tom’s Guide noted “for the $1,499 price, you can get more where it matters in overall speed and stamina” tomsguide.com – implying that a similarly priced MacBook or even some other Windows devices (perhaps an ARM-based one or an AMD) might give better CPU performance or battery life. For instance, $1,499 could get you a MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro) on sale, which would blow away the Zenbook in raw power (though not as thin or light). Or it could get you the XPS plus maybe some change. So the Zenbook’s value is in offering the cutting-edge OLED 120Hz display and a very premium build, but you pay extra for it. If those features align with your needs (e.g., content creators who want that color accuracy and refresh rate, or someone who truly needs 32GB RAM in an ultrabook), then the price is justified. Also, Asus often has promotions or student discounts. We saw that unit drop to $1259 on sale, which starts to sound more reasonable. The Zenbook does come with an EPEAT Gold sustainability rating (the S 13 did, likely S 14 as well) amazon.com, indicating its lifecycle impact is low – something some buyers value.

Long-term value and support: Apple’s MacBook Air might have a higher up-front cost than some Windows laptops in the same performance bracket, but it holds its performance for years (no slow-down due to bloat, etc.) and gets OS updates typically for ~5+ years. On the Windows side, the Zenbook and XPS will see depreciation faster (Windows PCs often get discounted with new CPU gens, etc.). However, the XPS and Zenbook both have the advantage of being repairable to some degree – e.g., the Zenbook’s SSD is replaceable asus.com, which can extend life if you need more storage later or if the drive fails out of warranty, whereas the Mac’s storage is soldered (no upgrading). The XPS’s SSD is also M.2 and upgradeable dell.com. Memory is not upgradeable on any of these. So, part of value could be the ability to extend via upgrades – the PCs allow SSD swaps, the Mac does not.

Included extras: Apple includes just the basics (charger and cable). Dell often includes those USB-C adapters as mentioned, which add some value (like $20-30 worth of dongles). Asus might include a protective sleeve or a USB-A Ethernet adapter in some markets. Warranty is 1 year standard for all; AppleCare+ (paid) can extend to 3 years with accident damage coverage. Dell/Asus offer optional premium support plans too. Out of warranty, Apple repairs tend to be more expensive (due to proprietary parts), whereas the XPS/Zenbook could potentially be serviced by third parties for things like battery or SSD.

Overall value:

• The MacBook Air M4 offers excellent value for most users at $999 wired.com, considering its performance, build quality, and longevity. It’s often recommended as the best choice for students, writers, office workers who don’t need specialized Windows software or hardcore gaming. As Wired put it, it’s “the best MacBook for most people” especially now that the price is back to where it used to be wired.com.
• The Dell XPS 13 Snapdragon offers a value proposition primarily in battery life and design. If you want a Windows laptop under $1000 that can rival MacBook’s battery and have a premium build, this is it. You might find better raw performance in other Windows laptops at similar price (like some gaming-oriented ones or an AMD ultrabook), but none of those will give the combination of extreme battery life, 5G-like Wi-Fi7, and XPS-level build. It’s somewhat niche but for road warriors or those enamored with the XPS design, the value is strong. And Dell’s frequent sales mean you should rarely pay full list price. At ~$800-$900, it’s a fantastic deal (one Windows Central article highlighted a Best Buy sale: “Stop scrolling: This MacBook alternative just dropped $1,000… get a Galaxy Book for $899”, showing how Windows competitors compete on price) windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. The XPS might not drop $1000, but the sentiment is these Windows ultraportables often sell for much less than Mac after discounts.
• The Asus Zenbook S 14 is a bit of a luxury pick in this comparison. It’s the most expensive and is targeted at those who want top-notch screen and specs in a very thin package. It’s arguably worth it if you specifically value that 3K OLED 120Hz and need a big RAM/SSD config. But if your use case doesn’t fully utilize those, you could save money with something like the MacBook Air or even an XPS and not feel much difference in daily tasks. Some might say the Zenbook S 14 tries to do it all (thin, powerful, beautiful screen) and therefore costs accordingly, but is slightly undermined by Intel’s still not best-in-class CPU efficiency for the price. Given that $1500 can buy a 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro on sale or a Dell XPS 15 with more power (though heavier), the Zenbook S 14’s value is in portability and display prowess specifically.

One more angle: Sustainability and value – increasingly, buyers consider the “green” value. Apple, Dell, Asus all tout eco-friendliness (recycled materials, energy efficiency). Apple’s is aligned with their brand but repairs are tough, meaning if something goes wrong out of warranty, it might be an expensive fix (e.g., screen or logic board). The XPS/Zenbook might be easier to repair a few years down the line, giving them potentially longer usable life with part replacements (batteries, SSDs) – a value point for the technically inclined.

Resale: MacBooks generally resell for a higher percentage of original price than equivalent Windows laptops after a couple of years. So, though you pay $999, you might still sell it for $600-700 in 2-3 years if you chose to upgrade, whereas a $999 Windows laptop might fetch $400-500 due to heavier initial discounting and perceived value.

To conclude, all three laptops justify their price in different ways. The MacBook Air M4 stands out for giving premium ultrabook quality at a now mid-range price wired.com, making it a “no-brainer” choice for many – as one reviewer said, it was a “one-sided fight in favor of the M4” when compared to the previous gen because of that price drop laptopmag.com. The Dell XPS 13 offers cutting-edge tech and battery for the buck, especially when discounted, though one must accept the limited ports and ensure needed apps run on ARM. The Asus Zenbook S 14 commands a higher price for its high-end specs and OLED beauty, appealing to those who don’t mind paying more to get the best display and a superlight form factor with all the trimmings. If value means lowest cost for good performance, the XPS (on sale) probably wins; if it means best blend of cost, performance, and longevity, the MacBook Air might edge out. And if value is seen in features and premium extras, the Zenbook, though priciest, delivers unique attributes that could be worth it for the right buyer. Each is a strong offering in the premium ultrabook segment, so it really comes down to which strengths align with what you personally value.

Sustainability and Repairability

In the era of eco-consciousness and right-to-repair, it’s worth examining how these laptops fare in terms of environmental impact and ease of repair/upgrades.

Apple MacBook Air M4: Apple has been very vocal about its sustainability efforts, and the M4 MacBook Air continues that trend. Apple claims the Air is designed to minimize environmental impact – for instance, 100% recycled aluminum is used in the laptop’s enclosure (chassis) and even the trackpad frame support.apple.com shortlist.com. Many internal components like the battery’s cobalt, the speaker magnets’ rare earth elements, and solder tin are also recycled materials to a high degree support.apple.com support.apple.com. Apple publishes comprehensive environmental reports; for the M4 Air they boast over 55% recycled content by weight and a significant reduction in carbon footprint on the journey to their 2030 net-zero goal support.apple.com support.apple.com. Additionally, the packaging is 100% fiber-based and largely recycled support.apple.com. In short, the MacBook Air is one of the most environmentally friendly laptops in terms of materials. It’s also ENERGY STAR certified and extremely energy-efficient in operation (just a few watts on average) support.apple.com. So as a consumer, you can feel confident the MacBook Air has a smaller environmental footprint than many competitors.

However, repairability is a different story. MacBooks have traditionally been difficult to repair or upgrade. The MacBook Air M4 is no exception: the RAM and SSD are soldered to the motherboard (unified memory and integrated storage), meaning you cannot add more memory or swap out the drive later – you have to decide those specs at purchase. iFixit, a repair advocacy site, gave recent MacBook Airs a low repairability score (the 15-inch M2 Air got 3/10) techpowerup.com. Apple uses proprietary pentalobe screws to open the case (a minor hurdle), and while things like the battery, display, and keyboard can technically be replaced, it’s not easy. The battery in the M2/M3 Air was glued in but with pull tabs; likely the M4 is similar. Apple has started a Self Service Repair program offering genuine parts and manuals for some Macs, but it’s geared towards technically skilled users and the process can be daunting. For example, replacing the battery or screen is possible but requires care and specific tools/adhesives. On the plus side, the ports (USB-C, MagSafe) on the MacBook Air are modular (not soldered) according to a MacRumors teardown macrumors.com, so those could be replaced if damaged. Overall, if your MacBook Air needs repair, most people will rely on Apple’s service or authorized providers. AppleCare+ can mitigate repair costs for a few years. Outside of that, repairs can be expensive (e.g., a screen replacement might cost several hundred dollars). Essentially, the MacBook Air is not user-upgradeable and is challenging to repair, which can be seen as a downside for longevity – though Apple’s build quality tends to be high, so failures are relatively rare.

Dell XPS 13 (9345): Dell has historically been better about repairability and modular design in its XPS line, though the push for thinner devices has reduced that somewhat. The XPS 13 (Snapdragon) still allows some repairs/upgrades: the SSD is an M.2 NVMe drive that is not soldered, so you can replace or upgrade the storage down the line dell.com. That’s a big tick for repairability and sustainability (instead of throwing out the whole machine when storage gets tight, you can just swap in a bigger SSD). The memory is LPDDR5X and is soldered (common in ultrabooks), so no RAM upgrades. The battery (55 Wh) should be relatively accessible by removing the bottom cover screws. Dell publishes service manuals – typically XPS 13 has several Torx screws on bottom, and then clips to pop the cover. The internal layout on past XPS models left room to remove the battery (usually screwed, not glued) and the SSD easily. We don’t have a specific teardown on the 9345 yet, but given it’s very similar chassis to the XPS 13 Plus, it likely scores moderately. In fact, earlier XPS 13 models scored 7/10 repairability by iFixit for things like having replaceable SSD and accessible internals liliputing.com ifixit.com. The new design with the haptic trackpad might complicate accessing some components (the XPS 13 Plus required removing the entire keyboard deck to get to the battery), but Dell still provides the guides. As for sustainability: Dell has strong programs using recycled materials. According to Dell, the XPS 13 9345 is “crafted to meet your environmental goals” with at least 20% recycled material in its construction dellstore.com. Specifically, about 75% of the aluminum in the chassis is recycled, along with 21% recycled glass in the display, and it ships in 100% recyclable packaging delltechnologies.com. Another spec-sheet snippet mentions “made with 75.1% recycled content and 24.9% renewable content in packaging” insight.com. Dell also designs XPS packaging to be compostable or recyclable (bamboo and sugarcane fibers, etc.). So Dell is pretty close to Apple in terms of using recycled aluminum and sustainable packaging. Plus, Dell participates in take-back recycling programs for old devices. On longevity, Dell uses standard components where possible; for instance, the Wi-Fi card might be an integrated module (though in this one, it could be part of the SoC package, not sure if replaceable). If something like the display or keyboard fails, an experienced technician can replace it (Dell’s repair network or third-party laptop repair shops often service XPS). So from a sustainability perspective, the XPS 13 is built with recycled materials and is moderately repairable, which is good for extending its life. The main concern for longevity would be the ARM platform – will Dell/Qualcomm provide driver updates for, say, 5+ years? Qualcomm has promised support and this being a Microsoft aligned effort means it should be okay, but it’s somewhat new territory. Still, the hardware itself should last – and the ability to replace the SSD or battery means you could practically use this laptop for a long time and just refresh those parts as needed, rather than junking the whole device.

Asus Zenbook S 14: Asus’s focus on sustainability has grown recently. The Zenbook S series uses some innovative materials – notably the plasma ceramic aluminum lid (on the white model) which is made via a lower-impact chemical process instead of anodization asus.com. This process doesn’t use organic solvents or heavy acids, reducing environmental impact, and it produces a hard, wear-resistant finish that “contains no plastics and is halogen-free” asus.com. The Zenbook S 13 last year had that, and Asus touted that model as their most eco-friendly, with EPEAT Gold certification and use of recycled metals and plastics (e.g., 50% of the keys were recycled plastic, etc.). The Zenbook S 14 likely follows suit: Asus says it uses recycled metal in the chassis (some % of that aluminum is recycled), recycled plastics in mechanical parts, and post-consumer recycled paper in packaging asus.com laptopmag.com. It meets Energy Star 8.0 and is very power efficient thanks to the new Intel chip’s low idle power asus.com. Also, Asus adhered to hazardous substance standards (RoHS, REACH) asus.com. So, it’s fair to say the Zenbook S 14 is designed with sustainability in mind – not to the extent of Apple’s very detailed metrics, but it’s a priority for Asus’s marketing (“Zenbook for a greener future” etc.). Now, repairability: The Zenbook S 14 is thin, but it does allow some upgrades. The spec sheet confirms an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD slot (and it’s not all soldered storage) asus.com. So like the XPS, you can upgrade the SSD. The memory is on-package (soldered LPDDR5X), so no RAM upgrades. The battery being a large 72 Wh pack likely is screwed in place; Asus typically doesn’t glue batteries in ultrabooks, they secure them with screws or brackets. The bottom cover likely comes off with Torx or Phillips screws – not too hard. Reviews noted no fingerprint reader (they rely on IR camera for Windows Hello), which means one less thing to break. The Zenbook’s keyboard and trackpad are part of the top deck; to replace keyboard, you might have to replace the whole top case (common in ultrabooks). Asus provides repair manuals to service centers but not always to the public; however, Zenbooks are often opened by hobbyists easily (just need the right screwdriver). One thing: that OLED panel – if it ever needs replacing outside warranty, it could be expensive (OLED screens cost more than LCDs). But that’s true for any premium feature. In general, Asus notebooks are reasonably serviceable: storage and battery are the main user-replaceable parts. And Asus has improved build quality so less likely to break spontaneously. They also guarantee adherence to standards like MIL-STD-810H, which indirectly speaks to durability (e.g., it can handle some drops, vibration, temperature extremes) asus.com – a durable laptop is sustainable since it’s less likely to need early replacement.

A quick note on warranties and support: Apple’s support is often rated highly; with Apple Stores in many cities, you can get service or at least diagnostics easily. Dell offers premium support options (like on-site repair for XPS if you pay extra). Asus has decent support, though maybe not as famed as Apple’s. For sustainability, long-term driver support matters: Apple supports MacOS updates on a model for many years; Microsoft will support Windows on these devices likely as long as any PC (the ARM transition is fully backed by them, so no worry of software abandonment).

Community repair resources: iFixit has guides for MacBook Air (though M4 is new, M2 was covered), and they often have guides for XPS and sometimes Asus (though less so). The XPS and Zenbook being Windows PCs means parts might be easier to source generically (e.g., any M.2 SSD, standard screws, etc.). Apple parts often need to be Apple-specific (the SSD is not replaceable at all, battery needs exact fit and often Apple locks parts with serialization now – though not sure if they do on Mac battery; on iPhones they do). This means if you want to do DIY repairs or third-party, the PCs give you more freedom.

End-of-life: All three companies have recycling programs if you send the laptop back. Apple and Dell also design machines to be recycled (like using fewer types of plastic, etc.). For instance, Apple using glue sparingly or using removable adhesive strips on battery is to help recycling.

In summary, sustainability: The MacBook Air shines with very high recycled material usage and energy efficiency support.apple.com, the XPS 13 is not far behind (75% recycled aluminum, etc.) delltechnologies.com, and the Zenbook S 14 innovates with new eco-material processes and also holds an EPEAT Gold rating for its lifecycle impact asus.com amazon.com. Repairability: The XPS and Zenbook allow SSD and battery replacements relatively easily, which is great for lifespan dell.com asus.com. The MacBook Air is more of a sealed appliance – tough to upgrade, with repairs possible but mostly through Apple. If you’re the type who likes to tinker or ensure you can fix your device, the XPS or Zenbook are better choices. If you just want a device that is robust and will last without needing internal tweaks, the MacBook Air, while not repair-friendly, is built to a standard that it might never need repair in its useful life for many users. Each company is making strides in being greener. Apple might win in terms of transparent reporting and aggressive recycling content, but Dell and Asus aren’t slackers either – they’ve integrated sustainability in these flagship models.

Final Thoughts: Choosing among the MacBook Air M4, Dell XPS 13 9345, and Asus Zenbook S 14 will come down to your priorities. The MacBook Air M4 excels in silent operation, optimized performance, and a polished macOS experience, all in a lightweight design that now comes at a more affordable price wired.com shortlist.com. The Dell XPS 13 (2024) breaks new ground for Windows laptops with its Snapdragon ARM chip – delivering phenomenal battery life and a futuristic design, at the expense of some app compatibility and port variety windowscentral.com reddit.com. The Asus Zenbook S 14 (2024) offers a gorgeous OLED 120Hz display and a thin-and-light form factor without skimping on ports, though its Intel engine, while much improved, isn’t quite as efficient as Apple or Qualcomm’s, and it comes at a higher price point tomsguide.com tomsguide.com.

In a head-to-head:

• Design & Build: All three are exceptionally well-built. MacBook’s unibody and refined design vs XPS’s cutting-edge minimalist looks vs Zenbook’s stylish ceramic-coated chassis – it’s subjective which looks best. All are durable (Mac and XPS have near zero flex, Zenbook meets MIL-STD tests) ultrabookreview.com.
• Display: The Zenbook’s 3K OLED 120Hz is the standout for visual quality asus.com, ideal for creators and cinephiles. MacBook’s Retina IPS is sharp and color-accurate with best brightness (500 nits) but only 60Hz support.apple.com. XPS offers a great 120Hz IPS option or a high-res OLED if configured, but not both at once windowscentral.com tomsguide.com.
• Performance: MacBook’s M4 and XPS’s Snapdragon X Elite trade punches – Apple leads in single-core and maintains very strong all-around performance with no fan shortlist.com laptopmag.com; the Snapdragon can outperform many Intel chips in multi-core and keeps cool, but needs native apps for best results windowscentral.com. Zenbook’s Intel Core Ultra holds its own but is generally a step behind the other two in CPU tasks, though its beefy integrated GPU is a plus tomsguide.com tomsguide.com.
• Battery: XPS is king here with roughly 18-20+ hours possible windowscentral.com. MacBook Air still offers superb endurance ~15 hours in real use laptopmag.com. Zenbook, with ~13 hours, is good but clearly shorter than the other two tomsguide.com.
• Keyboard & Trackpad: MacBook Air delivers a top-tier, no-fuss experience shortlist.com. XPS has a bold design – larger keys and haptic trackpad – great feel but potential quirks (e.g., trackpad bugs) windowscentral.com. Zenbook’s inputs are conventional and high quality, a safe middle ground tomsguide.com.
• Ports: Zenbook easily wins, being the only one with USB-A, HDMI, and a jack on top of dual TB4 asus.com. MacBook has the basics (2 TB4 + MagSafe + audio) wired.com. XPS is the most limited (2 USB-C TB4 only) dell.com, meaning dongles likely needed for anything else.
• Software: macOS on the MacBook Air is ideal if you’re in Apple’s ecosystem and want that smooth, integrated experience (with new on-device AI features to boot) support.apple.com. Windows 11 on the XPS/Zenbook provides flexibility and the new Copilot AI; the XPS’s ARM Windows is fine for mainstream use but not ideal if you rely on niche Windows apps without ARM support reddit.com. Both OS environments are excellent for productivity; one might tilt toward Mac for creative workflows (e.g., video editing in Final Cut) or toward Windows for gaming or enterprise apps.
• Heat & Noise: MacBook Air is silent always, a joy if fan noise bothers you shortlist.com. XPS and Zenbook are very quiet most of the time, only audible under load (and even then, far from loud, around 42-45 dB) windowscentral.com ultrabookreview.com. All manage heat well; Mac and XPS stay coolest thanks to chip efficiency, Zenbook gets warmer but with dual fans keeps it in check ultrabookreview.com laptopmag.com.
• Pricing: MacBook Air M4 now offers top value at $999 base with a robust configuration wired.com. XPS 13’s value is good especially when on sale – you can get a premium design and insane battery at under $1000 if you catch a deal windowscentral.com. Zenbook S 14 is pricier (~$1400+), and you pay for the OLED and high specs – it’s a bit of a splurge, albeit one that delivers on features tomsguide.com.
• Longevity: All three are built to last, but Mac will get OS updates possibly the longest. XPS/Zenbook allow an SSD (and battery) swap which might extend usable life. Apple and Dell both use a lot of recycled material and have strong green credentials; Asus is also pushing eco-friendly design. For user repairs/upgrades, XPS/Zenbook are more accommodating (at least for storage) dell.com asus.com, whereas Mac is not upgradeable after purchase.

In conclusion, you really can’t go wrong with any of these flagship ultrabooks – it comes down to what you value most:

• Choose the MacBook Air M4 if you want a premium, silent ultralight with superb performance per watt, a fantastic keyboard/trackpad, and macOS. It’s ideal for students, professionals, or creatives who appreciate polish and long battery life, and who may already be in Apple’s ecosystem. As one reviewer stated, the M4 Air “continues to live up to its reputation as a reliable, lightweight machine and the best MacBook for most people” wired.com. It offers a near-perfect balance of portability, power, and now price.
• Choose the Dell XPS 13 (9345) Snapdragon if you prioritize battery life above all or if you’re intrigued by cutting-edge Windows tech. It’s the laptop that can literally go through multiple workdays on one charge windowscentral.com. Plus, you get that striking XPS design with a high-quality display and a comfortable keyboard (once acclimated). It’s great for everyday productivity, web, media, and even some light content creation – basically, if your workflow is covered by the growing library of ARM-compatible apps (which includes all common ones), this XPS will reward you with silence and endurance. Just go in knowing you might need to find a replacement or workaround for a few legacy applications (developers and tinkerers, check your tools first). For many, however, the XPS 13 with Snapdragon is “a terrific machine that offers a good balance of performance, battery life, and portability,” as one user summed up insight.com. It truly delivers a glimpse of the future of Windows laptops.
• Choose the Asus Zenbook S 14 (2024) if you want the best display and a no-compromise ultraportable feature set, and are willing to pay a bit more for it. It’s perfect for users who do a lot of visual work (photo/video editing, graphic design) or just anyone who loves a vibrant OLED screen for movies and web browsing. The 14-inch panel giving more room than the others, the 120Hz smoothness, and the fact that it doesn’t sacrifice ports or battery entirely to achieve its thinness, are major selling points tomsguide.com asus.com. It’s also a solid choice if you need an Windows PC that’s as light as a MacBook Air but with double the RAM or a big SSD – this model can be configured up to 32GB RAM and 1TB+ storage, which might appeal to power users. While its Intel chip isn’t the fastest in burst performance, it’s efficient enough and brings improvements like the AI engine and much better graphics, so you’re getting a very capable machine overall. In the words of Tom’s Guide, the Zenbook S 14 is “damn sexy” and “Asus has given this a helluva college try” at making the ultimate ultrabook, succeeding in design and display, even if Intel still takes “baby steps” in efficiency tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. For those who want a Windows laptop that looks and feels as premium as a MacBook but with its own set of advantages (OLED, ports, etc.), the Zenbook S 14 is a fantastic option.

In sum, each laptop in this comparison plays to different strengths. The MacBook Air M4 is like the ultra-refined all-rounder, the benchmark for balance and user experience wired.com wired.com. The Dell XPS 13 Snapdragon is the endurance champion and a pioneer of new Windows territory, great for forward-looking users who value all-day productivity in a sleek package windowscentral.com windowscentral.com. The Asus Zenbook S 14 is the feature-packed showstopper, offering arguably the best screen and a full array of bells and whistles in the thinnest design, catering to those who won’t compromise on an ultrabook’s specs or style tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. By weighing the categories above against your personal needs – be it design, display, performance, battery, input, software, or price – you can confidently pick the one that fits you best, knowing that in 2025 these are three of the top ultralight notebooks setting the standard for the rest.

Sources:

• Official Apple MacBook Air M4 (2025) Specifications support.apple.com support.apple.com support.apple.com support.apple.com
• Official Dell XPS 13 (9345) Specifications dell.com dell.com dell.com dell.com
• Official Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) Specifications asus.com asus.com asus.com asus.com
• Wired – Review of MacBook Air M4 (13-inch, 2025) wired.com wired.com
• Laptop Mag – MacBook Air M4 vs M3 comparison (performance, battery) laptopmag.com laptopmag.com
• Windows Central – Review of Dell XPS 13 (9345) Snapdragon (Battery life, performance, verdict) windowscentral.com windowscentral.com windowscentral.com
• Tom’s Guide – Review of Asus Zenbook S 14 (2024) (display, battery, benchmarks) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com tomsguide.com
• ShortList – MacBook Air M4 review (“fantastic design…most attractive,” performance bump) shortlist.com shortlist.com
• Reddit – User impressions of XPS 13 Snapdragon (design, screen, battery life) reddit.com reddit.com
• Tom’s Guide – Cheat sheet on Zenbook vs competitors (weights, battery, performance) tomsguide.com tomsguide.com
• Wired – Pros/Cons of MacBook Air M4 (9/10 rating: great performance, lacks ports) wired.com wired.com
• Windows Central – Summary of XPS 13 user reviews (praise design/battery, note trackpad issues) dell.com
• iFixit/Liliputing – Repairability of XPS vs MacBook (XPS got 7/10 vs older MacBook’s 4/10) liliputing.com ifixit.com
• Manufacturer sustainability statements (Apple Environmental Report, Dell spec sheet, Asus press) support.apple.com delltechnologies.com asus.com.