The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is sleeker and offers better build quality, a higher resolution display, and longer battery life, making it a good choice for general use and mobility. If you prioritize budget, a touchscreen, and Windows compatibility, the HP Envy x360 15" could be a better fit. The MacBook is lighter and has a fanless design, offering silent operation, while the Envy provides more ports and an option for an HDMI output. Neither are ideal for intensive gaming, but both can handle general engineering tasks, with the MacBook leaning slightly better towards 3D and machine learning applications. Choose the MacBook for superior display and build, or the Envy for affordability and Windows functionality. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Envy x360 15"
The HP Envy x360 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is favored for engineering and design due to its higher-quality screen, with greater pixel density and wider color coverage, coupled with the more powerful Apple M1 chip, contributing to better overall performance.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP Envy x360 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display and good brightness, making it suitable for crisp and clear viewing which is imperative for general use, but it lacks in color gamut coverage and faster refresh rates that are crucial for engineering, design, and 3D tasks. On the other hand, the HP Envy x360 15" has a reasonable resolution and brightness for general activities and engineering uses, but its color accuracy may not meet the high standards required by professionals in engineering and design, and its lower refresh rate is not ideal for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. Both laptops will manage day-to-day tasks well, while specialized activities like design and 3D work would benefit from devices with displays specifically tailored to those needs.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Envy x360 15" has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the HP Envy x360 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Envy x360 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$430
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the HP Envy x360 15" costs $430.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Envy x360 15" are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) excels in portability and screen quality with its lightweight design and high-resolution display, coupled with a long battery life and a silent, fanless operation that's ideal for general use. In contrast, the HP Envy x360 15" offers flexibility as a 2-in-1 convertible with a touchscreen feature, decent performance, and good heat management, though it is heavier and has a lower resolution display, making it a versatile option for general tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Envy x360 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its integrated Apple M1 GPU performs fairly in 3D tasks but lacks compatibility with many popular games that do not run on macOS, while the HP Envy x360 15" with its Ryzen 5 7530U Vega 7 integrated GPU also offers reasonable performance for gaming and 3D, but is limited by its typical 60Hz refresh rate which is less ideal for fast-paced gaming that benefits from higher refresh rates.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Envy x360 15" are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Envy x360 15" are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the HP Envy x360 15" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"Despite its good looks, stellar webcam and comfortable keyboard, the Envy x360 15 is hard to recommend because of its dim, 16:9 display. If the display isn't an issue for you, just be sure to wait for a good sale price. Otherwise, a more modern two-in-one with a 16:10 display such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 or Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 provides a larger workspace without adding much to the size and weight of the system."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the HP Envy x360 15"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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