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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 processor is well-suited for seamless general use and offers strong battery life. It's lighter and has a higher resolution screen, making it great for carrying around and media consumption. Conversely, the LG Ultra 16 offers more storage, double the RAM, and a larger screen, which could benefit more intensive tasks like engineering and 3D applications. It has a longer battery life, but is heavier, something to consider if portability is a priority. The LG also tends to be a bit less expensive but doesn't match the MacBook Air's display sharpness, a factor for those prioritizing screen quality. 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 overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
- The LG Ultra 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
6.2
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) boasts a high-resolution Retina display with bright, vibrant visuals and broad color gamut support, making it well-suited to general use and engineering tasks where accurate color representation is key. The LG Ultra 16, with a fair resolution and adequate brightness, can handle general use and design work, but it lacks the superior color coverage needed for more precise engineering applications. Neither laptop has a high refresh rate display, which lowers their suitability for 3D tasks and gaming that benefit from smoother motion and quicker screen responses.
Battery
15.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
16.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
6.5
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Ultra 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has an integrated Apple M1 GPU which is generally not as powerful as discrete gaming GPUs, making it only fair for 3D tasks, and its suitability for gaming is also limited as many popular games are not compatible with macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.0
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and LG Ultra 16 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and LG Ultra 16 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
7.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and LG Ultra 16 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the LG Ultra 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | LG Ultra 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 3.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 270 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"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."
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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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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