When considering the MacBook Air (2020) and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360, take into account your primary needs. MacBook Air excels in portability and battery life, making it excellent for on-the-go users who value a light and efficient machine with MacOS. However, its performance is modest compared to the Galaxy Book3 360, which has a faster processor, more RAM, and a larger, touch-enabled display that supports pen inputs, catering to users with more intensive multitasking needs or those who may benefit from a 2-in-1 convertible design with Windows 11. Additionally, the OLED screen on the Samsung provides vivid colors and contrast but at a standard resolution, while the MacBook delivers a high-resolution Retina display. Price-wise, they're similarly positioned, so your choice should be based on which ecosystem and features align closer to your use case: ultra-portability and MacOS versus performance and flexibility with a 360-degree hinge and touchscreen capabilities. 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Air's high-resolution display and bright screen make it appealing for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 also offers a similarly high-resolution and bright screen, making it ideal for general use. The MacBook Air, with its decent color accuracy and coverage, is suitable for engineering and design work, but the Galaxy Book3 360 offers superior color gamut coverage, providing more precise color reproduction for demanding engineering and design tasks. However, when it comes to 3D applications that benefit from high refresh rates, neither the MacBook Air nor the Galaxy Book3 360 are optimal choices as they prioritize resolution and color quality over the faster screen refresh rates preferred for smooth 3D rendering and gaming.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,150
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 costs $1,150.
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers good general use capabilities with an Apple M1 CPU and 8GB of RAM, ensuring smooth performance, while its lightweight design and long battery life enhance its portability. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 features a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM for potentially more demanding tasks, an OLED touchscreen for vibrant colors and versatile use as a 2-in-1 convertible, but with a larger size that may slightly reduce portability and a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
9.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with its own M1 chip that integrates the CPU and GPU for efficient performance in engineering and design tasks, supported by its high-resolution IPS screen which is well-calibrated for color-sensitive work. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 offers a more powerful Intel i7 processor with Iris Xe graphics and more RAM for handling more complex projects, along with a versatile OLED touchscreen allowing for more dynamic design work, but it has slightly lower resolution which may affect sharpness in design details.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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
7.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 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."
"The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 360 isn’t a laptop that the Korean manufacturer has shouted from the rooftops about, and it seems to have gotten little attention from anywhere. But, it is absolutely a laptop worth paying attention to. Compared to higher-priced devices, like the Dell XPS 13 (2022) and Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023), it manages to offer a similar day-to-day experience despite the price difference. It’s really hard to justify the extra cash unless a boosted display is a requirement of yours."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360
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 Samsung
Samsung Electronics is one of the largest technology corporation by revenue. Based in South Korea, they are very well known for their wide range of phones, tablets, TVs and appliances. Their main line of laptops is the Galaxy Book series, launched in 2017. This range includes 2-in-1 convertible devices and standard notebooks, with a focus on portability and value for money.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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