If you prioritize a higher quality display, longer battery life, and a more portable design, the Apple MacBook Air is an excellent choice despite its higher price. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 offers more storage space and additional memory, and if having a larger screen size is important for you, then it is more cost-effective. For power users who do complex tasks like video editing or 3D modeling, the MacBook Air's powerful M2 chip provides a smooth experience, while the Lenovo with its Ryzen processor handles everyday tasks well. The MacBook Air runs on MacOS which is favored for its user-friendly interface and integration with the Apple ecosystem, whereas the IdeaPad 1 operates on Windows 11 Home, which may be preferable if you're accustomed to Windows or require specific Windows-only software. The MacBook is fanless and operates silently, which might be beneficial in quiet environments. 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 (2022)
Good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.3/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is favored for general use due to its high-quality screen, strong CPU performance with the Apple M2 chip, lightweight design for better portability, and longer battery life, making it ideal for everyday tasks and media consumption.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
6.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is outfitted with an efficient Apple M2 chip and refined GPU that, along with a high-quality Retina display, offers superior screen quality for detailed engineering and design tasks, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" features an AMD Ryzen CPU with integrated Vega graphics and a standard Full HD screen which, despite providing ample screen space, does not match the Apple's display finesse or processing might. Additionally, the MacBook's superior portability, silent operation, and higher keyboard and speaker quality make it a more premium choice for professionals who need power on the go, although it comes at a higher cost, whereas the Lenovo offers a larger screen and additional ports but sacrifices some build quality and performance.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
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
8.0/10
7.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.4/10
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air is known for its high-resolution Retina display which offers vibrant colors and crisp visuals, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks that require precise color representation. Lenovo IdeaPad's display may offer adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but its color range doesn't match the MacBook's, which can be a limitation for engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial. When it comes to 3D applications, the MacBook Air's lack of a high refresh rate makes it less suitable for smooth rendering of fast-moving images, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad, despite having a fair display, also falls short for gaming and 3D due to similar limitations in refresh rate and color reproduction.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$741
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a stronger integrated GPU which supports 3D work fairly well, but many popular games don't run on its macOS, and it has a standard screen refresh rate limiting high-level gaming performance. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1, while possessing a modest GPU suitable for light gaming and 3D tasks, offers Windows compatibility which is critical for a broader range of gaming titles despite having a similar screen refresh rate as the MacBook Air.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.