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Updated January 10, 2024· Prices updated 24 hours ago
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) typically costs more and stands out for its silent, fanless operation, higher screen resolution, and lighter weight, making it more portable and suitable for general use. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is much less expensive, has slightly lower screen resolution, and is heavier, which may reduce its portability. When performing intensive tasks like 3D rendering or engineering work, both laptops offer decent capabilities, but the Apple MacBook Air may have an edge due to its higher performance processor and graphics. If budget is a concern and you need a computer for everyday tasks with some occasional heavier use, the Lenovo could be a suitable choice. If you're looking for a more premium build, better display, and generally higher performance, especially for more demanding applications, and don't mind spending more, the MacBook Air might be better suited for you. 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 general use
- 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 3 14"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9
6.9
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers higher screen resolution and color accuracy, making it superior for visual tasks, while its Apple M2 CPU, silent fanless operation, and longer battery life provide better performance and comfort for general use. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and lower screen quality, which, along with its shorter battery life and somewhat lower build quality, make it less suited for demanding general use tasks, despite being a fair option for basic needs.
Engineering and Design
7.5
6.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in engineering and design due to its superior screen quality, with high brightness and wide color coverage, and its efficient Apple M2 processor and integrated GPU that ensure silent operation and longer battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3’s AMD Ryzen CPU and GPU are fair for these tasks, with lower screen qualities that may not provide as vivid or sharp visuals, but it offers decent portability and respectable performance for basic engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
7.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 3 14" 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
6.4
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air includes a high-resolution Retina display with a wide color gamut, offering sharp visuals and vibrant colors, making it suitable for general use and detail-oriented work in engineering and design; however, its standard refresh rate limits the fluidity needed for 3D applications. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, with its fair screen quality, provides a sufficient display for everyday tasks and non-professional engineering work but lacks the higher color accuracy and brightness that professionals might require. For gaming and 3D, both laptops may not be ideal due to their lower refresh rates and screen attributes, which are less suited for the fast-paced visuals these activities often demand.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
6.5
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$839
$390
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $390.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.0
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
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 Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has an integrated GPU that's part of the Apple M2 chip, which provides decent performance for 3D tasks within the limitations of a 60Hz display, but its MacOS can be a drawback as many popular games are incompatible.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$839 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 3.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 8.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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Marvin Gollor | February 2023
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
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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.
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About the laptop team
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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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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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
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.
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