The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a significantly higher portability score, a higher build quality, and silent fanless operation, making it a sleek and quiet choice for general use and suitable for a premium business appearance. Its battery life outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, offering more hours of typical usage, and the display is revered for better colors and clarity, which could be preferable for creative or design work.
On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a larger screen and is much more affordable, which might be beneficial for those on a strict budget. It includes a touchscreen and a greater storage capacity right off the bat but does fall behind in performance factors such as general use, 3D/machine learning, and engineering tasks compared to the MacBook Air. If cost and a larger touchscreen are your priorities, and you don't mind sacrificing some portability and performance, the IdeaPad Slim 3 could be worth considering. 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 Slim 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is considered good for general use due to its high-performance Apple M2 chip, extensive color gamut and brightness on its screen, long battery life, and excellent portability, along with a silent, fanless operation, making it ideal for everyday tasks and mobility.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
6.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers better CPU and GPU performance, more vibrant and higher resolution screen quality which is critical for engineering and design tasks, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has poorer screen color coverage and lower resolution, impacting detailed visual work. Additionally, the MacBook Air's superior build and silent operation provide a more premium and distraction-free environment, but the IdeaPad Slim 3 may appeal to those prioritizing cost and requiring a Windows-based system.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 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
7.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 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
281.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness which enhances its screen quality for general use and is complemented by a wide color gamut supporting DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB essential for engineering and design work; however, its refresh rate is not ideal for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 provides an adequate display for everyday tasks and has sufficient color accuracy for entry-level design work, but its more modest screen specifications mean it's less suitable for professional design and engineering compared to the MacBook. For gaming and 3D, the IdeaPad's lower refresh rate may hinder motion quality, making it less ideal for these activities where higher refresh rates are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its Apple M2 GPU, is fair for 3D tasks because it has decent graphics capabilities, but its MacOS limits game compatibility, and the standard screen refresh rate does not favor fast-paced gaming. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 with the AMD Ryzen 3 7330U Vega 6 GPU also ranks fair, offering adequate graphics and a Windows operating system with greater game compatibility, but it too has a regular refresh rate limiting its gaming potential.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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.
By the numbers
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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
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.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.