The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers a better battery life, lower weight for increased portability, a high-quality screen, and a silent, fanless design, making it ideal if you work on the move and prefer a macOS environment. However, it's generally more expensive. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro includes a touchscreen, more storage space, and higher RAM, which can be more suitable for multitasking and intensive applications on Windows 11. It also has a slightly larger display with a higher refresh rate, beneficial for detailed work and some gaming uses, but it also has a heavier build and shorter battery life. 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)
Very good for software development
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 7i Pro
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.3/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is praised for general use due to its high-performance Apple M2 processor, ample RAM for everyday tasks, excellent screen quality with a high resolution and color accuracy, alongside outstanding portability with a thin design and lengthy battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, while also suitable for general use, offers more storage and RAM, a high-quality screen with touchscreen functionality and a higher refresh rate, but it is slightly less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) stands out for engineering and design use due to its high-quality IPS screen with excellent color coverage, complemented by a powerful CPU and GPU integrated in the Apple M2 chip, and is highly portable with its lightweight and fanless design, ensuring silent operation. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro offers a higher RAM, a strong Intel CPU, and Iris Xe graphics, also featuring an impressive high-resolution IPS touchscreen; however, it is slightly heavier and may produce more operating noise due to its fan-based cooling system.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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
5.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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
7.7/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air's high-resolution, bright display with vivid colors makes it excellent for general tasks and engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial. However, its lower refresh rate can hinder the experience in 3D applications, where fluid motion is key. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro also boasts a high-quality screen suited for everyday use and professional design tasks, but like the MacBook Air, it falls short in gaming and 3D because of its refresh rate, which is lower than what's preferred for those activities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has 8.5 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
3.0 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its integrated Apple M2 GPU, is limited in handling 3D applications and some popular games may not be compatible with macOS, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, with an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics card and higher screen refresh rate, provides better performance for gaming and 3D tasks but is less optimized for macOS-exclusive applications.
Cost
$839
$799
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro costs $799.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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 main selling point of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro versus a regular IdeaPad Slim 7 is its faster Core H-series CPU. In reality, the Core i7-11370H is only marginally faster than the U-series Core i7-1165G7 to the point where most users are not likely to notice the benefits. The slight performance uptick comes at the cost of slightly higher power consumption as well meaning owners will have to deal with potentially warmer temperatures or louder fans to compensate. Unless if you happen to be a power user, then the regular non-Pro model will be more than enough. Once you go 90 Hz, you can't go back."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
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.
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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.