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Updated March 22, 2024·
When choosing between the Apple MacBook Air and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13, consider the Apple MacBook Air if you prefer a lightweight design and longer battery life which is well-suited for everyday tasks and media consumption, plus it integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 offers a more robust build quality, a suite of business-oriented features and inputs, and better serviceability, making it a solid choice if you need a laptop for professional work, especially if you're running specialized or business software that requires a Windows environment. Keep in mind that while the MacBook Air is excellent for its ecosystem and user-friendly experience, the ThinkPad provides more flexibility for a variety of professional applications. 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 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 ThinkPad X13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.4
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a sleek design with a high-quality screen and long battery life, making it ideal for daily tasks and multimedia consumption in a highly portable package. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13, while also offering a good screen and battery life, provides additional CPU and RAM capabilities for more demanding programs and multitasking, with the added benefit of a robust keyboard and effective heat management for an efficient work experience.
Screen Quality
7.6
6.9
13.6in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has a better screen for software development.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general tasks and viewing designs with accurate colors thanks to wide color gamuts, but it falls short for 3D uses due to a standard refresh rate. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 offers a good balance with respectable resolution and brightness for everyday activities and sufficient color range for engineering work, but gamers may find its refresh rate lacking for smooth, fast-paced 3D graphics. Neither is optimal for 3D gaming or advanced visual simulations, where higher refresh rates are crucial for fluid motion and reduced screen tearing.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 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.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$948
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 costs $948.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.7
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its efficient GPU, offers moderate 3D performance suitable for tasks like light video editing or casual gaming, but its screen refresh rate and the fact that many games aren't compatible with macOS make it less ideal for hardcore gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13's more versatile GPU and higher screen refresh rate cater better to gaming and 3D applications, plus its compatibility with a wide range of games gives it an edge for gaming enthusiasts.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad X13 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The MacBook Air offers a high-resolution Retina display and efficient performance for design software due to its powerful CPU and integrated GPU, with ample RAM for multitasking; however, it might be more expensive. The ThinkPad X13, while providing great CPU performance and sufficient RAM for engineering applications, also has a good keyboard for extensive typing and is built to be more portable, but its screen and GPU may not be as superior as the MacBook's for high-end design tasks.
Content Creation
7.9
8.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad X13 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very 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
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
13.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to have excellent portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Lenovo ThinkPad X13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $948 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 11.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 2.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 11.88" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 321 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1440p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
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 ThinkPad X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | September 2023
"The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 has very good input devices, a wide array of security features and ports as well as 5G in the tested configuration. It is more compact and lightweight compared with its predecessor, and it has improved speakers and a slightly better webcam. On the other hand, the fan is more annoying and the performance is barely improved. The battery is worse as well, but this is primarily attributable to the OLED screen - if this aspect is important, buyers should choose the IPS Low Power LCD."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo ThinkPad X13
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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