Considering your needs, the Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a smaller screen size and less weight, offering greater portability than the LG Ultra 16. The MacBook Air's Apple M2 chip provides good performance for general use and is well-suited for engineering tasks, though it may not match the LG for tasks requiring advanced graphics. Battery life is more extensive in the MacBook Air, supporting longer use between charges. However, the LG Ultra 16 has a larger screen, more storage space, and extra memory, which can be advantageous for multitasking and data-intensive tasks. It also runs Windows 11, which may be more compatible with certain software than macOS. The LG typically comes at a lower price point, offering higher value if budget is a primary concern and if your tasks don't demand the higher performance of the MacBook Air's M2 chip. 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
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
The LG Ultra 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and LG Ultra 16 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has an impressive screen quality with a high brightness and color accuracy, and its Apple M2 processor with integrated graphics performs efficiently for engineering tasks and design work, while the laptop's lightweight design ensures portability.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.2/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air typically boasts high-resolution Retina displays with excellent brightness and color accuracy, making visuals crisp and vibrant for general use and engineering tasks that demand precise colors. LG Ultra series laptops may offer decent resolution and adequate brightness, but often fall short on peak brightness and color accuracy compared to the MacBook Air, which can limit their effectiveness in both general and engineering uses. However, both the MacBook Air and the LG Ultra tend to have standard refresh rates, which is suboptimal for 3D applications and gaming that benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother motion and responsiveness.
Battery
15.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the LG Ultra 16 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 LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and LG Ultra 16 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for general use due to its powerful M2 CPU, vibrant screen, and exceptional portability, with a long battery life and a lightweight design; on the other hand, the LG Ultra 16 offers a larger screen and more storage and RAM, which can enhance multitasking and storage capacity, along with a slightly longer battery life, but it is less portable due to being heavier.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its integrated M2 GPU is fair for 3D tasks, benefiting from Apple's efficient yet moderate performance graphics but is limited by a lower screen refresh rate and compatibility issues with many popular games that do not run on macOS.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and LG Ultra 16 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the LG Ultra 16 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."
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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.
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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.