The MacBook Air (2022) from Apple is generally quieter with fanless operation and offers higher screen color accuracy which is ideal for creative tasks. It also boasts of a longer battery life, making it better suited for on-the-go use. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offers a touchscreen, more memory, and additional storage at a generally lower price point. Thus, it might provide better performance for engineering tasks or multitasking. Both are highly portable with their light weights and sleek designs. Your choice should be influenced by the balance between performance needs and budget constraints. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.2/10
13.6in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a high-resolution Retina display with vibrant colors and excellent brightness that make it suitable for general use and engineering/design tasks where color accuracy is crucial. Its screen, however, lacks a high refresh rate which is essential for the smooth visuals required in 3D applications. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, with a good quality display, can handle general use and design work effectively, but it also falls short in gaming and 3D due to its inferior refresh rate and perhaps lower color gamut coverage compared to the MacBook Air.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
10.0/10
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has good 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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in general use thanks to its capable Apple M2 CPU, sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, high-quality screen with excellent color accuracy, and superior portability due to its light weight and long battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, on the other hand, offers double the storage and memory, a potent Intel i7 processor, and a high-definition touchscreen, making it a strong candidate for those who need more power and interactive capability, albeit with a slightly shorter battery life and increased weight.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with its integrated M2 GPU delivers fair 3D performance adequate for lighter tasks but may not support many popular games that aren't compatible with macOS, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, which sports an Intel Iris Xe GPU, also offers fair 3D and gaming performance but is more suited for a wider variety of games available on Windows, despite both having similar screen refresh rates and quality.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution IPS display, powerful Apple M2 CPU with an integrated 8-core GPU, and impressive color accuracy, making it ideal for visually-intensive tasks, although it has less RAM and storage compared to the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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.
Portability
Excellent
Excellent
13.6in
SIZE
13.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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 best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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.
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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.