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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 offers a fanless design for silent operation, which is ideal for everyday tasks and general use. It has a high-quality IPS display with a resolution of 2880 x 1864, ensuring sharp visuals and accurate colors, making it suitable for tasks that require color accuracy like photo editing. The M2 chip provides strong performance for general use, and the laptop's build quality is top-notch, with a premium look and feel. It's also highly portable due to its thin and light design, and the battery life is excellent for typical usage. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED is equipped with an OLED display, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks, which is particularly beneficial for watching movies or gaming. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc 8-Cores GPU give it an edge in gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, compared to the MacBook Air. It also has a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, which contributes to smoother visuals during fast-paced scenes or games. The ASUS laptop provides more storage out of the box with 512GB, and it includes an additional USB-C port, which can be convenient for connecting peripherals. In summary, if you prioritize silent operation, portability, and superior build quality for general use and light creative work, the MacBook Air 15 is the way to go. However, if you're looking for better gaming performance, a more immersive display experience, and more power for intensive tasks, the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED would be the better choice, despite being slightly less portable. 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 15 (2023)
- 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 ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.6
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
15.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED has 9 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
Very Good
Very Good
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$999
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.7
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.9
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1
7.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED 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 15 (2023) and the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 13.9'' x 9.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 13.92" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.72" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 600 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
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Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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