The Apple MacBook Air 15 is more expensive, but it offers a sleeker design with a higher resolution screen and a more color-accurate display, which could be especially beneficial for creative professionals. Its performance is suitable for general use and can handle some engineering tasks, with the benefit of being lighter and having a longer battery life. Conversely, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is more affordable and comes with a touchscreen, a greater amount of storage, and more RAM out of the box, which might be more suitable for multitasking and intensive engineering applications. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. If price is a concern and touch functionality is desired, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is a solid choice, but for superior display quality, battery life, and a lighter device, the MacBook Air may be preferred. 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
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
Software Development
8.1/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.3/10
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air's screen shines for general use and engineering, offering sharp resolution and a bright display with a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for detailed design work, but it falls short for 3D due to its standard refresh rate. The Lenovo Flex 5's screen also provides a good resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for engineering and design, but like the MacBook Air, it lacks a high refresh rate, hindering its performance for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key. Both laptops are fit for productivity and professional design, but gamers and 3D artists should look for screens designed to deliver smoother visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$779
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 is favored for its powerful CPU, high-quality screen, and exceptional portability, boasting long battery life, which is ideal for users who prioritize mobility and seamless performance in day-to-day tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, while also suitable for general use, offers the versatility of a touchscreen and typically comes with ample RAM, making it a good option for those who need a dependable device for diverse activities without compromising too much on performance.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15, while offering decent performance for 3D tasks, falls short for gaming due to a less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate compared to gaming-specific laptops. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 provides better gaming capabilities and is suitable for 3D rendering, but it's important to note that many popular games may not run on the MacBook Air because they aren't compatible with macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 provides a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen, making it a robust choice for engineering and design tasks that require efficient processing and clear visuals; however, it falls shorter on the GPU front, limiting its performance with intensive 3D rendering compared to laptops with dedicated graphics cards. The Lenovo Flex 5 16, while also offering a capable CPU and plenty of RAM, includes a better GPU for graphic-intensive applications, and its keyboard quality and screen are impressive, though it's less portable and might have a noisier operation than the sleeker MacBook Air.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo Flex 5 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 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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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