The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is more expensive but offers a higher-quality build, better screen colors and brightness, a lighter and slimmer design, and a more extended battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14". It also runs MacOS and has a fanless, silent operation, making it great for quiet environments. Despite the higher cost, it's suitable for general use, professional tasks, and has the processing power for engineering software. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3, affordable and running Windows, is a practical choice for everyday tasks and less demanding applications, though it may not be ideal for intensive graphics work or prolonged battery operation. If budget is a concern and your tasks are mostly basic, Lenovo could serve you well, but if you're looking for performance and quality in a more portable form and can invest more, consider the MacBook Air. 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)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) provides superior CPU and GPU performance with the Apple M2 chip, coupled with a high-resolution, color-accurate display, making it excellent for general use, enhanced by its silent operation and impressive 15 hours of battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with an integrated M2 GPU suitable for some 3D applications and a high-quality screen, but lacks native support for many popular games due to running MacOS; the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a modest integrated Vega 7 GPU that can handle light gaming and 3D tasks on Windows 11, with the benefit of wider game compatibility.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
6.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in engineering and design due to its superior CPU and GPU, higher RAM and storage capabilities, and its high-quality screen which enhances visual accuracy and detail, essential for design tasks. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers fair performance for engineering and design with a capable processor and adequate graphics, but falls short with a lower screen quality and less color accuracy, which could limit the level of detail and precision in design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
8.1/10
7.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
6.4/10
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a high-resolution display with excellent color accuracy and brightness, providing clarity and vivid images for general use and detail-oriented work in engineering and design, but its typically lower refresh rate is less suitable for 3D applications. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" delivers a fair level of resolution and brightness, which is adequate for everyday tasks and some design work, but with limited color range, it falls short of the optimal color reproduction needed for professional engineering and design tasks. For gaming and 3D rendering, its display lacks the high refresh rates that would enable smoother motion and more responsive gameplay, which is critical in these fields.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 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
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$490
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
"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 low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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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