Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" depends greatly on your priorities. If high-resolution displays, longer battery life, and a light, sleek build are important to you, and you're willing to spend more, the MacBook Air is a strong option. It operates silently without a fan and supports Apple's ecosystem with macOS. However, if you're looking to save money and need a laptop for basic tasks with standard performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad offers a budget-friendly choice with Windows 11. It does have a lower screen quality and is heavier, which could affect portability and your viewing experience. Consider your budget and whether you prioritize performance and build quality over cost savings. 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
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023), with its Apple M2 processor and high-quality IPS screen, offers better performance and a superior visual experience compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", which has an Intel i3 processor and a basic TN screen with lower resolution. Additionally, the MacBook Air stands out for its longer battery life and better portability due to its thinner and lighter design, whereas the IdeaPad 3 offers decent keyboard and build quality but falls short with shorter battery life and a heavier, thicker form factor.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
5.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 is fair for 3D applications, with a more capable GPU in the form of the Apple M2 with a 10-core GPU, which works better than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's less powerful Intel UHD Xe Graphics found in its Intel i3-1115G4 processor. However, the MacBook Air is limited on the game compatibility front as many Windows-based games do not run on its macOS, while the IdeaPad 3, albeit with poorer performance for gaming and 3D due to its lower-end graphics, supports a broader range of games running on Windows 11 Home.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
5.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
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 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is superior for engineering and design use with its high-quality IPS display, powerful Apple M2 CPU, and integrated GPU that handle demanding tasks, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a basic TN panel with lower resolution and an entry-level Intel i3 CPU with integrated graphics, which are less capable of intensive tasks. Additionally, the MacBook's screen excels in color accuracy and brightness, which are crucial for design work, while the IdeaPad's screen offers lower color coverage and brightness, making it less suitable for these purposes.
Content Creation
8.0/10
6.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 15" is only fair.
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
5.2/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air 15" boasts a high-resolution display that presents sharp, clear images with vibrant colors, ideal for general use, and its wide color gamut offers precise hues for engineering and design tasks. However, its refresh rate is lower, which is less optimal for 3D applications where smoother motion representation is crucial. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower resolution screen with limited brightness and a narrower color gamut, resulting in less fidelity for both everyday tasks and specialized design work, and its refresh rate isn't suited for the demands of gaming or 3D content creation.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good 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 15" 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
$360
$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 15" costs $360.
"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 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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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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
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