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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 depends on your priorities. If you value a higher-resolution display, longer battery life, and you prefer MacOS, coupled with a sleek design that offers silent operation, the MacBook Air would be a better fit despite its higher price. On the other hand, if you prioritize more storage, higher RAM, and a discrete graphics card for better gaming or 3D work performance, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is worth considering, especially if you are on a budget. However, be aware that the Slim 7 is heavier, which might affect its portability. 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 Slim 7 16
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim 7 16 for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 boast high-resolution displays with vibrant colors and brightness, making them ideal for general tasks that involve browsing, document editing, and video playback. For engineering and design, both laptops' screens can accurately represent a wide range of colors within professional color spaces, which is crucial for detailed visual work. However, their screens aren't designed with high refresh rates in mind, which is a key requirement for smooth rendering in 3D applications and gaming, thus their performance in these areas is limited.
Battery
15.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 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
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim 7 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
$1,440
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.7
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Slim 7 16 are both good for general use.
The MacBook Air, with its Apple M2 CPU, long battery life, and fanless operation, offers a balance of performance and quiet comfort for general use, enhanced by its lightweight design and high-quality display. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Slim 7, with a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and ample RAM, caters to more demanding tasks, yet is less portable and has a shorter battery life; it compensates with a touchscreen and a dedicated GPU which can be a boon for multimedia tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.6
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
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 Slim 7 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.
Software Development
8.1
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim 7 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Lenovo Slim 7 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,440 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.69'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 9.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 500 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo Slim 7 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | March 2022
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo Slim 7 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.
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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.
By the numbers
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Recommendations made
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About the laptop team
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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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