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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 offers a silent, fanless experience with exceptional battery life, making it ideal for general use and everyday tasks. It has a high-quality screen with accurate colors, suitable for casual photo editing and media consumption. However, it's not designed for intensive gaming or advanced engineering tasks due to its integrated GPU and lack of hardware ray tracing. On the other hand, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is a powerhouse with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, offering superior performance in 3D rendering, gaming, and machine learning. It also has a Mini LED display with a higher refresh rate and touch capability, which is great for more interactive work and entertainment. The Yoga Pro 9i is more versatile with its ports and slots, and it includes hardware ray tracing for cutting-edge graphics tasks. However, it's pricier, heavier, and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air. Choose the MacBook Air for its portability, silent operation, and all-day battery life if your needs are primarily general computing tasks. Opt for the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i if you require a more powerful machine for demanding graphics work, gaming, or machine learning applications, and you're okay with a bulkier device and shorter battery life. 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)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Best in class overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
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
8.7
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
9.8
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
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 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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
Good
15.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has good 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 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,450
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i costs $1,450.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.1
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.0
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for software development.
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 Yoga Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,450 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | April 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.28" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 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 | 84 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
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 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
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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