The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers high performance, excellent build quality, and typically better battery life but at a higher price. It's suited for professional creative work, video editing, and working within the Apple ecosystem. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", however, is more budget-friendly, still offers decent performance for everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and media consumption, but may not handle intensive tasks as well. If you prioritize a lightweight laptop for travel, the MacBook might be more favorable, whereas the IdeaPad provides reasonable performance for general use without the premium cost. Choose the MacBook Pro if your work demands power and you prefer macOS, or opt for the IdeaPad 3 for casual use and saving money. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class 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 Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is superior for engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU and GPU, excellent screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, and best-in-class keyboard quality, all of which are crucial for such tasks.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is somewhat better.
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
7.6/10
6.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 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 Pro 13 (2020) boasts a high-resolution Retina display which provides exceptional detail and brightness for general tasks, while its support for wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 ensures accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design work, but its standard refresh rate limits its suitability for 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a screen that offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday activities, and it's fair for design tasks though it might not cover wide color spectrums as comprehensively, while its lower refresh rate and likely standard color coverage do not make it ideal for gaming and 3D content where fluid motion and color accuracy are key. Hence, the MacBook Pro 13 excels in general use and professional design scenarios, while the IdeaPad 3 remains a budget-friendly option for less demanding general use and design needs, but neither is optimal for high-refresh-rate 3D gaming or creation.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
$1,249
$490
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is limited in 3D performance largely because it uses an integrated GPU that's less powerful compared to discrete gaming GPUs, and it also has compatibility issues with many popular games due to its operating system. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", while having a slightly more capable GPU for gaming and 3D tasks, also suffers from the same limitation of a 60Hz screen refresh rate, which is standard but not optimal for high-end gaming where higher refresh rates are preferred for smoother visuals.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"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 Pro 13 (2020) 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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.