The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers longer battery life, a better build quality, and is very suitable for general use with its Apple M1 chip, but it is typically pricier and lacks a touchscreen. In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is more affordable, has a higher resolution touchscreen display, and comes with double the storage and RAM. It also features a higher refresh rate screen, which can be an advantage for smoother visuals. However, the MacBook is lighter and offers silent operation due to its fanless design. For intensive tasks, especially those utilizing GPU, the MacBook's M1 GPU performs better. The Lenovo is a good fit for a variety of tasks, including some light gaming due to better screen refresh rate and touchscreen support, but its engineering use and 3D performance may fall behind the MacBook. If portability and superior build quality are key, the MacBook may be the better choice, but if cost and a touchscreen with higher refresh rates are priorities, consider the Lenovo. 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has a better screen for gaming and AI.
Both the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro offer high-resolution displays and impressive brightness, making them excellent choices for general use where clarity and visibility are key. Their screens also cover a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that engineers and designers can work with color-accurate displays, essential for precise and detailed work. However, for 3D use like gaming which demands fast refresh rates to keep visuals smooth, neither of these laptops excels, as they prioritize resolution and color accuracy over the high refresh rates required by such applications.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has 8.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro costs $799.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for general use with its efficient Apple M1 processor, excellent screen quality, and long battery life, along with its lightweight design enhancing portability. Comparatively, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro offers more storage and RAM, a touch-enabled high-quality screen with a higher resolution, but its battery life is shorter, which may affect its suitability for frequent travelers.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) with its M1 integrated GPU is just adequate for 3D applications, as it is not designed for high-end gaming or intense 3D tasks, and the MacOS might limit game compatibility. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro boasts a higher screen refresh rate and an Intel Iris Xe GPU which is more suited to gaming and 3D tasks on Windows, yet it still falls in the fair category due to its integrated graphics and lack of gaming-centric features.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) boasts an M1 CPU and 8GB RAM, with high screen brightness and color accuracy, as well as silent, fanless operation, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks that value a quiet work environment and precise color work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both 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
7.8/10
7.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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 main selling point of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro versus a regular IdeaPad Slim 7 is its faster Core H-series CPU. In reality, the Core i7-11370H is only marginally faster than the U-series Core i7-1165G7 to the point where most users are not likely to notice the benefits. The slight performance uptick comes at the cost of slightly higher power consumption as well meaning owners will have to deal with potentially warmer temperatures or louder fans to compensate. Unless if you happen to be a power user, then the regular non-Pro model will be more than enough. Once you go 90 Hz, you can't go back."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
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.
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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.