When deciding between the Apple MacBook Air and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, consider that the MacBook Air generally offers a combination of portability, a user-friendly operating system, and strong battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks, creative work, and those ingrained in the Apple ecosystem. On the other hand, the ThinkPad T14 is known for its durability, extensive connectivity options, and often has more powerful hardware configurations that can handle demanding engineering or business applications, but this may come with increased weight and a shorter battery life. Your choice should align with your primary needs: portability and ease of use with the MacBook Air, or robust performance and features for intensive tasks with the ThinkPad T14. 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 (2022)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.5/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a balance of performance, with a powerful CPU and ample RAM, all in a highly portable design with an excellent screen and long battery life, making it ideal for everyday tasks and on-the-go use. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while boasting similar CPU power and RAM, distinguishes itself with robust input features like an outstanding keyboard and options for additional storage but may be slightly less portable and have a shorter battery life in comparison.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.8/10
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a strong CPU, high-quality Retina display, and advanced GPU which support demanding engineering software and design tasks, yet its thin and light design ensures great portability; whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 provides robust processing power, ample RAM, and a professional-grade keyboard that's beneficial for long hours of engineering work, although it might be slightly less portable than the MacBook Air. Both have quality speakers and maintain low operating noise, but the MacBook may edge out with a superior screen and the ThinkPad with its renowned keyboard comfort.
Software Development
7.8/10
8.4/10
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.9/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display with bright and accurate colors, which enhances general viewing and design tasks, but its standard refresh rate doesn't suit the fast-paced visuals required for 3D tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a display that balances resolution and color reproduction well, making it suitable for general use and engineering, but like the MacBook Air, it doesn't provide the high refresh rate needed for smooth gaming and 3D applications. Both laptops, while excellent for productivity and professional work, fall short for 3D gaming enthusiasts due to the limitations in their screen's refresh rates.
Battery
15.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,319
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,319.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its limited GPU and lower screen refresh rate, isn't optimized for 3D applications or gaming, which require more advanced graphics capabilities and faster screen response for the best experience; additionally, many popular games are incompatible with macOS. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while also having a fair GPU, provides a better gaming experience due to its compatibility with a broader range of games and a possibly higher screen refresh rate, but like the MacBook Air, it's not ideal for the most demanding 3D tasks or high-end gaming.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.3/10
6.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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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