Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 vs MacBook Air (M2): Which lightweight laptop is best for you?

Jul 17, 2023

The choice between macOS and Windows 11 isn't as simple as it seems.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 got a redesign this gen, with sleeker bezels and better user-facing speakers. It also has a wide range of options, including a 2.8K OLED screen and a 5MP webcam, so you can create the business notebook your workflow needs.

The Apple MacBook Air (M2) has a redesigned, sleeker exterior housing Apple’s in-house silicon in the form of the M2 chip. It’s perfect for creative types who want long battery life and power and comes in 13 and 15-inch screen sizes.

If you’re looking for an ultraportable laptop for getting work done on the go, you’ve undoubtedly seen the ThinkPad or MacBook branding during your search. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is now on its fourth iteration, with a sleeker design and new hardware options. The Apple MacBook Air is powered by the latest M2 chip and now comes in 15-inch and 13-inch screen sizes. With all the numerous differences between the two devices, it could be difficult to make a purchasing decision. We’ve got you covered, breaking down what’s hot, what’s not, and what you need to know.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 went on sale in May on Lenovo.com. Other retailers should have availability later this year. You can get a base model starting at $1,039 with a 13th-gen Intel Core i5-1335U, 8GB RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 13.3 WUXGA IPS screen. Currently, only Intel-powered devices are available, but AMD-powered models are coming with Ryzen 7000 series processors. We’re unsure which specific CPUs, as Lenovo didn’t provide us with specifics at this time.

The MacBook Air (M2) is available now at Apple, Best Buy, Amazon, B&H Photo, and other retailers. The 13-inch model starts from $1,099, and the 15-inch starts from $1,299. Apple is also selling refurbished 13-inch models at a significant discount, and we expect refurbished 15-inch models to be added to the lineup at some point.

The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 comes with some significant changes to the design. It’s still unmistakably a ThinkPad, but now the bezels around the display are slimmer, so it feels a bit more immersive. The top bezel has a notch for the webcam, but instead of it protruding into the display, it goes upwards. This also gives a handy lip for opening the laptop’s lid, which is useful but could be just as divisive as the MacBook Air’s screen notch in the other direction. The webcam is 1080p as standard, with the option of a 5MP webcam as a high-end upgrade.

The MacBook Air also got a significant redesign this generation. The older models had a wedge-shaped bottom, which was very thin near the trackpad area. Now it looks like a thinner version of the MacBook Pro, with rounded edges and parallel surfaces. The screen has a notch at the top, which divides the notification and menu bar while providing enough space to fit a new 1080p webcam.

As for ports, the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 has the MacBook Air beat. The Lenovo device has two USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio port. You also have the option to add a smart card reader or a nano-SIM card for the 4G and 5G connectivity options. The MacBook Air has just two Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, the MagSafe 3 charging port, and a 3.5mm audio port. Get used to carrying dongles or docks if you want the Air.

The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 is now 2.51 pounds, a minor reduction from the 2.6 pounds of the Gen 3 models. The MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds for the 13-inch model and 3.3 pounds for the 15-inch model. The ThinkPad uses magnesium alloy instead of aluminum, which is where most of the weight difference comes from. None of these laptops are what we’d call heavy, but every ounce in weight helps if you’re going to be carrying it around all day.

Both laptops have quality keyboards and trackpads, which are a joy to type on and nicely spaced. The ThinkPad also has its signature TrackPoint nubbin for mouse control, a feature that you either really love or could do without. The large touchpad is there if you prefer, although it's not as large as the one on the MacBook Air. The MacBook has haptic feedback on the touchpad, which is a great feedback loop for usability. Lenovo is using similar touchpads on the Z-series ThinkPads, so maybe it will come to the X-series models at some point.

Normally, ThinkPads only come in one color option, Thunder Black. This year, you can get the ThinkPad X13 in Deep Black or Storm Gray, a minor but welcome change to your options. The MacBook Air comes in Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver, so you have more options on the Apple side of the fence.

As we mentioned earlier, these laptops run vastly different operating systems. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 runs Windows 11, while the MacBook Air runs macOS. Each does roughly the same tasks, although they have specific features that make them better for some users. Windows 11 is great for office workers or businesses, while macOS has all the tools a creative professional could need.

That’s not to say you couldn’t use a MacBook for business use, because you can. There are only a few Windows-specific programs that don’t have alternatives on macOS, mainly CAD drawing packages used by some industries. Apple has finished its move to its in-house silicon, and almost any Mac app will run natively on the M2 processor.

The other thing to think about when making your decision is the overall ecosystem. If you already have Apple devices, it’s hard not to buy the Air, as things like iMessage, FaceTime, and AirDrop work natively and seamlessly. If your smartphone is running Android, the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 could be a better option as that connects with the Phone Link app in Windows.

This year, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 has four options for the display. Three of these are WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS panels, one is 400 nits brightness with an ICC Template color calibration, and two are 300 nits brightness, one with multi-touch and one without. The premium option is a 2.8K (2880x1800) OLED panel at 400 nits brightness, with Dolby Video, DisplayHDR, and True Black 500. That’s definitely the option to go for if you’re using your ThinkPad for content creation or want to watch movies in beautiful colors when the workday is over.

The MacBook Air (M2) comes with either a 13.6-inch (2560x1664) or a 15.3-inch (2880x1864) Liquid Retina display. These IPS panels have 500 nits of brightness and support P3 Wide Color and True Tone technology, which corrects the white point and illumination based on ambient light levels. Apple spends a lot of effort making its screens look consistent, but neither of these will rival the OLED option on the ThinkPad.

Connectivity-wise, the ThinkPad comes standard with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. There are options for 4G LTE or Sub-6GHz 5G cellular connectivity, which means you can get work done from anywhere that has cell signal without tethering to your phone. The MacBook Air has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

Performance on the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 will differ depending on which CPU you decide on. There are options for 13th-gen Intel Core CPUs from the i3, i5, and i7 ranges. These come in U-series for low-power use or P-series chips for a little more power at 28W. We usually recommend the U-series for this class of laptop, as the additional heat of the P-series chips usually isn’t handled well by ultrabooks. Some of these CPUs also have Intel vPro features, enabling enterprise-level management tools for remote administration. Graphics-wise, most of the CPUs have Intel Iris Xe iGPUs, with the i3 having Intel UHD graphics.

The M2 chip in the MacBook Air is likely to outperform every option on the ThinkPad. It has the highest single-core score on Geekbench of any mobile CPU currently and has additional AI-powered computation on the chip with a 16-core Neural Engine. Graphics power is handled by either an 8-core or 10-core GPU on the 13-inch model, with the 15-inch model only offering the 10-core option.

Lenovo offers two battery sizes on the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4, 41Wh and 54.7Wh. Both options have rapid charge to get 80% of the capacity in one hour, and the laptop comes with either a 45W or 65W charger. The company says it used MobileMark 25 to test battery life, with up to 11.2 hours of use with the non-touchscreen set at 250 nits brightness.

The 13-inch MacBook Air has a 52.6Wh battery, while the 15-inch has a 66.5Wh battery. Apple claims a battery life of up to 18 hours of Apple TV playback or up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing on both models. Our reviewer found the 13-inch model lasted a full workday without even worrying about having a charger handy. It also has fast charging, with up to 70W capability via USB-C or MagSafe 3 which can charge up to 50% in only 30 minutes, according to Apple.

While both of these ultraportable devices are among the best laptops around, only one can win my recommendation today. Apple has made such a good device in the MacBook Air (M2) that it makes it hard for me to recommend anything else for normal computing tasks. Now that you can get it in 15-inch and 13-inch screen sizes, the choice is simple. The M2 chip is full of performance, and it sips power, so it has insane battery life. The main annoyance is that it only has two Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, so you’ll need adapters or a dock to use normal peripherals. You’ll also need to learn your way around macOS if you’re used to a Windows machine.

The 2022 MacBook Air offers the M2 chip, and a redesigned chassis with MagSafe 3 support. It is powerful and can handle pretty much any kind of work, and it comes in either 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch sizes.

The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 is still worthy of taking a second look. ThinkPad fans are every bit as loyal as MacBook ones, and they won’t find anything missing from the overall package here. The inclusion of a 2.8K OLED screen option is great to see, and it has more connectivity options, whether that’s physical ports or optimal 4G LTE, or 5G modem connectivity. It also runs Windows 11, which might suit business users better.

The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 brings some big changes over previous models beyond just simple spec bumps. There are newer sleeker bezels, better user-facing speakers, a new optional 5MP webcam, and the option for a 2.8K resolution OLED display.