Table of ContentsTable of ContentsSpecs and configurationsDesignPerformanceDisplay and audioPortabilityThe Yoga Slim 9i 14 is gorgeous, the MacBook Air is faster and longer-lastingIf youre looking for a 14-inch laptop, you have a ton of great choices. If you include the Apple MacBook Air 13with its 13.6-inch display (and you should), then the field is incredibly strong. But Apple isnt the only company making great laptops that balance portability with a slightly larger screen size.The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10is a brand-new entry that features a gorgeous chassis and Intels latest Lunar Lake chipset. Pitting it against the MacBook Air makes a great deal of sense, but which one of these laptops comes out on top?Recommended VideosSpecs and configurationsLenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10AppleMacBook Air M3Dimensions12.31 x 8.01 x 0.57 inches11.97 inches x 8.46 inches x 0.44 inchesWeight2.76 pounds2.7 poundsCPUIntel Core Ultra 7 256VIntel Core Ultra 7 258VApple M3 (8-core)GPUIntel Arc 140V8 GPU cores10 GPU coresRAM16GB32GB16GB24GBDisplay14.0-inch 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED, 120Hz13.6-inch 16:10 Liquid Retina (2560 x 1664) IPSStorage1TB SSD256GB SSD512GB SSD1TB SSD2TB SSDPorts2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 42 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 41 x 3.5mm audio jack1 x MagSafe 3TouchYesNoWirelessWi-Fi 7 and Bluetoth 5.4Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3Webcam32MP with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello1080pBattery75 watt-hour52.6 watt-hoursOperating systemWindows 11macOS SonomaPrice$1,760+$1,099+Rating4 out of 5 stars4 out of 5 starsRelatedRight now, there are only two configurations of the Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 available. For $1,760, you get an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 4K+ OLED display (the only option). For $1,835, you can upgrade to a slightly faster Core Ultra 7 258V with 32GB of RAM. Thats the reviewed configuration.The MacBook Air 13 has a starting price of $1,099 for the 8-core CPU/8-core GPU version of the M3 chipset, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 IPS display (again, the only option). Apple just recently increased RAM to 16GB with the base model for the same price, making the laptop more competitive with similar Windows machines. You can upgrade to an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M3, and a 512GB SSD brings the price to $1,299, while the high-end model is $2,099 for 24GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.Both laptops are premium machines, and the MacBook Air 13 starts at a lower price. Youll spend more to fully upgrade the MacBook Air 13, however.Luke Larsen / Digital TrendsThe Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 is simply a beautiful laptop. Its dark blue color way is consistent except for a brighter blue that I think was a minor design mistake, and the glass cover on the lid gives the laptop a lovely sheen. The dark chrome edges are rounded, so they both look and feel great, and the overall aesthetic stands out without being aesthetic. If youre looking for a great looking laptop, the Yoga Slim 9i qualifies. The MacBook Air 13 is also an elegant machine, which a more minimalist design thats shared with Apples entire MacBook lineup. It comes in several attractive colors, and it, too, is a great looking laptop. You cant go wrong with either machine.Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsBoth laptops are also solidly built of all-aluminum, although they share the same attribute of a slightly bendable lid. Its not egregious with either laptop, but the Yoga Slim 9is glass cover is a little more concerning. Im sure its reasonably robust, but the fact that its glass does give me a bit of a pause. Nevertheless, Id rather them as equally well-built.The MacBook Air 13 is among the thinnest laptops you can buy today, at 0.44 inches, but the Yoga Slim 9i is pretty great too at just 0.57 inches. They weigh almost the same, which gives the MacBook Air 13 a slightly denser feel in hand. The Yoga Slim 9i has insanely thin display bezels all the way around, with a webcam thats underneath the display. That makes it seem narrower even thought its actually a bit wider given its larger display, and its almost half an inch shallower. These are both eminently portable laptops.Luke Larsen / Digital TrendsThe Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 uses Intel Lunar Lake chipsets, also known as Core Ultra Series 2. I reviewed the laptop with the Core Ultra 7 258V, an eight-core (four Performance and four Low Power Performance), eight-thread chipset consuming 17 watts of power. That makes it a low-power chipset aimed at thin-and-light machines, with an eye to efficiency over sheer performance. As such, its fast enough for demanding productivity tasks, but its integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics arent great for gamers or creators.The MacBook Air 13 currently uses the Apple Silicon M3 chipset, which we reviewed in its 8-core CPU/10-core GPU iteration. Its a very fast chipset, particularly in single-core performance, and its GPU cores are faster than Intel integrated graphics. The M3 also has various optimization that help speed up various creative tasks, making the MacBook Air 13 better for anyone whos doing demanding tasks like video editing.Ultimately, both laptops perform similarly. Note that Apple will be releasing the MacBook Air with the M4 chipset relatively soon, so its likely that it will take a lead here.Geekbench 6(single/multi)Cinebench R24(single/multi/battery)Handbrake3DMarkWild Life ExtremeLenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)2723 / 10884121 / 649915397Apple MacBook Air M3(M3 8/10)3,102 / 12,078141 / 6011098098Mark Coppock / Digital TrendsTheres just one display option with the Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10, a 14.0-inch 16:10 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED display running at 120Hz. Thats as sharp as you can get, and its become unusual in 14-inch machines that usually top out at 2.8K (2880 x 1800). The display is simply spectacular, with bright, dynamic colors and inky blacks to go with that ultimate sharpness.The MacBook Air 13 has a more pedestrian 13.6-inch 16:10 Liquid Retina (2560 x 1664) IPS running 60Hz. Its a very good display, with good colors and great brightness, and its contrast ratio is also very good. But, it just doesnt have the same kind of pop.Looking at our colorimeter results, you can see that Lenovos chosen OLED panel is about as high-quality as youll find today. Its great display for any purpose, including productivity, creativity, and media consumption. You wont mind the MacBook Air 13s display, but youll adore the Yoga Slim 9is.Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10(OLED)Apple MacBook Air M3(IPS)Brightness(nits)417496AdobeRGB gamut96%87%sRGB gamut100%100%DCI-P3 gamut100%99%Accuracy(DeltaE, lower is better)0.551.24Contrast28,790:11,480:1Both laptops have 4-speaker audio systems with dual woofers. Theyre similar in quality, with plenty of loudness, clear mids and highs, and more bass than usual. That makes them both better than youll find on most 14-inch laptops.Both laptops are highly portable, and almost equally so. You can stick them in a backpack and forget theyre there until you need them.As mentioned above, the Lunar Lake chipset is aimed more at efficiency than performance. In some other laptops, it does better than the Yoga Slim 9i, which was closer to previous-generation Intel laptops. Note that Lunar Lake is a direct response to Apple Silicon, which has taken the lead in efficiency and hasnt looked back.The MacBook Air 13 has much better battery life, and it can last more than a full day of actual work. The Yoga Slim cannot.VideoCinebench R24Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10(Core Ultra 7 258V)13 hours, 45 minutes1 hour, 55 minutesApple MacBook Air M3(M3 8/10)19 hours, 39 minutes3 hours, 27 minutesThe Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 is a great laptop with one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs around. Its reasonably thin and light, and it has more than good enough performance. And its display is sublime.But, the MacBook Air 13 is faster overall, and it gets much better battery life.Editors Recommendations