Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
TheM3 MacBook Airis the latest and great translation of Apple ’s entry - degree laptop computer , but it ’s not the gaudy version the company currently sells . TheM2 MacBook Airis still being sold , and at a discounted start toll of $ 999 . Even more beguiling , you’re able to usually get it for as low as $ 850 at on-line retailers .
That voice like a good price , but there are fortune of really dandy laptops that betray for even cheaper . Before pulling the trigger on a shiny young M2 MacBook Air , I urge you regard one of the following five choice instead , which are all tawdry .
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED
In term of value , there ’s no laptop computer quite like theZenbook 14 OLED . Despite having an excellent OLED screen and the modish Core Ultra 7 CPU , you could grease one’s palms it for just $ 800 . Now , you might look at that monetary value and inquire if it ’s really deserving buying it over the M2 MacBook Air , which can be bought for just an extra $ 50 . But this $ 800 constellation issue forth with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storehouse , compared to the 8 GB and 256 GB of the M2 MacBook Air . Apple would file you an additional $ 600 for that upgrade .
This becomes even more percipient when you look at the $ 599 model , which still come with 512 GB of storage . So yeah , the Zenbook 14 OLED is a fantastic mountain , and it has very few via media . The keyboard and touchpad are great , it has a touch screen , and there ’s a wealth of interface .
Just do n’t get this at sea with the Zenbook 14 OLED Q , a spruce up - up model that only come in a high - end contour . But really , the only dependable difference between the two laptop computer is a fancy lid intention . That ’s it . So , go with the Zenbook 14 OLED ( UX3405 ) , and you ’ll be delighted .
MacBook Air M1
If there ’s one really solid alternative to theM2 MacBook Air , it ’s the M1 MacBook Air . I lie with , I know — it might sense like cheating , peculiarly since Apple no longer sell it . However , you could find it online for a duad hundred dollars cheaper than the M2 model . Now , in universal , I would level the great unwashed toward the M2 MacBook Air since it offers a in effect webcam , secure speaker unit , and a thinner build .
However , if you ’re really pinching your pennies and are set on a MacBook , the M1 MacBook Air is as cheap as you may really want to go . In term of the things that matter most , the M1 MacBook Air is still a really solid laptop that vex many Windows laptops in operation and battery spirit .
So , while I think the M2 MacBook Air is worth the extra cash , the M1 MacBook Air represent a cheaper version that is still quite good . The refurbished $ 599 model being sold at Best Buy is just a large flock .
Dell XPS 13 (9315)
The up-to-the-minute version of the Dell XPS 13 is rather expensive . It ’s a premium machine that is price closer to theM3 MacBook Air . Looking at the late contemporaries of the XPS 13 , however , offers some really good , low-priced option . TheXPS 13 Plusrecently father a significant price cut , with a new starting price of $ 999 . This , however , is a specced - up conformation with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage . It includes a thirteenth - gen Intel central processor , as well as a gorgeous pattern .
Even better , however , is theXPS 13 ( 9315 ) . It came out in 2022 , but features a more standard pattern . It ’s still a beautiful laptop computer , though , and it ’s eventhinner than the XPS 13 Plus . The one downside is performance , as the XPS 13 ( 9315 ) does n’t employ a dissipated mainframe . The $ 599 mannikin is attractive , but the $ 799 model with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage is solid too .
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
The Zenbook 14 OLED is fantastic , but if you want something a little littler to agree the MacBook Air , then the Zenbook S 13 OLED is an equally good value . It ’s a gorgeous little laptop computer that ’s quite nearly as lean as the M2 MacBook Air . I like the black backdrop on the keyboard , which matches the MacBook Pro , and the fact that it has draw more ports .
The only real problem is that theZenbook S 13is currently only usable in a more premium form with 32 GB of RAM . That configuration does n’t make a long ton of sense for this type of laptop computer , alas . But the 16 GB reading that used to be usable was a fantastical deal . The other caution is that it uses a Ryzen processor , so it may get refreshed with an update after this year .
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4
The ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 does n’t extend a significant discount over the MacBook Air , but it has a few reward that make it worth the excess money . As of the fourth dimension of writing , the start Mary Leontyne Price of the ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 is $ 1,027 , which net you 16 GB of RAM , 512 GB of storage , and a Core Ultra 7 processor . For that configuration , you ’ll pay a piece more than you would for the MacBook Air M2 .
More than that , the ThinkBook 13x has a better covert . It has a 13.5 - in , 2880 x 1920 jury with a debauched 120Hz refresh rate . Not only is that a higher - resolution sieve , but it ’s rare to get a refresh pace over 60Hz on a laptop this garish . That makes the ThinkBook 13x a standout .
The ThinkBook 13x is also a fair thin and light laptop that ’s only marginally squatty than the MacBook Air .
