Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

In depth comparison and review of Apple MacBook Air with Retina display and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

lightweight and portable

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

impressive battery life

high-resolution display

higher price point

limited graphics performance

no HDMI port

fewer color options

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Apple MacBook Air with Retina display and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
81 % - Design
85 % - Display
85 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Apple MacBook Air with Retina display vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Product Type Notebook Notebook - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm x 1.56 cm 31.56 cm x 22.25 cm x 1.536 cm
Weight 1.25 kg 1.12 kg
Case Material Aluminum Aluminium (bottom), carbon fibre (top)
Colour Space grey | Gold | Silver Deep black paint
DISPLAY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Screen Size (Type) 13.3" - IPS 14" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) 227 -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 16:10
Image Brightness - 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features BFR/PVC-free, Mercury free, beryllium free, arsenic free, Retina display Anti-glare, Low Power, Eyesafe technology
PROCESSOR Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) 1335U / 1.3 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.6 GHz 4.6 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core 10-core
Cache L3 - 4 MB 12 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Platform Technology - Intel Evo
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
RAM 8 GB (provided memory is soldered) 16 GB (provided memory is soldered)
RAM Type LPDDR3 SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed 2133 MHz 6400 MHz
Rated Speed - 6400 MHz
STORAGE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 128 GB SSD soldered PCIe 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 617 Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video System Features - Functions as Intel UHD graphics (for single-channel memory)
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features FaceTime HD camera Privacy shutter, Windows Hello, fixed focus, hybrid FHD/IR camera
Sound Stereo speakers, three microphones Stereo speakers, two tweeters, two woofers, quad array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards - High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos
Audio Features - Input: Dolby Voice, 360° far-field
COMMUNICATIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller - Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211
Features - Dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation - 4G/5G upgradable
BATTERY Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Technology Lithium polymer Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 50.3 Wh 57 Wh
Battery Life Up to 12 hours -
Battery Run Time Web browsing over Wi-Fi: up to 12 hours
Video playback: up to 13 hours
Standby time: up to 30 days
-
AC ADAPTER Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 30 Watt 65 Watt
INPUT Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Type Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Pressure sensitivity, multi-touch touchpad, Multi-Touch Gesture Recognition, ambient light sensor, force click, Touch ID sensor Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad, air intake key design
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Interfaces 2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
Headphone output
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI (4K support)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
SOFTWARE Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Operating System (OS) Apple macOS Big Sur 11.0 Windows 11 Pro - English
Software Included iTunes, Apple iMovie, Apple Safari, Apple GarageBand, Photo Booth, Apple Time Machine, Apple FaceTime, Apple Preview, Mail, Maps, Photos, Reminders, App Store, Contacts, Stocks, Notes, Calendar, Siri, Messages, Apple iBooks, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Apple Numbers, News, Voice Memos, Home Glance by Mirametrix, Intel Connectivity Performance Suite
MISCELLANEOUS Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (21HM)
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter USB-C slim power adapter
Cables Included USB-C charge cable -
Security Apple T2 Security Chip, fingerprint reader Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type - Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features T2 Security Chip Administrator password, system password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, NVMe password, Firmware Resiliency 3.0, certificate based BIOS authentication, FIDO (Fast Identity Online) authentication
Compliant Standards - RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 6, TCG Certified, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 26, TCO Certified 9.0
SAR Value 0.71 W/kg (body) -
Repairability Index 6.1 (out of 10) -
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 10 °C 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating 0 - 90% (non-condensing) 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 3 years - on-site - response time: next business day
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