Lenovo ThinkPad L520 vs. Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad L520
Lenovo ThinkPad L520

Our Rating: 72 %

Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Apple MacBook Air with Retina display

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad L520 and Apple MacBook Air with Retina display. 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 L520 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad L520 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

durable build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

good battery life

solid performance

reliable security features

heavier than competitors

dated design

average display quality

limited graphics performance

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad L520 and Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
75 % - Design
66 % - Display
45 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
74 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad L520 vs. Apple MacBook Air with Retina display Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 38 cm x 24.7 cm x 3.6 cm 30.41 cm x 21.24 cm x 1.56 cm
Weight 2.6 kg 1.25 kg
Case Material - Aluminum
Colour - Space grey | Gold | Silver
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 13.3" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1600 x 900 (HD+) 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) - 227
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Colour Support 16.7 million colours -
Features Anti-glare BFR/PVC-free, Mercury free, beryllium free, arsenic free, Retina display
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
CPU Intel Core i5 (2nd Gen) 2520M / 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 1.6 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.2 GHz 3.6 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Dual-Core
Cache L3 - 3 MB L3 - 4 MB
64-bit Computing Yes Yes
Features Hyper-Threading Technology, integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Intel Turbo Boost Technology
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
RAM 4 GB 8 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 8 GB -
RAM Type DDR3 SDRAM LPDDR3 SDRAM
Speed - 2133 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 204-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 320 GB HDD 128 GB SSD soldered PCIe
Optical Drive DVD-Writer -
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel HD Graphics 3000 Intel UHD Graphics 617
Memory Allocation Technology Dynamic Video Memory Technology -
Camera Yes Yes - 720p
Resolution 0.92 Megapixel -
Camera Features - FaceTime HD camera
Sound Stereo speakers, microphone Stereo speakers, three microphones
Codec Realtek ALC269Q -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio -
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
WWAN
Generation 3G upgradable -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Technology Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) - 50.3 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 Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 30 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad Pressure sensitivity, multi-touch touchpad, Multi-Touch Gesture Recognition, ambient light sensor, force click, Touch ID sensor
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Slots 1 x ExpressCard/54 (1 free) -
Interfaces 2 x USB 2.0
PoweredUSB 2.0
USB 2.0/eSATA
VGA
DisplayPort
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
Headphone output
Memory Card Reader 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card) -
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition (Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR)) Apple macOS Big Sur 11.0
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
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad L520 Apple MacBook Air with Retina display
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C power adapter
Cables Included - USB-C charge cable
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip Apple T2 Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington security slot -
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) -
Features - T2 Security Chip
Compliant Standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, RoHS, ISO 27001 -
SAR Value - 0.71 W/kg (body)
Repairability Index - 6.1 (out of 10)
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 10 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 0 - 90% (non-condensing)
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 2 years - pick-up and return Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
Other projects: