Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) vs Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
The real choice here is the system: the Apple MacBook Air 15 runs macOS and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i runs Windows. Beyond that, the Apple MacBook Air 15 has a bigger screen, while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is lighter and has more memory.
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Key differences
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Performance
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i wins
Same class of processor, but the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has more memory (32 GB against 16 GB).
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Gaming
Evenly matched
Both manage light and older games, but not new releases.
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Display
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i wins
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has the better screen: 14" 4K OLED 600 nits 120 Hz against 15.3" 3K 500 nits.
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Battery life
Evenly matched
Similar battery life: up to 18 hours against up to 17.42 hours.
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Connectivity
Evenly matched
Much the same ports and wireless on both.
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Portability
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i wins
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is easier to carry at 1.23 kg, against 1.51 kg.
Other differences
- Operating system Depends on you
They run different systems: the Apple MacBook Air 15 runs macOS and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i runs Windows. Pick the one that runs the apps you rely on.
- Memory Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i wins
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has 32 GB of memory against 16 GB, so it has more room for big projects and heavy multitasking.
- Screen size Depends on you
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has the bigger screen (15.3" against 14"), while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is more compact.
- Storage Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i wins
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has twice the storage: 1 TB against 512 GB.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Apple MacBook Air 15 if…
- You own an iPhone or prefer a Mac: it runs macOS and works smoothly with Apple devices.
- You want more room to work: its 15.3-inch screen fits two windows side by side.
- You prefer the newer model: it came out in 2026.
Choose the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i if…
- You need Windows programs or want to play PC games: it runs Windows 11, which runs almost anything.
- You'll carry it every day: at 1.23 kg it's easy to take everywhere.
- You keep lots of tabs and apps open: 32 GB of memory gives it more room.
- You want something compact for small bags and train tables: it has a 14-inch screen.
- You store lots of photos, videos or games: it has 1 TB of storage.
Full spec comparison
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i leads on battery and weight, performance and the screen; elsewhere the two are closely matched.
Green cells with a ✓ mark the better spec in that row. Tick "Show differences only" to hide the rows where they match.
Performance
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is ahead on performance.
It has more memory and has more storage, and the Apple MacBook Air 15 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V |
| Graphics | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Intel Arc Graphics 140V |
| AI engine (NPU) | — | 47 TOPS |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory type | — | LPDDR5X-8533 |
| Maximum memory | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory upgrades | Soldered (not upgradeable) | Soldered (not upgradeable) |
| Storage | 512 GB | 1 TB |
| Storage type | SSD | SSD |
| Storage interface | — | PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2242 |
| Storage slots | 0 | 1 |
Screen
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is ahead on the screen.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has the bigger screen (15.3" against 14"), while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is more compact. The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a bigger screen, while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is more compact, has an OLED screen and has a sharper screen.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 15.3" | 14" |
| Resolution | 3K (2880 x 1864) | 4K (3840 x 2400) |
| Aspect ratio | — | 16:10 |
| Panel | IPS | OLED |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 500 nits | 600 nits |
| Colour range | Wide colour (P3) | 100% DCI-P3 |
| HDR | None | VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600, Dolby Vision |
| Finish | — | Glossy |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes |
Battery and size
Each laptop has its strengths on battery and weight.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 is slimmer, while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is lighter.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 18 hours | Up to 17.42 hours |
| Battery capacity | 66.5 Wh | 75 Wh |
| Charger | — | 65 W |
| Charges via | MagSafe 3 or USB-C | USB-C |
| Fast charging | Fast-charge capable with 70 W or higher USB PD power source | Rapid Charge Express: 3 hours of runtime from a 15-minute charge |
| Weight | 1.51 kg | 1.23 kg |
| Dimensions | 340.4 x 237.6 x 11.5 mm | 312.93 x 203.5 x 14.55 mm |
| Materials | 100% recycled aluminium enclosure | Aluminium + 2.5D glass (top), aluminium (bottom) |
| Durability | — | MIL-STD-810H |
| Colour | Midnight | Tidal Teal |
| Colours available | Sky Blue, Silver, Starlight, Midnight | Tidal Teal |
Ports and wireless
Both have much the same ports and wireless.
You can plug in the same things on either.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C; charging, DisplayPort, USB 4 up to 40Gb/s), 1x MagSafe 3 (charging), 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 40Gbps, USB PD charging, DisplayPort 2.1) |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 40Gbps | Thunderbolt 4 |
| External displays (max) | 2 | 2 |
| Card reader | None | None |
| Ethernet | None | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Wi-Fi card | Apple N1 | — |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Mobile data | None | None |
Features
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is ahead on extras.
It has Copilot+ AI features, and the Apple MacBook Air 15 doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage, 1080p | 1080p (32MP), camera under display |
| Webcam privacy | — | E-shutter (electronic switch on the chassis) |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard | backlit Magic Keyboard, 78 ANSI or 79 ISO keys, 12 full-height function keys, ambient light sensor | 6-row, 1.5 mm key travel, backlit, Copilot key |
| Login | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
| Number pad | No | No |
| Touchpad | Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing and Multi-Touch gestures | Buttonless glass multi-touch touchpad (Precision), 69 x 104 mm |
| Speakers | six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos | 4 stereo speakers (2x 3W woofers, 2x 2W tweeters), Dolby Atmos, Smart Amp |
| Microphones | three-mic array with directional beamforming | Quad-microphone array |
| Pen | No | No |
| Security | Touch ID | TPM 2.0 (firmware, in SoC), Fingerprint reader, E-shutter, Self-healing BIOS |
Software and model
They run different systems, so this comes down to the apps you use.
It is newer, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 Pro |
| Model number | MDVH4B/A | 83CX0006US |
| Released | 2026 | 2025 |