MACBOOK AIR ALTERNATIVES
MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 3
It is not easy to make a laptop that stands out without doing something ‘out there’ or silly. But the Laptop Go 3 does. It’s available in four colours including T3 favourites Sage Green and Ice Blue, and has
a distinctive look and feel, with an aluminium and soft touch plastic casing. The screen is much taller than most too, thanks to its unusual 3:2 aspect. Portability is fantastic, and despite the tiny footprint the keyboard is comfortable for long-form typing. However, the starting price is higher this time around, and the so-so screen resolution is starting to show its age at this new higher price.
From $997, microsoft.com
ACER SWIFT GO 14
This might be one of the most direct 14-inch rivals for the MacBook Air. 1.25kg weight? Check. All-aluminium chassis? Sure. 16mm thickness? It’s a match. The difference is the Swift GO 14 typically costs up to $500 less at its starting spec. Willing to pay the grand you’d spend on an Air? Now you can have a brilliant 1800p OLED screen and both double the RAM and storage of an entry-level MacBook Air.
From $997, acer.com
LENOVO YOGA 7 SLIM
There’s nothing quite like a laptop that feels like it should be more expensive than it actually is. An understated look and a true nononsense design that, like a MacBook Air, is meant to be just a laptop, through and through. That means no 360-degree hinge, no touchscreen or stylus, just a rock solid PC made from base to webcam for actual work. The latest version even uses a high-res 1840p OLED display.
From $974, lenovo.com
HONOR MAGICBOOK X 16
This Honor has pricing to beat a MacBook Air. But look at its specs and it comes across more of a MacBook Pro 16 rival. It has a processor from Intel’s high-performance series and a large 16inch 16:10 aspect screen, great for full days at the grindstone. It even has an aluminium casing. You start to wonder how all this is even possible.
There are, of course, caveats. The Honor MagicBook X 16 doesn’t have the perfect, dense feel of a MacBook. It uses an older-generation processor and the 1200p screen resolution is pushed to the limits at 16-inches. Still, great
value indeed.
$1,266, aliexpresscom
SAMSUNG GALAXY BOOK 3
This charming imposter apes the style of Samsung’s far more expensive laptops, for less cash. It’s a no-nonsense productivity PC with a much larger screen than an Air, and still-decent portability for a 15.6-incher, at 1.6kg. The metal casing feels great too. Just make sure you’ll be okay with the sub-MacBook Air bits: limited display colour, plastic touchpad,
no keyboard backlight.
From $1,769, samsung.com
DELL XPS 13
This Dell XPS 13 is the longest-standing go-to recommendation among MacBook Air alternatives. Back in the day it used to be one of Dell’s crown jewels. Now pipped by the XPS 13 Plus, it’s been demoted to a budget-friendly status. Too many forget that the machine exists, though, as this is still a gold standard among nononsense stylish portables.
From $1,798, dell.com