Apple
MacBook Air 15" (M4)
M4 · 15.3″ · Fanless · $1,199
93
/ 100
From $1,199
VS
MacBook Air 15" (M4) wins by 4
Lenovo
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13
Core Ultra 7 · 14″ OLED · 1.09 kg
89
/ 100
From $2,399
Specdex verdict
MacBook Air 15" (M4) takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, MacBook Air 15" (M4) lands at 93 and ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 at 89. That puts MacBook Air 15" (M4) ahead by 4 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick MacBook Air 15" (M4) if…
- ✓Silent fanless M4
- ✓Excellent battery
- ✓Huge bright display
Pick ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 if…
- ✓Featherweight 1.09 kg
- ✓MIL-STD durability
- ✓Legendary keyboard
Score breakdown
MacBook Air 15" (M4)
93 cpu 92
gpu 84
display 88
battery 96
portability 94
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13
89 cpu 88
gpu 70
display 92
battery 90
portability 98
Specs side-by-side
Spec
MacBook Air 15" (M4)
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13
Chip
Apple M4 (10C CPU / 10C GPU)
—
RAM
16/24/32 GB
16/32 GB LPDDR5X
Storage
256 GB – 2 TB
512 GB – 2 TB
Display
15.3″ Liquid Retina 2880×1864
14″ OLED 2880×1800 120Hz
Weight
1.51 kg
1.09 kg
CPU
—
Intel Core Ultra 7 268V (Lunar Lake)
Battery
—
57 Wh
MacBook Air 15" (M4)
Pros
- +Silent fanless M4
- +Excellent battery
- +Huge bright display
Cons
- −Only 2 TB3 ports
- −Single external display (M4 base)
- −No ProMotion
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13
Pros
- +Featherweight 1.09 kg
- +MIL-STD durability
- +Legendary keyboard
Cons
- −Expensive in top trim
- −Integrated graphics only
- −Port layout compromises
FAQ: MacBook Air 15" (M4) vs ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13
Which is better, MacBook Air 15" (M4) or ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13? +
MacBook Air 15" (M4) scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is MacBook Air 15" (M4) worth the price? +
At $1,199, MacBook Air 15" (M4) delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in battery.
Is ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 worth the price? +
At $2,399, ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in portability.
Does MacBook Air 15" (M4) or ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.