We’ve seen quite a bit of ‘laptop’ activity in China in the past 24 hours or so. Most of it was thanks to the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air, the pretty-looking uninspiringly-named budget laptop.
If you thought the Mi Notebook Air was well priced, meet the Lenovo Air 13 Pro. The laptop offers a spec sheet that’s uncannily similar to that of the Mi Notebook Air; let’s have a quick look.
Lenovo Air 13 Pro specifications:
Gizchina News of the week
- 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080p display
- Intel Core i5-6200U processor
- NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics
- 4GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 46Wh battery
The only difference is the RAM (4GB vs 8GB on the 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air), a slightly larger battery (46Wh vs 40Wh). As for the pricing, the Lenovo Air 13 Pro will sell for $750, which makes it a no-deal considering the amount of RAM it has.
As Liliputing points out, the Air 13 Pro looks a lot like the IdeaPad 710S from earlier this year.
It’s quite interesting how companies in China work, don’t you think? Let us know what you think of the whole Mi Notebook Air vs Lenovo Air 13 Pro thing below.
It’s ironic how mi and lenovo had released an almost similar spec and similar priced laptop, almost at the same time with the word air in both model. Almost as if they were expected to compete. haha. corporate spies perhaps
Yes, but lenovo had similar devices and before…
By the way, 4GB is more then enough for devices like this… You cannot play games, or render video on it anyway…
Shouldn’t be a problem for a high setting config on Dota tho. But games like GTA, you definitely shouldn’t be running it on full settings. haha. The Mi Notebook Pro version should be able to play in high settings tho(If the rumoured specs are to be true) but will be launch later on I suppose.
have you all seen/met the similiar LIVEFAN 13″?
i already placed it on MY CART
Aknowledging the fact Lenovo has a few decades of experience in laptop building VS Xiaomi who’s a total newcomer in the business, the RAM amount probably isn’t the only difference between the two products, as we can expect more stability and lifespan from Lenovo.
Other difference is the amount of RAM embedded in GPU : 1GB for Xiaomi, when Lenovo has 2GB, even if it’s the same Nvidia 940MX. I think it will make a sensible advantage for Lenovo, but we’ll have to wait for benchmarks ingame to confirm that point.
Another difference should be availability, as Lenovo usally deliver massive batches from start, when Xiaomi struggle to meet the demand (especially if the info about the 300K unit first batch is true).
And last but not least, Lenovo integrated a fingerprint scanner while Xiaomi didn’t.
Finally, I can’t see any reason to go for Xiaomi’s, as 8GB RAM vs 4GB RAM shouldn’t make any difference for any ‘bureautic/multimedia’ task this kind of laptop can handle, while GPU RAM will make a serious difference for gaming.
Plus point on the Xiaomi for the AKG and Dolby sound of course but that is to be tested yet.
I think the Lenovo does have the USB Type C tho.
http://www.lenovo.com.cn/activity/marketing/air13pro/index.html
thx, i edited my comment. As for the AKG part, i’m affraid it may be more of a gimmick, since reviewers that went at Xiaomi’s show pointed out standard sound quality and vibrations induced in keyboard/trackpad.
Do you have any links or sources for those reviews?
Sorry, i read a lot of reviews today and don’t remember which one on which site reported this…
hmm.. because I know of a rather reliable, famous local chinese blogger who was there that has a contradicting opinion to what you have just mentioned tho.
i want to game too .. but will go for Mi Notebook
so you’ll wait at least 2 month more to be disappointed by perfs and cry a few month later when you’ll have hardware issues and won’t find any aftersale service in your country.
Great choice Muhammad, congratulations ^^
you’re harsh and blunt af :/
that’s how it’s fun xD
plus i know you’re not a wimp and understand this unsubtle form of humor ^^
ikr 😀
and i ain’t rich enough to buy a laptop atm … hel , i would be lucky to buy the Redmi Pro 1st version :p
If there are any hardware issues you can take them to just about any repair shop and get it fixed. It’s not like Xiaomi is using brand new components that aren’t used in dozens of laptops.
I was think of using warranty instead of paying for repair. And it seems their are more Lenovo aftersale support centers worldwide than Xiaomi.
That’s assuming you’re repair is covered under you warranty and they don’t charge you extra for parts And shipping. Having dealt with Lenovo Support in the past, good luck.
ok in singapore..Lenovo service centre 5 stars..i just had my lenovo 27″ touch horizon repaired replaced panels/motherboard brand new(it was me who messed it up after changing the SSd harddrive) for zero dollars..it take around a month for the spare parts to arrive
indeed..me and my partners practically repaired everythinggie includin pads/tablets..if spareparts is availiable(80% no problemo)
While Xiaomi themselves are a newcomer to laptops they are using the same OEM who builds laptops for Acer, HP and even Lenovo themselves.
The rest of your points are pretty much spot on.
I didn’t know that, thanks. Which OEM is it ?
Quanta
Yeah, but it’s not quanta tho. it’s wistron. but the current batch is being built by a company called tian mi. the 2nd manufacturing company is expected to be wistron. Xiaomi is trying to get more manufacturing partners to meet the supply in demand
I read on another site it was Quanta.
They probably got it wrong. Check this out
https://www.google.com/search?q=taiwan+tech+company+wiki&rlz=1C1CHBF_enMY693MY693&oq=taiwan+tech+company+wiki&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.8871j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=mi+notebook+tian+mi
Yeah, Wistron made laptops for Acer as well and many other major brands that we know. Taiwanese, apparently.
Wistron and Quanta are like the Foxconn of the laptop world. They both have contracts with HP, Acer, Dell, Asus, Alienware, Lenovo and several others.
Inventec too and all of these companies are Taiwanese. They monopoly the tech oem odm manufacturing world.
It’s amazing how much of the electronics industry can be traced back to the tiny islands of Taiwan. Foxconn, Quanta, Wistron, Mediatek, TSMC, Realtek, AOC, Biostar, Gigabyte, Clevo, Inventec, Leadtek, Mstar, Microtek, Pegatron, Ralink, Transcend and many more. Chances are if you have a laptop, tablet or phone it can be traced back to Taiwan.
Digitimes says 12.3″ version is built by Inventec and 13.3″ version by Quanta. Xiaomi beeing the biggest Inventec partner for handheld products, maybe they didn’t wanna ternish their relation by contracting all of their notebook production with Quanta ^^ As funny as it gets, Quanta is producing Apple notebooks…
It’s ironic how mi and lenovo had released an almost similar spec and similar priced laptop, almost at the same time with the word air in both model. Almost as if they were expected to compete. haha. corporate spies leaking infos perhaps
Yes, but lenovo had similar devices and before…
By the way, 4GB is more then enough for devices like this… You cannot play games, or render video on it anyway…
Shouldn’t be a problem for a high setting config on Dota tho. But games like GTA, you definitely shouldn’t be running it on full settings. haha. The Mi Notebook Pro version should be able to play in high settings tho (If the rumoured specs are to be true) but will be launched later on I suppose.
have you all seen/met the similiar LIVEFAN 13″?
i already placed it on MY CART
They should use AMD hardware to be more competitive pricewise. The latest generation AMD laptop apu’s perform nicely when paired with enough RAM.
nicely said !
i agree
but they have to use always intel…
AMD is a NO no..after warrenty expired..thats where your headaches come in..trust me..i repaired computers for a livings
i just have one issue with this LAptop…
THE DAMN GPU !!!!
we all know Lenovo Air will sell for MORE $$$$ after presale … which means its costly and has the SAME GPU as Mi PC !
the least these LENOVO morons could have done is use a GTX 965m with 3GB VRAM FOR OPTIMUM GAMING PERFORMANCE !
At least they put 2GB VRAM when Xiaomi’s slacked with a ridiculous 1GB VRAM ^^
scant consolation..
Nvidia GTX 965m is not possible on such a small thin and light ultrabook. Besides the TDP is 50 Watt for this gpu, considering the core i5-6200U cpu itself is 15 Watt. Starting with nvidia geforce gtx 950 to 980m those gpus are for 15 to 17 inches big and heavy laptop. So gpu like 940mx is perfect for this ultrabook since the TPD is 15 to 30 Watt approximately.
k man , whatever , they could have ditched the thin factor for more firepower !
ello fren..when we buy thin..we meant portabilty..lightweight..if want firepower..go back to 11 or 13″ gamers laptop which will endup in weight..as for me..i do carry my laptop around daily includin flying off abroad
k fren
There are a few more differences, beside the RAM amount
Differences in favor of Lenovo
– aknowledging the fact Lenovo has a few decades of experience in laptop building VS Xiaomi who’s a total newcomer in the business, we probably can expect more stability and lifespan from Lenovo.
– the amount of RAM embedded in GPU : 1GB for Xiaomi, when Lenovo has 2GB, even if it’s the same Nvidia 940MX. I think it will make a sensible advantage for Lenovo, but we’ll have to wait for benchmarks ingame to confirm that point.
– availability, as Lenovo usally deliver massive batches from start, when Xiaomi struggle to meet the demand (especially if the info about the 300K unit first batch is true).
– Lenovo integrated a fingerprint scanner while Xiaomi didn’t.
Differences in favor of Xiaomi
– Xiaomi advertised on their fast charging tech (50% in 30mn), while Lenovo doesn’t seem to offer something equivalent
Finally, I don’t think 4GB RAM isn’t a showstopper, as 8GB RAM vs 4GB RAM shouldn’t make any difference for any ‘bureautic/multimedia’ task this kind of laptop can handle, while GPU RAM will make a serious difference for gaming. Correct me if i’m wrong.
Plus point on the Xiaomi for the AKG and Dolby sound of course but that is to be tested yet.
I think the Lenovo does have the USB Type C tho.
http://www.lenovo.com.cn/activity/marketing/air13pro/index.html
i want to game too .. but will go for Mi Notebook
thx, i edited my comment. As for the AKG part, i’m affraid it may be more of a gimmick, since reviewers that went at Xiaomi’s show pointed out standard sound quality and vibrations induced in keyboard/trackpad.
so you’ll wait at least 2 month more to be disappointed by perfs and cry a few month later when you’ll have hardware issues and won’t find any aftersale service in your country.
Great choice Muhammad, congratulations ^^
you’re harsh and blunt af :/
Do you have any links or sources for those reviews?
While Xiaomi themselves are a newcomer to laptops they are using the same OEM who builds laptops for Acer, HP and even Lenovo themselves.
The rest of your points are pretty much spot on.
If there are any hardware issues you can take them to just about any repair shop and get it fixed. It’s not like Xiaomi is using brand new components that aren’t used in dozens of laptops.
that’s how it’s fun xD
plus i know you’re not a wimp and understand this unsubtle form of humor ^^
I was think of using warranty instead of paying for repair. And it seems their are more Lenovo aftersale support centers worldwide than Xiaomi.
I didn’t know that, thanks. Which OEM is it ?
Sorry, i read a lot of reviews today and don’t remember which one on which site reported this…
Quanta
ikr 😀
and i ain’t rich enough to buy a laptop atm … hel , i would be lucky to buy the Redmi Pro 1st version :p
Yeah, but it’s not quanta tho. it’s wistron. but the current batch is being built by a company called tian mi. the 2nd manufacturing company is expected to be wistron. Xiaomi is trying to get more manufacturing partners to meet the supply in demand
I read on another site it was Quanta. But even if it’s Wistron they are just as big and make products for all the major laptop companies.
hmm.. because I know of a rather reliable, famous local chinese blogger who was there that has a contradicting opinion to what you have just mentioned tho.
They probably got it wrong. Check this out
https://www.google.com/search?q=taiwan+tech+company+wiki&rlz=1C1CHBF_enMY693MY693&oq=taiwan+tech+company+wiki&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.8871j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=mi+notebook+tian+mi
That’s assuming you’re repair is covered under you warranty and they don’t charge you extra for parts And shipping. Having dealt with Lenovo Support in the past, good luck.
Yeah, Wistron made laptops for Acer as well and many other major brands that we know. Taiwanese, apparently.
Wistron and Quanta are like the Foxconn of the laptop world. They both have contracts with HP, Acer, Dell, Asus, Alienware, Lenovo and several others.
Inventec too and all of these companies are Taiwanese. They monopoly the tech oem odm manufacturing world.
It’s amazing how much of the electronics industry can be traced back to the tiny islands of Taiwan. Foxconn, Quanta, Wistron, Mediatek, TSMC, Realtek, AOC, Biostar, Gigabyte, Clevo, Inventec, Leadtek, Mstar, Microtek, Pegatron, Ralink, Transcend and many more. Chances are if you have a laptop, tablet or phone it can be traced back to Taiwan.
Digitimes says 12.3″ version is built by Inventec and 13.3″ version by Quanta. Xiaomi beeing the biggest Inventec partner for handheld products, maybe they didn’t wanna ternish their relation by contracting all of their notebook production with Quanta ^^ As funny as it gets, Quanta is producing Apple notebooks…
indeed..me and my partners practically repaired everythinggie includin pads/tablets..if spareparts is availiable(80% no problemo)
ok in singapore..Lenovo service centre 5 stars..i just had my lenovo 27″ touch horizon repaired replaced panels/motherboard brand new(it was me who messed it up after changing the SSd harddrive) for zero dollars..it take around a month for the spare parts to arrive
Xiaomi FTW.
They should use AMD hardware to be more competitive pricewise. The latest generation AMD laptop apu’s perform nicely when paired with enough RAM.
nicely said !
i agree
but they have to use always intel…
AMD is a NO no..after warrenty expired..thats where your headaches come in..trust me..i repaired computers for a livings
i just have one issue with this LAptop…
THE DAMN GPU !!!!
we all know Lenovo Air will sell for MORE $$$$ after presale … which means its costly and has the SAME GPU as Mi PC !
the least these LENOVO morons could have done is use a GTX 965m with 3GB VRAM FOR OPTIMUM GAMING PERFORMANCE !
At least they put 2GB VRAM when Xiaomi’s slacked with a ridiculous 1GB VRAM ^^
scant consolation..
Nvidia GTX 965m is not possible on such a small thin and light ultrabook. Besides the TDP is 50 Watt for this gpu, considering the core i5-6200U cpu itself is 15 Watt. Starting with nvidia geforce gtx 950 to 980m those gpus are for 15 to 17 inches big and heavy laptop. So gpu like 940mx is perfect for this ultrabook since the TPD is 15 to 30 Watt approximately.
k man , whatever , they could have ditched the thin factor for more firepower !
ello fren..when we buy thin..we meant portabilty..lightweight..if want firepower..go back to 11 or 13″ gamers laptop which will endup in weight..as for me..i do carry my laptop around daily includin flying off abroad
k fren
Xiaomi FTW.