Apple's recent price increases for the MacBook Air have made several premium Windows laptops more competitive, with a number of high-performance models now selling for less than the company's entry-level ultraportable.
The price hike, attributed to rising memory and storage chip costs linked to growing AI demand, increased the starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Air to $1,299, while the 15-inch model now starts at $1,499.
Here are five laptops that now cost less than the MacBook Air while offering similar or better features.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11
Starting at around $1,399, Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 undercuts the 15-inch MacBook Air while featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, a 14-inch OLED display, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
Its main drawback is limited connectivity, offering only three USB-C ports and no headphone jack.
Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch)
Microsoft's 13-inch Surface Laptop starts at $1,199, making it about $100 cheaper than Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus processor, it includes 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 7 support and a 1080p webcam. Battery life is also a major strength, with independent testing suggesting it can last significantly longer than the MacBook Air.
HP OmniBook 5
HP's OmniBook 5 is available in multiple configurations, with one model featuring a Snapdragon X Plus processor, 32GB RAM, 512GB storage and a 14-inch 2K OLED display priced at around $1,450.
The laptop also offers a touchscreen, USB-A and USB-C ports, plus a headphone jack, making it more versatile than Apple's offering.
Asus ZenBook A14 (2026)
Priced at around $1,350, Asus' latest ZenBook A14 combines Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite processor with a lightweight 2.4-pound design.
The laptop includes a 14-inch OLED display, HDMI 2.1, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a headphone jack, while benchmark tests indicate performance comparable to or exceeding Apple's latest M5-powered laptops in some workloads.
Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition
The Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition starts at about $1,156, making it one of the most affordable premium alternatives.
It features Intel's Core Ultra 7 processor, a 14-inch OLED display, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage. Connectivity includes Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, USB-A, microSD card reader and a headphone jack.
While it may not match Apple's latest processors in raw performance, it remains well suited for productivity and everyday computing.
As technology prices continue to fluctuate due to component shortages and AI-driven demand, consumers looking for a premium ultrabook now have more alternatives to Apple's MacBook Air than before.
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