The Apple MacBook Pro 13 offers great build quality, silent operation, and excellent battery life ideal for on-the-go users. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14 provides a larger screen with a touchscreen, more storage, and higher RAM which could improve multitasking and general performance. The HP also has a better webcam and includes a fingerprint reader and facial recognition for added security. The MacBook Pro 13 is better suited for those heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and prefer macOS, while the Dragonfly Pro leans towards users who need a Windows laptop with versatile connectivity and security features. The HP might be a preferred choice for business professionals, but the MacBook Pro is typically a better fit for creative work due to its high color accuracy and silent operation. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
If you require a laptop with excellent image clarity and vibrant colors for tasks like browsing, document editing, and video streaming, certain laptops offer high-resolution displays and superior brightness that enhance your everyday experience. For engineering, design, and photo editing, look for models that cover wider color spaces, such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring that colors are reproduced accurately and consistently. However, for 3D applications and gaming, prioritize laptops with high refresh rate screens to experience smoother motion and reduced lag, while still considering good resolution and panel technology for an immersive experience.
Battery
20.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,219
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a superior combination of a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a larger screen with touch capability compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022), which, while providing excellent screen quality and portability, is less equipped for multitasking and interactive tasks due to its lower RAM and lack of touch screen. Additionally, the MacBook Pro edges out with a significantly longer battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go use where power sources are scarce, despite the Dragonfly Pro's advantage in general performance.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has an integrated M2 GPU which provides a decent performance for 3D tasks but isn't as strong as dedicated gaming GPUs, with a standard refresh rate, that limits its 3D capabilities; additionally, its macOS limits the availability of popular games.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) suits engineering and design tasks due to its high-resolution screen quality, powerful integrated GPU in the Apple M2 chip, and silent operation, but it has less RAM and storage compared to the HP Dragonfly Pro 14". The HP Dragonfly Pro, with its ample storage, double the RAM of the MacBook, and a touch-enabled screen, offers robust performance for engineering and design use while also being a high-quality build, though its battery life is shorter compared to the MacBook's.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Laptops evaluated
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.