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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) offers excellent build quality, performance and a high-quality screen suited for general use and engineering tasks, with a long battery life and a silent operation. However, it is more expensive and has fewer ports. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a larger screen, more RAM, and is more affordable, which might make it an attractive option for those who need a touchscreen, more storage out of the box, and can settle for slightly lower general performance. It also includes a dedicated numeric keypad which could be helpful for productivity tasks. Keep in mind that the MacBook is lighter and more portable, making it a finer choice for on-the-go use, whereas the Flex 5's larger size and weight may not be as comfortable to carry around. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
7.3
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 13's screen boasts higher resolution and brightness, providing crisp and vivid images for general use, along with wide color gamuts, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks that require accurate color representation. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a good balance of resolution and brightness suitable for general tasks and design work, but may fall short in professional color handling. However, neither laptop is designed with high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals in 3D applications, making them less optimal for gaming or 3D modeling where quick screen updates are critical.
Battery
20.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
20.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is lightweight and has long battery life, coupled with a silent, fanless operation that makes it highly portable and suited for general use; additionally, it offers excellent screen quality and performance within a compact form-factor.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.2
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.2
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) offers a high-quality display and silent operation which makes it great for design work that requires color accuracy and a distraction-free environment, but with less RAM and a smaller screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16, it may fall short for some engineering tasks that need more multitasking or larger display space. Conversely, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a larger and touch-capable screen and double the RAM for handling complex engineering software, but it compromises on display color accuracy and has a noisier operation, which might be less ideal for design-focused work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.61'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 20 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58.2 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 497 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2022
"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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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