The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) generally costs more, but it offers better display technology with higher brightness and more accurate colors, ideal for tasks like photo editing, design work, and professional media creation. Its performance is excellent for general use and suitable for engineering tasks, with a longer battery life ensuring you can work for extended periods without recharging. The MacBook is also lighter and thus more portable than the Lenovo Slim 7 16.
On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 stands out for those interested in gaming or 3D rendering thanks to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card. It has a touchscreen and a slightly larger screen, which may be useful for multitasking or creative work. However, it is heavier and offers a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro, impacting its portability. Its overall performance for general use and engineering tasks is good and it comes with a Windows 11 Pro operating system, which might be preferable for users reliant on Windows-specific software. The decision between the two should weigh whether macOS or Windows better suits your workflow, whether you need higher graphics performance for tasks like gaming or if you prioritize display quality and battery life for professional applications. 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 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim 7 16
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The MacBook Pro 14 offers exceptional screen quality with high brightness and color accuracy, complemented by a strong CPU and good battery life, making it very suitable for general use; in contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 provides similar RAM and storage but slightly lags in portability due to its larger size and heavier weight, yet it offers good performance for general tasks with the added benefit of a touch screen and dedicated graphics for casual gaming or creative work.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers superior screen quality with its Mini LED display and a high-performance integrated Apple M1 Pro GPU, making it very good for precise design work and engineering simulations that don't rely on a standalone GPU. The Lenovo Slim 7 16, while it has a capable AMD Ryzen CPU and a discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU that are good for engineering tasks, its screen quality and overall performance don't match the MacBook Pro, but it offers greater flexibility with a touchscreen and a slightly larger display, which may be beneficial for some users.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
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
8.3/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.3/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim 7 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's screen excels in general use and engineering due to its high resolution, brightness, and wide color gamuts, ensuring sharp images, bright and vivid display that's critical for detail-oriented tasks. For engineering and design, its ability to represent a broad spectrum of colors accurately is essential for visual precision. However, for 3D applications, its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops makes it less ideal, as smoother motion portrayal is key for immersive and responsive 3D experiences.
Battery
13.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 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
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,440
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Lenovo Slim 7 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is considered good for 3D owing to its powerful integrated GPU and higher screen refresh rate, and despite running MacOS, which limits game compatibility, it remains suitable for 3D applications. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 provides fair performance for gaming and 3D due to its dedicated Nvidia GPU, which is advantageous for gaming but has a lower screen refresh rate; additionally, it runs Windows 11 Pro, supporting a broader range of games.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Lenovo Slim 7 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.
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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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.
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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.