The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) commands a higher price but offers more storage and a stronger performance, particularly for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, thanks to its Apple M1 Pro processor and GPU. It also boasts a superior build, better speakers, and a Mini LED display with higher resolution and brightness, making it ideal for color-sensitive work. However, it is heavier and has a lower portability score. On the other hand, the LG Ultra 13 is significantly lighter and less expensive, making it highly portable, but it sacrifices some performance with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Vega 7 GPU. Its IPS display delivers good all-around use but can't match the MacBook's quality for tasks like video editing or design. Battery life on the LG is lower, impacting users who are frequently on-the-go. It’s an efficient option for everyday use and light engineering work but may struggle with more intensive 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
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 13
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a high-quality mini-LED screen, a powerful M1 Pro processor, and exceptional battery life which are very important for general use, along with a solid build and top-notch keyboard, but it is heavier and less portable than the LG Ultra 13. In contrast, the LG Ultra 13, while still delivering satisfactory general use performance with good RAM and an adequate AMD processor, excels in portability due to its lighter weight and good battery life, albeit with a lower-resolution IPS screen and lower storage capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
6.1/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
8.2/10
6.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design tasks mostly due to its powerful M1 Pro CPU and GPU, a high-quality Mini LED screen with excellent color coverage, and a larger battery, although it is heavier which impacts portability. In comparison, the LG Ultra 13, while being lighter and thus more portable, has a less capable AMD Ryzen CPU with integrated graphics, lower screen resolution and brightness, and subpar color coverage which makes it less suitable for demanding engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 LG Ultra 13 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
7.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 13 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
6.9/10
14.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 shines in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, exceptional brightness, and wide color gamut that ensures crisp and accurate imagery. For engineering and design professionals, its ability to accurately represent colors within the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 spaces makes it a strong choice for detail-oriented work, such as photo editing or 3D modeling. However, the MacBook's screen falls short for 3D applications that require high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth rendering of fast-moving images, making it less ideal for gaming or animation work where fluid visuals are key.
Battery
13.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 13 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
Excellent
14.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the LG Ultra 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$529
$0
$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 LG Ultra 13 costs $529.
"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."
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the LG Ultra 13
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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