The MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is slightly less expensive, lighter, and slightly more portable than the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023), making it suitable if you prioritize mobility and saving on cost. It also offers high-quality display and build, solid performance for general use, and moderate performance for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a larger screen, better battery life, and boasts improved performance, particularly for more demanding engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning workloads. Both lack a number pad but include a backlit keyboard and high-resolution screens, yet neither is ideal for intensive gaming. Choose the MacBook Pro 14 for better portability or the MacBook Pro 16 for top performance and a larger screen. 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 (2023)
Very good portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
Best in class battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
9.3/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.2in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
487.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 14 for content creation, and software development.
For general use, MacBook Pros offer high-resolution displays with bright, vivid colors, making everything from browsing the web to watching videos a visually satisfying experience. In engineering and design, the accurate representation of colors within wide gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB on these laptops ensures that the work you see on the screen is close to your final product. However, for 3D applications which benefit from high refresh rates for smoother motion, the MacBook Pro screens lag behind, as they prioritize resolution and color accuracy over the faster screen updates preferred in gaming or real-time 3D modeling.
Battery
13.5 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
16.2in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,630
$3,099
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,630 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) costs $3,099.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are very good for general use due to their powerful CPUs, ample RAM, high screen quality with Mini LED displays and sharp resolutions offering bright, color-accurate images. The more compact MacBook Pro 14 offers greater portability and very good battery life, while the MacBook Pro 16, with a larger screen and even longer battery life, excels when more screen real estate and sustained performance are needed, albeit at the cost of extra weight.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.5/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) with an Apple M2 Pro chipset includes a 16-core GPU suitable for 3D tasks and has a high-refresh-rate screen, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) steps up the performance with an Apple M3 Pro processor and an 18-core GPU, offering even better handling of 3D applications. Both models feature high-quality Mini LED displays with similar high refresh rates, ensuring smooth visuals, but the MacBook Pro 16's larger screen provides a bigger workspace and is better for tasks requiring more screen real estate.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) are highly suitable for engineering and design due to their powerful CPUs, ample RAM, and robust GPUs which excel in computing and graphical tasks; additionally, they boast high-quality Mini LED displays with wide color gamut coverage, ensuring precise visuals. While the MacBook Pro 14 offers greater portability and a slightly brighter screen, the MacBook Pro 16 provides a larger screen size and better battery life, which might be more compelling for extended work sessions despite the device being somewhat heavier.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very 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
8.4/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
18.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both very 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) both have best in class build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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."
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
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.
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.
Craig Russell
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.