When choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, consider that the MacBook Pro generally offers a high-quality display and a robust build ideal for creative professionals, whereas the ThinkPad T14 is known for its durability and keyboard comfort, making it a favorite among business users. The MacBook often commands a higher price, reflecting its premium design and ecosystem, but is less flexible when it comes to hardware upgrades and repairs. The ThinkPad, conversely, is more customizable and may be preferred for those requiring extensive typing or IT maintenance. Assess your priorities in terms of ecosystem (macOS vs. Windows), build quality, screen excellence, and upgrade flexibility to inform your decision. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.5/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a powerful CPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality for demanding applications and multitasking, but it's heavier and can be less portable. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while providing ample performance for general use, emphasizes portability and longer battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go usage without sacrificing key features like a comfortable keyboard and efficient heat management.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-quality CPU, ample RAM, and a dedicated GPU which, along with its superior screen quality, makes it an excellent choice for design and engineering software that demands top-tier performance and visual clarity. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while it also has a robust CPU and plenty of RAM, offers greater portability and a well-regarded keyboard, making it a strong choice for engineering professionals who prioritize comfort and mobility alongside computing power.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is favored for its high-resolution and bright display, featuring a panel that renders colors accurately, appealing for both general use and tasks that require precise color work like engineering and design, thanks to its wide color gamut coverage. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers good screen quality with sufficient brightness and resolution, ensuring comfortable general use and competent performance for design applications, but it falls short compared to the MacBook Pro in color accuracy. However, for 3D work where high refresh rates are crucial, both laptops may not meet expectations due to their standard refresh rate displays, which are more common in general purpose and professional laptops rather than gaming or specialized 3D laptops.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,241.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro boasts a strong GPU suitable for 3D work, yet its screen refresh rate isn't optimal for gaming and many games aren't compatible with macOS; the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers a good balance with a decent GPU and higher refresh rate, making it a better fit for gaming despite a possibly less powerful CPU and slightly lower screen quality. Both laptops can handle 3D tasks well, but for a dedicated gaming experience, the ThinkPad holds the advantage, especially in terms of game availability and smoother visuals.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.9/10
8.3/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 compare to other laptops
"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."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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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