The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is indeed less expensive and might be a good fit if you are already embedded in the Apple ecosystem and prioritize a high-quality display and solid build. It offers good performance for general use and creative tasks, but keep in mind its larger size and weight affect portability. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is typically priced higher, likely offering newer hardware, which could translate into better performance, particularly for more demanding engineering or machine learning tasks. It may also feature superior business-oriented amenities such as enhanced security features and a more robust keyboard. Be aware that the ThinkPad might also be heavier and potentially less battery-efficient than lighter, newer laptops. Ultimately, your choice should reflect the balance you prefer between cost, performance, system longevity, and how you plan to use the laptop (general use vs. specialized tasks). 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.6/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 surpasses the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) in general use with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a higher-resolution OLED touch screen, however, it has shorter battery life and lacks the Apple's higher screen brightness and color accuracy. While both are similar in screen size and weight, the Lenovo's additional storage capacity and extra features like a touch screen may also contribute to its edge, despite its somewhat lesser keyboard and speaker quality compared to the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, doubled RAM capacity, and a more vibrant OLED screen with higher resolution, which are very important for these tasks. While both have robust GPUs, the ThinkPad Z16's OLED display offers better screen quality, and despite having a slightly lower battery capacity, it makes up for it with additional RAM and a powerful processor, both crucial for complex computations and multitasking typical in engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both very good for content creation, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MacBook Pro's Retina display offers high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general use with crisp images and easy readability. For engineering and design, the MacBook's wide color gamut provides precise color representation crucial for those applications. However, its standard refresh rate is less suited for 3D applications where higher refresh rates are necessary to handle the fast-moving visuals smoothly.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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.
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 Z16 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU performs fairly for 3D applications but many games are not compatible with MacOS, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, featuring a newer AMD RX 6500M GPU, is equipped for better gaming performance and more suitable for 3D tasks; both have comparable screen refresh rates but the ThinkPad's inclusion of Windows 11 Pro adds to its gaming capabilities.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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."
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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