If you value a larger screen and more powerful performance for activities like video editing, graphics work, or music production, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 could be a great choice. On the other hand, if portability and ease of carrying around are significant for you, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, with its smaller size, may be the way to go. Consider the battery life as well; the MacBook typically offers longer usage between charges, which can be beneficial if you often work on the go without access to power outlets. However, if your tasks are more general, like web browsing, office applications, or light photo editing, the Lenovo could save you money and still meet your needs. Keep in mind that the operating system difference could also be a factor; MacOS on the MacBook Pro and Windows on the Lenovo ThinkBook offer different ecosystems and software compatibility. 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)
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's display offers high resolution and brightness, making it clear and vivid for everyday tasks and professional design work where accurate color representation, such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, is crucial. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has a good-quality display with adequate resolution and brightness for general productivity and design applications, ensuring sharp text and decent color accuracy. However, both laptops lack high refresh rate screens, which are essential for smooth 3D rendering and gaming, resulting in less optimal experiences in these scenarios.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has excellent 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
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) excels in screen quality with its larger, high-resolution display and excellent color accuracy, which, along with its powerful CPU and ample RAM, makes it ideal for demanding applications and multimedia use, although its weight affects portability negatively when compared to the lighter Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, which offers a similarly high-resolution screen and equivalent RAM but trades off some screen size and speaker quality for better portability and a more comfortable keyboard, making it a solid choice for on-the-go productivity with moderate usage intensity. The ThinkBook 13s also has a shorter battery life, which is a consideration for users needing to work for extended periods without access to charging.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
7.5/10
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.9/10
7.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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."
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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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