If you're looking for top-notch performance and are comfortable with a higher price tag, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels with more powerful processing capabilities, a higher resolution and brighter display, and superior graphics, making it suitable for intense tasks like video editing and 3D rendering. Its build quality and battery life stand out as well. On the other hand, the HP Envy x360 15" offers great value for its price, with the flexibility of a 2-in-1 design for use as both a laptop and a tablet. It's also lighter and more portable but comes with modest performance suitable for everyday tasks. If cost is a consideration and you prioritize versatility and portability over raw power, then the HP Envy x360 15" could serve you well. 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 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Envy x360 15"
The HP Envy x360 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the HP Envy x360 15" is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its more powerful CPU, larger and higher-quality screen, and longer battery life, while the HP Envy x360 15" offers a touch screen and 2-in-1 flexibility at a lighter weight, appealing to those who prioritize portability and versatility over top-tier performance. With more RAM and a superior display, the MacBook Pro provides a smoother multitasking experience and better visibility for detailed work, but the Envy's advantages as a convertible may be attractive for users on the move who also enjoy using their device for media consumption and light tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
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
8.7/10
6.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy x360 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers more RAM, a powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, and a high-quality Mini LED display, which greatly benefits engineering and design applications that demand intensive processing and accurate color representation.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the HP Envy x360 15" 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
8.9/10
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the HP Envy x360 15" 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
9.4/10
6.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
271.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP Envy x360 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display, bright panel, and wide color gamuts, ensuring sharp detail, vivid image quality, and accurate color representation. However, for 3D applications, the MacBook's screen falls short because of its standard refresh rate, which is less suitable for the smooth rendering of fast-moving images. On the other hand, the HP Envy x360 15" offers adequate resolution and brightness for general use, and fair color reproduction for engineering tasks, but like the MacBook, its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for gaming or 3D content where higher refresh rates are crucial for optimal performance.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The HP Envy x360 15" 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the HP Envy x360 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$518
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the HP Envy x360 15" costs $518.
"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."
"Despite its good looks, stellar webcam and comfortable keyboard, the Envy x360 15 is hard to recommend because of its dim, 16:9 display. If the display isn't an issue for you, just be sure to wait for a good sale price. Otherwise, a more modern two-in-one with a 16:10 display such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 or Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 provides a larger workspace without adding much to the size and weight of the system."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the HP Envy x360 15"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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