The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is generally more expensive and offers stronger performance, especially for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks, thanks to its powerful processor and GPU. It also has a superior screen quality with higher brightness and color coverage, plus a longer battery life. However, the MacBook Pro is less portable due to its weight. Meanwhile, the HP Spectre x360 is more affordable and includes a touchscreen, which can be a plus for ease of use. It's lighter, enhancing its portability, but doesn't match the MacBook's performance in more demanding applications and has a shorter battery life. Choose the MacBook Pro if high-end performance and superior display are priorities, or the Spectre x360 for touchscreen capability and better value. 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
Good for gaming and AI
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Spectre x360
The HP Spectre x360 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
8.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the HP Spectre x360 is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is highly suitable for general use due to its powerful M1 Pro processor, ample 32GB of RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen, complemented by a long battery life and a sturdy build, but it is not as light or as versatile as some alternatives.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
8.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and HP Spectre x360 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and GPU combination, more RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, making it ideal for performance-heavy tasks and visual precision. The HP Spectre x360, while also suitable for engineering and design with an impressive CPU and good screen, offers less RAM and a standard IPS display, but gains in versatility with its convertible design and touchscreen capability.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and HP Spectre x360 are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and HP Spectre x360 are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
7.6/10
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP Spectre x360 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its high resolution and brightness, produces a crisp and vibrant display perfect for reading text and viewing images for general use, while its wide color gamuts deliver accurate and deep colors essential for engineering and design tasks. The HP Spectre x360 also boasts a high-resolution, bright screen and respectable color coverage, ideal for both general use and professionals in design, ensuring clear visuals and color precision. However, for 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their standard refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of fast-motion graphics critical in gaming or 3D modeling.
Battery
17.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 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
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the HP Spectre x360 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,000
$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 Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be good for gaming and AI, while the HP Spectre x360 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in 3D tasks with a high-quality Mini LED display, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a strong GPU, which are essential for rendering but less optimal for gaming since many popular games are not compatible with macOS.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and HP Spectre x360 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the HP Spectre x360 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."
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the HP Spectre x360
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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